Q: iPhone 4S unable to turn off 3G?!

My problem is I work in the lab at Virginia Hospital and have no reception (in the basemant) so the first few days with the new 4S my battery was drained.  I decided to turn it on "airplane mode" and to my surprise I was able to manually turn on the wifi.  I get to do everything I need over the wifi without the phone trying to conect to the non existant 3G in the basement.  I turn on " the network" as soon as I can see the outside.  This solved my battery issue because I did not need to make phone calls so I understand THIS solution does not apply to all of you. But I thought I shared anyway.

Good luck!

In my office, wifi is locked down and will not allow streaming internet radio.  3G, while showing full bars, will not allow the streaming radio through, it is choppy at best and usually just doesnt work.  I come in, switch off 3G for edge, and the internet radio streams perfectly with no issues.  It's been this way with my last 3 iphones.  Now I dont have the option and I can no longer stream the radio from my phone like I want.

Really, i'm so disappointed that I let myself upgrade to the 4s this week.  It's been nothing but trouble, with wifi issues, battery issues and now my ability to switch back to edge is gone.  Sure, some may argue it's older tech, but it is still very useful for many of us who have spotty coverage.

Dears, I have the same problem in Romania ( Europe ) ! On my old 4 was working on 2G because of better signal and better batery lifetime ! Now, with the new 4s I can't go only on 2G and on 3G I have big problems : shorter liftime of battery, bad phone conversation because of bed signal, unwanted data trafic ! I have to swith off the data trafic not to have huge unwanted data trafic ! WE NEED THE 2G/3G SWICH BACK !!!

Hi! For me,there's another problem! On my iPad 2 WiFi + 3G before updating to iOS 5, my internet signalnwas always full 3G,but now it's always on EDGE, and the connection is very poor...I've wrote this letter to Apple yesterday!

Hi! Today I've updated my iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G and now I'm very,very dissapointed!

I'm living in Armenia and have internet data plan SIM. Before updating to iOS 5 my connection was always 3G full signal, but after updating there is only EDGE now, and you've disabled the 3G toggle in the Network. Now my internet data plan is just useless,because I can't even surf the internet for the speed that I'm paying for. I realy hope that you will fix your mistake in the upcomming update!!! I was always against jailbreaking the idevices,but you just motivating people to do that because you're letting them no choice,but jailbreaking is giving them the choise how they want to use their devices. 

It's very sad! Please be informed that there are many minuses in iOS, but turning off the important setting which can prevent your consumer from work, or from what he has payed extra money (3G option) is just silly. Thank you!

well, that's a nice hypothesis - I do appreciate such info unfortunately that doesn't seems to be the case here for me.

My home in Singapore got extremely poor 3G coverage ..... IP4S keep toggling between 2G and 3G .....

and you know what? It about 7% drain per 15mins at certain spot at home on standby

Just thought I'd drop my 2 cents in the ring. Was surprised to see this option missing today. Switch to turn off cellular data has always been there even when 3G switch was present. Seems Apple have tried to simplify things here - the help text has also been updated.

Anyway, my experience today was in a low signal 2G area with barely enough 3G to get 1 bar. I work in a low 3G area so to prevent the phone polling for the 3G network and wasting battery, I usually turn it off while I'm at work. This extends my battery life very significantly.

Turned off Cellular Data and the phone dropped the entire network - and refused to hook into 2G mode afterwards. Turned phone off and on - still searching for network. No change 10 minutes later. Eventually got signal again once I'd travelled a few miles to a very strong 2G and 3G area - 20 minutes later.

So it appears there's a pretty big hole in Apple's reasoning here - if you're in a low signal area generally, flipping this switch may kick you off the network completely until you can get to an area with strong signal. Will try testing the same thing tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke or edge-case bug but I think this is a pretty big problem.

C'mon Apple put that back in the next update! I want to be able to switch off 3G when I don't need it. Some buildings I work out at block out most celluar signals, EDGE or other wise. Why did you guys take it out?

I started using Apple 4S from today, was excited. But soon after two hours I had to shift back to old Iphone4 only. I am very disappointed that I can not turn off the 3G. Because 3G connections are not good in India and we usually drop the signals, so its very frequently changing to 3g and then back to Edge.

I SPECIALLY WANT TO REQUEST APPLE THAT PLEASE IN YOUR VERY NEXT UPDATE, PROVIDE US WITH THE UTILITY TO OFF THE 3G. I UNDERSTAND THAT ITS MAJORLY BECAUSE OF SIRI, YOU DID NOT ALLOW FOR 2G, BUT STILL IN COUNTRY LIKE OURS, AT TIMES WE WOULD ONLY WANT TO USE EDGE AND NOT SIRI. SO USER WILL HAVE OPTION TO ACTIVATE BOTH EDGE AND 3G AND THUS DECIDING HIMSELF WHETHER OR NOT TO USE SIRI OVER 3G.

I AM EXPECTING THE UPDATE TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW. TRUST ME EVEN IF YOU DONT HAVE MANY APPLE STORES IN INDIA, I BET THERE WILL BE MAXIMUM IPHONES HERE

Typing in all caps is a) very difficult to read and b) considered shouting and therefore quite rude.

Additionally, this is a user-to-user forum. You're not talking to/shouting at Apple here. Submit any feedback you have to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

It is not available with the 4S since the 4S has a different chip/radio than previous iPhone models which is a combination GSM/CDMA. There is no 3G on/off option with the CDMA iPhone 4, and the iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA phone.

I don't understand this... I just talked to my colleague who has an iPhone 4 with the latest iOS.

He still has the 3G on/off button on his iPhone4!  He also uses it to save lots of battery time (for lower bandwidth)

My iPhone 4s however, with the same iOS has no 3G on/off button...

You tell, the 4s has a different chip/radio.  Ok... does that then mean, that older iPhones had 2 separate chips in or so???

3G-button = off resulted in EDGE or GPRS (indicating E or O on the phone)

3G-button = on resulted in 3G, EDGE or GRPS (indicating 3G, E or O depending or reception)

It's remarkable that when the 4 or 3Gs iPhones were set as "3G=off" and working with EDGE reception (indicating E on the phone), power-consumption during usage is much lower...

When the 4 or 3Gs was set as "3G=on" and when there's only EDGE reception, power-consumption is remarkably MUCH higher... so let's just put it off!

Our provider has an excellent EDGE coverage over the country, only in bigger capitals and cities, 3G usage is possible...  When we really occasionally need the fast 3G speed, then we switched the button.

My friend who works in the telecom-business tells that it might as well be a license thing in combination with the chip(-manufacturer) used in the 4s reducing de 'cost'...

If for technical reasons it's not possible, ok, that's how it is.  But I believe the thousands (better: millions) of users of this fantastic product, deserve at least a good explanation!

I don't understand this... I just talked to my colleague who has an iPhone 4 with the latest iOS.

He still has the 3G on/off button on his iPhone4!

Because he has a GSM iPhone 4.

The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include the option.

You tell, the 4s has a different chip/radio.  Ok... does that then mean, that older iPhones had 2 separate chips in or so???

No.

Prior to Apple releasing a CDMA iPhone 4, the GSM iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 include the option. The iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA phone. The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include this option and since the iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA iPhone, the iPhone 4S does not include the option as with the CDMA iPhone 4. 

In my area, I'm not sure I would need the option to turn 3G off with Verizon. Their coverage has always been better in *my* area.

Allan Sampson wrote:

 

I don't understand this... I just talked to my colleague who has an iPhone 4 with the latest iOS.

He still has the 3G on/off button on his iPhone4!

 

Because he has a GSM iPhone 4.

 

The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include the option.

You tell, the 4s has a different chip/radio.  Ok... does that then mean, that older iPhones had 2 separate chips in or so???

No.

 

Prior to Apple releasing a CDMA iPhone 4, the GSM iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 include the option. The iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA phone. The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include this option and since the iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA iPhone, the iPhone 4S does not include the option as with the CDMA iPhone 4. 

I jumped ship to ATT in 2009 for the iPhone. I learned quickly to just turn 3G off in order to not have garbled and dropped calls.

I was recently told that ATT had just put up several new towers in *my* area as well as acquiring all t-mobile's satellites. It didn't make a darned bit of difference with the 4s.

There is something with the iPhones and antennas. My daughter has a Samsung Flight II on ATT and we were driving on the freeway comparing bars through mountainous and non-mountainous areas. Her phone consistantly had more bars than my iPhone.  In fact, at times she had complete service while I had none. 

Her Samsung is not a "smart phone" and you can't turn 3G on and off. My 4s was returned and I'm back with my iPhone 4 where I can turn 3G off and successfully make and receive calls without them being garbled or dropped. 

As far as I know, the 4s does not use CDMA towers on ATT.  I'm pretty sure they'd be paying Verizon if they did.  The 4s has worse reception than the 4.

Turning off cellular data just puts you in analogue from before digital existed. You can only make and receive calls (provided you can pick up a tower).  Turning off cellular data literally puts you back ten years when a phone was just a phone.  No emails or FB or Safari or anything (unless of course you are hooked up to wifi).

Jangla wrote:

 

Just thought I'd drop my 2 cents in the ring. Was surprised to see this option missing today. Switch to turn off cellular data has always been there even when 3G switch was present. Seems Apple have tried to simplify things here - the help text has also been updated.

 

Anyway, my experience today was in a low signal 2G area with barely enough 3G to get 1 bar. I work in a low 3G area so to prevent the phone polling for the 3G network and wasting battery, I usually turn it off while I'm at work. This extends my battery life very significantly.

 

Turned off Cellular Data and the phone dropped the entire network - and refused to hook into 2G mode afterwards. Turned phone off and on - still searching for network. No change 10 minutes later. Eventually got signal again once I'd travelled a few miles to a very strong 2G and 3G area - 20 minutes later.

 

So it appears there's a pretty big hole in Apple's reasoning here - if you're in a low signal area generally, flipping this switch may kick you off the network completely until you can get to an area with strong signal. Will try testing the same thing tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke or edge-case bug but I think this is a pretty big problem.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

 

Typing in all caps is a) very difficult to read and b) considered shouting and therefore quite rude.

 

Additionally, this is a user-to-user forum. You're not talking to/shouting at Apple here. Submit any feedback you have to Apple here:

 

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Apple would be mighty stupid to NOT read what people say here regardless if they claim not to.  This is the biggest place for them to know what kinds of problems users are experiencing second to submitting a form for feedback formally.