Q: How do I turn off 3G on the iPhone 4S?

You aren't a programmer are you?

No one is saying it is not possible for Qualcomm to produce a chip that has a user controllable software switch to allow manual switching on the GSM side, although not working for Qualcomm in their engineering department I don't know for sure. What we are saying is the current chip that Qualcomm has produced for Apple it does have multiple radio capability that can detect a signal and adapt to it. What is does not have is anything programmed in firmware that would allow an outside programmer to write a routine and call and control this function. So on the current model of the chip there is not access to the function without replacing the chip. And you cannot reflash the chip.

I don't think the battery life reason suggested is really plausible, I can't see AT&T advertising that if you abandon Siri and run at abysmally slow EDGE speeds you will get twice the battery. Even if Qualcomm produced a chip that had the function Apple would have to run two different versions of iOS for them which they just moved away from.

The problem that I have is that the 3G signal is very light where my office is and my 4s contiues to try to find it rather than just switching to Edge. When I had the option of turning off  3G I could use Edge all day long and was happy.  Now I  get maybe one or two random text messages during the day when a good wind blows the right way I guess.  So forgetting battery life, forgetting that it should automatically switch, I basically have a tiny paperweight for 8-10 hours a day instead of a phone. Had I known that I could not turn off 3G I would not have upgraded my phone.

No for everyone being so mean and stinky about this get over it. It isn't about the chip can't handle it. There should have been either communciation that the functionality was going away or a serious boost in 3G coverage.

I didn't think I was mean about it, just pointed out why it is not available. The ability to do that was the exception not the rule. I see your problem, perhaps if you talk to your sell provider they could buy back your 4s and sell you an iPhone 4.

Hi Deggie,

you weren't mean, I apologize. That was directed towards those who are being somewhat rude for no reason.

Care to share who those rude people are? Please

Keep personal attacks out of the forum posts.

Statements such as "That was directed at those who were being rude for no reason" and "Just 2 members cannot understand what the rest are deriving at. xD" are personal attacks and are not a contribution to understanding the issue of the forum topic.

deggie,

Does the iPhone 4 with iOS 5.x.x still have the 3G on/off switch or did they they remove it in the new iOS?

Not that I would go back to the 4, you know a guy has to have the latest gadget but I did keep my 4 in case of some natural disaster overtaking my 4S.

@sears, What about one of those at&t booster things for your office. "Booster thing" is not the correct name but I can't remember what they call them at the moment - but I am sure someone will chime in and compensate for my early onset dementia.

I in Delhi, India faced similar issue of 4S latching onto to a weak 3G signal resulting in crackling & dropped calls, frozen internet connections, poor battery and constant switching  between 2G and 3G networks. My daughter's iphone 4 with its 3G switched off performed brilliantly on 2G network.  This was happening in the prime location of Delhi on Vodafone. As Apple in India does not allow returns, I had no options but to get the carrier to de-activate the 3G network for my SIM. Now my 4S stays on 2G and works comfortably. Even SIRI works, accent issues not withstanding.

My experience showed that iPhone can switch automatically to a 2G network when the 3G signal become very, very low. It is quite possible that this threshold of change-over for GSM is determined by iOS and not by Qualcomm.  If it is true then it should be possible for Apple to provide, for GSM networks,  a software switch to increase this threshold to a 3G signal level of 100% - thus ensuring that phone doesn't go into 3G mode. To save  battery, Apple could also modify the phone's preference/pinging for 3G network when this switch is turned on. Thus even if Apple cannot turn the UMTS baseband off due to this single GSM-CDMA chip design issues, the phone would stay in 2G network.

I agree with Ashley that nobody but  Apple can confirm or deny this option though it does appear they would not do it untill this issue snowballs to another antenna-gate. It would be a major embarrasement for Apple as it would not only mean that they are admitting to a major design mistake but also that the phone may stay compromised due to sub-optimal battery performance (UMTS baseband staying on issues).

It could also mean that they are staring down a major recall - people not affected would also like to get their 3/4 months old phone replaced with a new one.

Finally, I just remember reading in a forum that a guy in UK who had bought his phone from US recently was told by Apple, calif. that he should return the phone and repurchase after 2/3 months, from a new lot of iPhones. Hope someone can verify this

I have to agree on all your points Mike Snp.

I'm in Ireland and on the Meteor network. I have the same issues where my 3G coverage is dire. One bar at most and even then the phone says there is no Data or Mobile Internet.

Yet I have full bars of EDGE.

My battery drains fast because of all this signal switching and most of the time if it loses the 3G connection it just says Searching... or No Service.

It's getting extremely annoying that I'm getting texts and emails sometimes hours after they were sent.

I even had a friend constantly say they couldnt call me, yet I had 1 bar 3G, they even stood next to me with their iPhone 4 with full EGDE and still couldnt connect a call to me.

At the moment I can't use the phone as a phone much, let alone a smartphone.

Yes, just checked Settings > General > Network > Enable 3G = ON/OFF is still there under iOS 5.0.1.

MicroCell

deggie,

Thanks - Now I am even more glad I didn't give in to the "Purchase your old phone" advertisements.

Oh - and thanks for being subtle about offering the correct name for "Booster thing". Microcell- "such a simple word". I feel like the guinea pig in the commercial calling cadence "Row".

I was disappointed to see this feature missing when I first tried to swtich to edge during a sporting event.  I send a enhancement request to Apple.  Hopefully if enough of us do the same they will listen!

Perhaps you should have read the entire thread. Doesn't matter how many people write in it may not be until th iPhone 5 that they can do so. If even then.

Try going to settings->General->Network. If you want to use EDGE, try turning off the enable 3G.

Again read the whole thread and the title plus test your answer; there is no such setting on the iPhone 4s.

I read the whole thread. I stand by my feature request. Thanks for your input though.