The iPhone 5 uses Cellular Data over WiFi?

I am not questioning that you know more iphone stuff than me because this is my first smart phone (iPhone 5) and first Apple product. But I am wondering how we can get Apple to respond quickly:

(1) Have you got data that shows an automatic software/hardware (?) switch between WIFI and cellular connection? I have seen some of the earlier messages in this thread saying they had data. If you or anyone has that data, send it to Apple and the technical press. That should quickly get some Apple response like what happened with the mapping software.

(2) I have no cellular connection of any kind available at my farm near West Virginia border (DSL only with modem and WIFI router). I do a lot of web browsing there. Is there any usage data that I can collect that might show that the iphone 5 is trying to drop from WIFI to a nonexisting cellular connection?

(3) Do you have any ideas about whether using the iPhone5 as a phone (which I assume is all cellular connection) will result in AT&T data usage charges? That would be a big impact software bug!

I am having the same issue on a Verizon iphone 5. I used 750 mb in 3 days. Normal for me was the same amount of data in about to weeks. To test it out i reset the Cellular usage data stats on my iphone, made sure i was on wifi, and started browsing. After about 15 minutes or so I looked at the cellular data usage under settings and noticed I had used 400mb!! So i called verizon and the rep had me go through a bunch of settings on the phone to make sure I had a good connection to wifi (which I did). He was able to verify that i did have a good connection. So next step he tells me to use wifi at home with cellular data OFF and when im not near my house's wifi to go ahead and turn ON cellular data. He said he would be able to disconnect me from the verizon signal towers near my house, and in that way would test to see if its a phone issue or what have you. Im supposed to hear back from him on monday.

Same problem here as well when on wifi the iPhone is still using lte data and counting against my usage, I really hope this is only iOS 6 related, I've talked to both Verizon and Apple they are suppose to get back to me on Monday, I already got a reservation with the Genius Bar for Tuesday morning, I see that this is not happening to everyone so maybe it's some hardware issue with my phone, might need a replacement

Frogman, 1/2) Their error reporting should be showing them this. Unfortunately, turning off Diagnostics and Error Reporting is one of the suggested measures for keeping data usage in check. 3)Yes, I believe the phone is using a small amount of cellular data when I am using it as a phone/SMS (not iMessage). I also believe it gets worse reception when I have cell data turned off. VZ tech support is dumbfounded by this. My phone gets worse reception than my husband's identical phone. No reason for that whatsoever.

Spaghetti and Jnav, please keep us posted. Spaghetti, how did the rep verify that you have a good wifi connection?

Lazykins, well he made me turn off cell data and had me go on airplane mode. Then made me turn ON wifi and try loading a website. I told him I was able to and he said that he was able to tell that I have a good connection to wifi. I don't know if be just took my word for it or if they have a way off telling. But like I said, for the test he's going to do on my phone, he's going disable my phone from being able to use the verizon data signal towers in my area. So maybe he could have checked that way. Who knows.

Thanks Spaghetti. I guess I was expecting him to run some bandwidth tests, which I would have been interested in. I did not know VZ could prevent you from only data connections to the certain towers without affecting your call signal... because the rep we got told ME it's all or nothing. I'm guessing he also had you switch off Data Roaming. Good luck.

This is to everyone that has posted in the last 8-9 days. This is my story. 2 days after I purchased my iphone 5 I received an alert from Fido that I had used up my data. Freaking out I called Fido & was given an extra 500mb to get me through the next 8 days until Oct 2 when it reverts back to 0. I virtually stopped using my iphone other than phone calls & I did check the usage after 2 days to my horror seeing that my data was again showing 119mb left. Closed data usuage and data usage on Icloud and itunes not that I use them often. This morning I was down to 30mb. Another call to Fido...this is my 3rd call to them now freaking out re: data usuage. I told the agent I had copied 40 pages of complaints & not to mention that the Australian Government issued a warning to all Iphone 5 users to watch their data. This is telling me there is a problem Houston!! oops Apple. My fido agent said she received a whopping 13 calls with the problem and simply told them to Reset Network Setting. Ok so I did that and will now wait a few days to see if it has corrected the problem. Still scared to turn on Cellular Datage as I can not afford to increase my data. Any other Fido users out there that was given the same message. Almost sounds like Damage Control until they can sort this mess out. Hence; the fear that resetting Network Settings will not work.

Oh..I should have mentioned the exact steps to take.

Go to general Settings

Reset

Reset network Settings

PS: If anyone tries this and it actually makes a difference, please post.

So the saga continues, Verizon says I've used 12.99 gigs of data which is insane considering I've never used more than 2 gigs and my usage has not changed that dramatically.

Here's the crazy part, if I log into my Verizon account and download the excel spreadsheet for data usage that report totals only 1.53 gigs of usage. That still sounds high but is a lot more likely than 12.99. I hope this gets addressed soon, it's pretty stressful seeing all the overage charges.

I called Verizon and the rep is supposed to keep an eye on things and get back in touch with me.

By now if VZ (and other carriers) don't acknowledge the issue immediately when you call, I would use the approach Essex took - tell them about the pages and pages of complaints. Definitely ask for that reimbursement/credit for the overages. I've had cell data disabled since day 2. I flick it on to check my mail, then quickly turn it off. Even doing this, I'm using 3x what my husband is using. He only turns his data off at night.

12 Gigs? That is a cause for stress. When I first noticed the issue, I actually felt sick. Hold on, everyone.

I am glad to see that I'm not the only person having these problems. I have spoken with Apple Support twice and Verizon Support twice. If you're interested, please read on:

I noticed right after I got the phone that I had a random 64 MB download on cellular data at 10:30AM. Strange, as that is right around the time I watched a YouTube video while connected to my home WiFi to see the beautiful new screen in action. I didn't think much of it and used the phone as normal on my WiFi network at home and work. I specifically chose not to use it while connected to cellular to try and minimize my usage. A few days later and, perhaps, 5 websites and 20 e-mails on cellular and I've already accrued over 200 MB of cellular data usage. While this may not sound like much, when you consider that in the previous month, while actively using plenty of cellular data I used 350MB, it seems kinda high for 5 days. I went back to verizon's website and checked my data usage, and sure enough there was another 70MB at 8:30PM on Friday. Shocking as that was right around the time I watched my 2nd youtube video while connected to my home WiFi. I also monitored my cellular data usage through the Settings -> General -> Usage -> Cellular Usage and found throughout the day on Friday and Saturday (I was home all day both days and connected to WiFi) I was constantly using cellular data.

At this point, I am starting to get concerned about what is happening here. There is no way I have used up that much data checking a few webpages and e-mails. I went into a verizon store to speak with a rep and was essentially told that A) When the phone is connected to WiFi, it does not use cellular data (Yeah, I get that is what is supposed to happen, thanks) and B) LTE uses more data to do the same thing on 3G (Not even remotely true, 400KB through LTE is still 400KB only transmitted at a faster speed). I could tell I was going to get no where with this, so I left disappointed. I called Apple Support and they confirmed for me that the phone was properly connected to a WiFi network. She suggested that I do a restore on the phone and see if it was still happening. I did and it was.

I have now been turning off cellular data in my settings whenever I know I will be using the phone for something on WiFi, but this shouldn't need to be done.

This brings us to today. I call Apple Support again to see if this is being recorded as a persistent problem and will be corrected. I get bumped up to a senior advisor and she walks me through my settings and verifies that everything should be fine. She puts me in touch with a top-tier verizon support specialist so that I can document that I'm having these issues. She tells me that the times listed on the verizon website are not always accurate and that it may just be the day's data usage catching up to me. Strange as there are days that I never left a WiFi network and still had plently of cellular data usage. After confirming that I know what I'm talking about, she agrees to monitor it and contact me in a week to look over everything. In an effort to track it, I have to dial #832 everytime I am about to connect to or disconnect from my home and work WiFi. While this will be an inconvenience, perhaps it will actually show that there is a mismatch in what the phone should be doing and what it actually is doing.

If you read through all that, you are a trooper. Hope my experience at least informs if not helps you with your own.

I will report back next Saturday when I have my followup call with Verizon.

P.S. This was more of a cautionary situation. I don't want to find myself in the situation of unknowingly going over my data when it isn't my fault.

Dgr go to the Verizon site log into your account, click view usage, scroll down to data and click view data details, click download to spreadsheet. Add the daa up in excel, open office, or a similar program. I think you will find that it does not add up to the alleged data usage. You need to poit this out to Verizon of that is the case.

Chris,

I just did and the total on the spread sheet matches the total on the breakdown on the Verizon Website. It shows I have used 203MB of Cellular Data. I pointed out to the Verizon rep that this should not be the case.

dgr, I am really thankful that you are doing the #832 thing with them and being so persistent. I am more passive due to other obligations and maybe a little because I just don't have the patience to deal with people on the phone... so thanks. Please do report back.

Yes, VZ admitted to me that the timestamps on the data log are inaccurate.

I wonder how much of this is going to be the fault of third-party apps that aren't iOS6 compatible or aren't "LTE" or "4G" compatible, like YouTube. I watched one, too (facebook embedded) on Day 1.... 436MB for 30 seconds of my dog jumping around.

I normally wouldn't be this persistant about something that is not a problem for me yet, however my parents want to get iPhone 5s and they do not understand technology or how data usage works and I don't want them to get hit with huge bills because of something that may be out of their control.

YouTube seems to be a major culprit because it uses such large amounts of data in such a short time. I have noticed, though, that iOS6 embedded apps such as Safari and Mail are doing the same thing, only in smaller quantities. I have noticed that just about every webpage I have gone to has managed to use around 100-300 KB of cellular data while I'm on WiFi.