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Questions about iPhone 4 and "Enable 3G" versus iPhone 4S and "Cellular Data" On/Off

Pseudo-Fed

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On my iPhone 4 I regularly kept it on "Edge" with the "E" indicator. This served 90% of my purposes--including the occasional browsing, weather check, Words with Friends play, email check, etc. I sometimes enabled 3G for faster speeds if I was searching the web and browsing. I had phenomenal battery life and could go 2 days with my use, but usually charged every day after ending the day at 65%+.

With the iPhone 4S' "dual antenna" I can't get data at all unless I turn cellular data on. Usually that results in "3G" appearing on my screen. But sometimes in my office it shows "E" for "Edge" or 2G when cellular data is turned on. When this happens, I get data, but slower.

Two questions:

1) Why won't Apple let me select Edge/3G any more?
2) When I have cellular data DISABLED, and there is no "3G" on my screen, but with the 4S having a dual antenna, is my phone/text service 3G or EDGE? (I believe it's EDGE, because my battery life is way better if I keep cellular data off until I need it, but then I don't get emails, etc. until I enable it. This is acceptable to me, since IMMEDIATELY after enabling cell data the 3G usually appears and I get very quick updates in all my apps)

Thanks.
 
The short answers.
1. Their choice. All or nothing.
2. 3G/Edge has nothing to do really with phone/txt. It is simply for Data.
 
Ok, a slightly different perspective on this that might explain the "whys".

iPhone 4S is a "World" phone. Which means the single chip has to talk to a lot of different protocols. While EDGE is a supported protocol for AT&T in the US, it probably isn't across the rest of the planet where GSM is used a lot. This means Apple has to make compromises. I believe you found that compromise.
 
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