# A question for iPhone users about 3G



## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Currently I have an iPod Touch, which of course is wi-fi only. Since I have an iPad to use at home I use the iPT when I'm out and about - which means I rarely have the option to connect via wi-fi. I'm able to use my Nokia phone as the equivalent of a wi-fi hotspot though, but actually of course it means I'm connecting via 3G.

The trouble is, the connection is so poor most of the time that all I can really do is get my emails or update interactive games like Words With Friends. Anything else, like any serious internet use or downloading from iTunes or the App store are rendered so slow as to be effectively unusable.

So my question is this - is it the same using an iPhone? Or is it the fact that I have to connect via a separate phone that makes it worse? Where I work, which is where I use it most, I don't get very good 3G reception anyway, so that doesn't help, but it doesn't seem much better anywhere else either. Is it worth upgrading to an iPhone to get full use out of the features, or is it just one of the downsides of 3G?


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

I find my iPhone pretty effective. I use it regularly to transfer Funds between accounts, make withdrawals, do stock trades, check the kids homework and athletic schedules online, etc. All these things involve some sort of safari login, plus security, and a few clicks through screens, which is why I'm thinking of them in particular. I remember once on vacation we had a large deposit coming into our bank while we were out of town and I tried to call and have them
Transfer the funds to a different account but for security reasons they couldn't help. I pulled out my phone while dh was talking to our bank trying to work it out and was able to make the transfer online before he hung up! 

Ive done online checkins for flights, etc. I find it slower than when I'm at home with a full keyboard, definitely, but very usable nonetheless. I know there has been a time or two when I gave up on using my phone for something, but it's not often, and it is usually something that involves lots of copying and pasting. I find that cumbersome on the iPhone.


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## J R Lankford (Oct 29, 2010)

It's not the same on an iPhone. My 3G connection is often so much faster that I turn WiFi off.

Jamie


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

J R Lankford said:


> It's not the same on an iPhone. My 3G connection is often so much faster that I turn WiFi off.
> 
> Jamie


Agree. I've only found one total 3G dead spot in my regular round. As with Holly, the iPhone has turned me into a high-efficiency machine. (Kidding--actually I use a lot of that time playing Words With Friends.)


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Thanks for your input - seems like it might be worth my while selling my phone & iPod and upgrading to an iPhone. 

Hmm... decisions, decisions.....


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Before making a decision on switching, you might want to consult people in your own area--preferably those with iPhones, but also with other 3G phones both on your network and any others available.  I'd hate to see you buy an iPhone only to find that your area simply doesn't have the coverage you need to get the speed you're looking for.

IIRC, you're in the UK, and have the ability to choose between Three, O2, and Orange as providers?  If that's the case, I'd say check with people using all of them to see which provides the best coverage in your area.  In my case, unlike the other posters--US, AT&T locked, Seattle--3G is fairly good, but my cable wifi can literally be 10x as fast.  I only turn off wifi if there's an actual problem with the cable!  Speeds vary even in different areas within a network, so you really want to find out if this is a problem with your phone or your provider.

Personal opinion, I wouldn't be without my iPhone under any circumstances.  Internet everywhere you go without having to find a hotspot turns what would otherwise be a cute toy into a versatile, useful device well worth the extra money it costs me every month.  I don't get the iPod Touch in this regard.  To me, it's seemingly crippled in its portability by the lack of 3G.


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## J R Lankford (Oct 29, 2010)

Good point, Victoria.  In the city and suburbs the iPhone is great.  Sometimes far in the country you can't get a signal.

Jamie


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

You make a good point Victoria. The provider I was considering going with is Vodafone - people on that network do seem to get a better reception where I work than my current provider which is Virgin. But I don't now anyone with an iPhone - I'll have to go around accosting everyone on the street using a mobile and asking if it's an iPhone on Vodafone!  

I'm still at the considering stage, so I won't be jumping in without looking at all the pros and cons - it's too expensive a move to do that.


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