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3G Data Access During Calls?

Kelmon

Kelmon

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 28, 2005
733
0
United Kingdom
Hi Guys,

This should be a nice and easy question for someone to answer. If an iPhone is connected to a 3G data network and no wireless networks are available, can you still access the Internet whilst on a call (e.g. check email, browse the Web, etc)? I've always thought that this was a feature of the iPhone but whenever I use my 3GS to make/receive a call it drops all data network connections (3G, EDGE and GPRS) so I can only use non-network applications, like Calendar. Since I have AppleCare registered for the iPhone I gave Apple a call this morning and the representative informed me that a wireless network connection was required. Is she right?

Thanks.
 
I've used data features while on a 3G call plenty of times. In fact, I think they are pushing that ability in their TV ads pretty hard right now :)

EDIT: Well I've used 3G on a call in the US, but not in Belgium. The hardware should support it, your carrier may or may not be another issue though.
 
If you're on 3G, you have data access. You do not have to have wireless. Either something is wrong with your 3G radio or your 3G signal is sketchy. It also could be software-related, but I doubt it, so try a restore as new.
 
nomar383 said:
I've used data features while on a 3G call plenty of times. In fact, I think they are pushing that ability in their TV ads pretty hard right now :)

EDIT: Well I've used 3G on a call in the US, but not in Belgium. The hardware should support it, your carrier may or may not be another issue though.
Click to expand...

Drat, that's something else that I need to change. I'm now living back in the UK again with the iPhone contracted to Orange. I was pretty sure that I'd never seen any statements saying that you couldn't use data features while on a call without a WiFi connection. In the past my experiences with Apple Support have been very good but this last call was clearly routed to someone in India and she really didn't sound confident. Either that or she was just telling me something to get me off the telephone.

Anyone else in the UK with Orange having problems using their 3G or 3GS data functions, such as surfing the Internet, while taking a call?
 
Moi un Mouton said:
What steps are you using when you're on a call and want to look something up on the internet?
Click to expand...

While the call is in progress I press the Home button and select the data application that I want to run, such as Safari. If I look at the status bar at the top of the display I can see that I normally have a strong connection to my provider (5 bars is usual at home) but there is no indication of a connected data network (i.e. 3G, E or O, or whatever that little GPRS icon is). Given this the selected application informs me that there is no internet connection when it launches. Which is a bit annoying.

Sounds like I need to give AppleCare another call...
 
3G - GSM

This combination allows for Voice and Data simultaneously. I multitask all the time and it's the only reason I'm not using Verizon.
 
Orange Blocks Calls With Data?

ntrigue said:
3G - GSM

This combination allows for Voice and Data simultaneously. I multitask all the time and it's the only reason I'm not using Verizon.
Click to expand...

Well, get this. I spoke a few minutes ago with Orange iPhone Support and the gentleman there confirmed that Orange is actively disabling data connections during calls with an iPhone due to concerns about the impact of it on their network. While I doubt that he really has knowledge of when the block will be lifted, he seemed to think that things will change in a couple of months.

Given all the duff press that AT&T gets in the US with the lack of tethering, etc, I'm surprised that I've not heard about this before. Is anyone else on Orange UK seeing this?
 
Kelmon said:
Well, get this. I spoke a few minutes ago with Orange iPhone Support and the gentleman there confirmed that Orange is actively disabling data connections during calls with an iPhone due to concerns about the impact of it on their network. While I doubt that he really has knowledge of when the block will be lifted, he seemed to think that things will change in a couple of months.

Given all the duff press that AT&T gets in the US with the lack of tethering, etc, I'm surprised that I've not heard about this before. Is anyone else on Orange UK seeing this?
Click to expand...

Welcome to Verizon in Europe. That sucks for you.
 
Well, it looks like it is a bandwidth issue. I popped into an outlet of Carphone Warehouse looking for a case for my device and while I failed to find something suitable the sales guy had an iPhone on Orange that he was able to use to connect to the Internet while in a call. When I tried it I was also successful, which is the first time that's happened. The sales guy said that Orange had a good 3G network in the area so I can only conclude that there isn't sufficient bandwidth in the areas that I have been trying before to do both calls and data at the same time. This, of course, blows probably more than an explicit block since it sounds like network capacity increases will be necessary before my experience will improve and I'm not holding my breath on that one.
 
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