Of course it matters. On AT&T, and most carriers, two totally separate networks are used - EITHER GSM (2G) or UMTS (3G). In CDMA2000, there's voice (1xRTT) and data (EVDO). They work together. Yes, you can do slow data over 1xRTT but it's totally separate, and doesn't save battery (the official purpose of the switch)
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Apple Seeds iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to Developers, Restores 'Enable 3G' Toggle
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Of course it matters. On AT&T, and most carriers, two totally separate networks are used - EITHER GSM (2G) or UMTS (3G). In CDMA2000, there's voice (1xRTT) and data (EVDO). They work together. Yes, you can do slow data over 1xRTT but it's totally separate, and doesn't save battery (the official purpose of the switch)
Installed 5.1b3 yesterday, too. I can't say anything about battery life (there should be 4 or 5 charging cycles at least before to have a real look about BL) but I see another thing that frustrated me: After switching-off the toggle Enable 3G and restarting the phone the switch is again on ON position. I tried several times and result was the same. So if you want to have 3G disabled after every restart you have to switch it off manually. Anyone else with this issue?
While that is not how it has worked in the past, I don't find it much of a problem. The 3G indicator is a good reminder that 3G is enabled and rebooting is not usually a frequent occurrence.
But good catch on finding that.
Michael
I guess they want 3G on by default for Siri's sake. Hey, at least it's not on by default permanently like it was before!
Not a big deal... How often do you reboot the phone anyway?
Not very often, you are right. Today I noticed another bug - when you drive in an area with poor signal reception and the signal is lost, the mobile internet is missing after that - if you rely for mails or push chats, it is so disappointing to find out sometime that someone was looking for you but you were not on-line 
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I can vaguely remember with my iPhone 4 with iOS 4 that on some of the occasions that I switched 3G off, that it would be then enabled again after I had switched my iPhone off/on again. It was persistant at enabling it again, but after a while it left the 3G off after switching on/off the iPhone.
Not very often, you are right. Today I noticed another bug - when you drive in an area with poor signal reception and the signal is lost, the mobile internet is missing after that - if you rely for mails or push chats, it is so disappointing to find out sometime that someone was looking for you but you were not on-line
So you're saying that losing signal in a poor area is a bug?
lolnice to see you saw the humour in my post..... not! i got downvoted for a joke... what's the world coming to...
iOS 5.1 recipe for success
HERE'S WHAT WE NEED IN IOS 5.1: Siri: control ALL apps. Photos: be able to sort any which way you want, i.e., most recent first. Battery: improve it. Speaker: bring up the volume. Keyboard: Add Swype already! Folders: Allow more than 12 per folder. Copy/Paste Palette: allow multiple items on the clipboard. Safari: reflow text. Multitasking: Allow a "Close All" functionality. Ahem, Android has ALL of these already. COME ON APPLE, SHEESH!!!!!!!!!
HERE'S WHAT WE NEED IN IOS 5.1: Siri: control ALL apps. Photos: be able to sort any which way you want, i.e., most recent first. Battery: improve it. Speaker: bring up the volume. Keyboard: Add Swype already! Folders: Allow more than 12 per folder. Copy/Paste Palette: allow multiple items on the clipboard. Safari: reflow text. Multitasking: Allow a "Close All" functionality. Ahem, Android has ALL of these already. COME ON APPLE, SHEESH!!!!!!!!!
Probably just before the new iPad launches with a GM after the announcement supposedly next month.
My 4S gives me 18-24 hours use, (my daily usage - making 30-60 minute calls, lots of texts, regular Facebook & twitter updates, taking a couple of snaps, play of a few games and listening to a couple of hours or so of music via bluetooth headphones.)
Not sure what you have that's killing the battery life, but it isn't 5.0.2
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Swype - yes please it really improves texting speeds.
Multitasking - yes a close or remove all feature is overdue
Safari - reflow text when it works is very handy
Actually not only does Android have these, so does my N9's MeeGo OS
You do NOT need to manually manage iOS multitasking.
It's not necessary to close or remove all.
You do NOT need to manually manage iOS multitasking.
It's not necessary to close or remove all.
You do NOT need to manually manage iOS multitasking.
In my experience, there's benefit to it.
Browsing the web with multiple tabs open, I often get pages reloading every time I switch tabs. If I go to the task bar and close all other apps, the pages stay loaded instead of having to reload over and over. So apple doesn't want users managing apps, and it's not supposed to be necessary to quit anything...but it is.
And I'd give that same response to "it doesn't need any more memory".