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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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As we noted earlier this week when iOS 6 Beta 4 was released to developers, one of the newest features in the release was the addition of a "Wi-Fi Plus Cellular" setting to the General/Cellular control panel.

The setting appears to allow apps to fall back on the iPhone's cellular data connection when having difficulties moving data via the Wi-Fi connection, something that can happen with a weak Wi-Fi signal or a temperamental Internet connection.

wifipluscellular.jpg




Less clear is the purpose of the series of controls below that. There are individual On/Off switches to use cellular data for iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List. Some believe these are a submenu setting for the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular control, allowing tasks such as downloading music from iTunes or syncing iCloud Documents to require the use of Wi-Fi -- forbidding some apps from connecting via Cellular Data while others are allowed to.

We've reached out to Apple for clarification and as it's still a beta release, restricted to 'developers', the settings could always change to be made more clear or removed entirely.

Article Link: iOS 6 Beta Adds 'Wi-Fi Plus Cellular' Option to Increase Data Reliability
 

Kaibelf

Suspended
Apr 29, 2009
2,445
7,444
Silicon Valley, CA
"Less clear is the purpose of the series of controls below that. There are individual On/Off switches to use cellular data for iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List."

Ever heard of a data cap?
 

BanterClaus

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2011
195
25
UK
This is cool. Now I should be able to go out without my iPhone trying to connect to every BTOpenZone router WiFI for it to just receive an awful or non existent connection.
 

ajcadoo

macrumors 6502
Sep 17, 2011
276
132
San Diego, CA
YES! No more sitting in your driveway, with a 1 bar WiFi connection, seeing the spinny loading icon while loading the Maps app!
 
There are individual On/Off switches to use cellular data for iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List. Some believe these are a submenu setting for the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular control, allowing tasks such as downloading music from iTunes or syncing iCloud Documents to require the use of Wi-Fi -- forbidding some apps from connecting via Cellular Data while others are allowed to.

Not a submenu.... doesn't really make sense as a submenu. Does it ONLY pop up when you select "on" to wifi plus?
 

jlgolson

Contributing Editor
Jun 2, 2011
383
8
Durango, CO
"Less clear is the purpose of the series of controls below that. There are individual On/Off switches to use cellular data for iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List."

Ever heard of a data cap?
Yes, of course I know about the data cap. What do the switches actually do?

Do they turn off ALL cellular data for iTunes (which seems redundant as there is already a switch for that) or does it only affect the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular switch?
 

prefekt

macrumors newbie
Jun 28, 2011
7
0
This is a welcome addition for anyone who finds that it takes wifi way too long to realize it actually doesn't have a signal.

Walk out the door on my way out of the house, it takes a good minute or two to kick itself off wifi.
 

scionfriar

macrumors member
Apr 26, 2005
37
1
Hallelujah! I really hope this works as advertised. For anyone who walks around a "campus" environment could tell you, wandering just on the fringe of access points when going outdoors kills functionality of programs like iTunes Match.
 

Undecided

macrumors 6502a
Mar 4, 2005
704
168
California
This is REALLY cool for me. I often stream on my iPhone a distant radio show while getting ready in the morning, and then drive away. Sometimes, but usually not, it can continue the stream via cellular. It would be nice if it were specifically designed to.
 

dampfnudel

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2010
4,484
2,519
Brooklyn, NY
"Less clear is the purpose of the series of controls below that. There are individual On/Off switches to use cellular data for iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List."

Ever heard of a data cap?

Exactly, and eventually everyone in the US will have one.
 

Mad-B-One

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2011
789
5
San Antonio, Texas
Less clear is the purpose of the series of controls below that. There are individual On/Off switches to use cellular data for iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List. Some believe these are a submenu setting for the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular control, allowing tasks such as downloading music from iTunes or syncing iCloud Documents to require the use of Wi-Fi -- forbidding some apps from connecting via Cellular Data while others are allowed to.

What do you mean "Less clear?" It's pretty clear to me that in the United States, the network providers are ripping the customers off by offering limited data plans and the only way to control what your data plan goes for is making sure that "FaceTime" doesn't accidentally eat up your 3GB/month while being on WiFi (or off WiFi for that matter). This menu is a direct result of the ripp-off service you get from AT&T and Verizon. I bet no one in all the European countries with unlimited plans as standard will even think about this menu being needed.
 
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theBB

macrumors 68020
Jan 3, 2006
2,453
3
This is a welcome addition for anyone who finds that it takes wifi way too long to realize it actually doesn't have a signal.

Walk out the door on my way out of the house, it takes a good minute or two to kick itself off wifi.
I used to have this problem on 3GS, but 4S is much better in switching over to cellular when WiFi reception is poor. I almost never feel the need to turn off WiFi because it is trying to download something from a very weak router any more.
 

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
Yes, of course I know about the data cap. What do the switches actually do?

Do they turn off ALL cellular data for iTunes (which seems redundant as there is already a switch for that) or does it only affect the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular switch?

im guessing it wont use iTunes Match over cellular data, if u turn that switch
 

iJustyn

macrumors newbie
Jul 14, 2009
4
0
There's no confusion. It's literally the same switch that's in other parts of the settings. Turn it off here, it turns off there. iOS 6 has put some switches in multiple places.
 

mactmaster

macrumors 6502
Jun 16, 2010
390
1
Yes, of course I know about the data cap. What do the switches actually do?

Do they turn off ALL cellular data for iTunes (which seems redundant as there is already a switch for that) or does it only affect the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular switch?

Yes it turns off ALL data. Apple has simply put all of these cellular data switches within the Cellular settings. There might still be a switch under iTunes or under Documents in the Cloud or they might get rid of those.
 
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