Why does AT&T not give us the option to turn off LTE?

[MattMJB0188]

Anyone else find this very frustrating? I'd also like the option to force 2G (EDGE) when I need to but I can't on any of their Androids. Every single Android device on AT&T does not allow the user to turn off 3G or now LTE. WHY? I'd rather have my phone on EDGE all day if its sitting in my desk drawer using less battery life.

And now the HTC ONE X L is of no exception of this nonsense. We shouldn't have to root and install a custom rom for this standard functionality. Someone please correct me if I am wrong but the Rogers version has the option to turn off LTE doesn't it?

AT&T lets iPhone 3GS and 4 users turn off 3G but disabled it with the iPhone 4s for some reason. I'm thinking its an Apple thing.

Turning off Cellular Data is not the same as turning off 3G btw. With an EDGE connection the phone can still send and receive data. Here's hoping AT&T gives us some option to toggle 4G LTE in the future.

 

[FilthyfnJ24]

Simple...Money. AT&T doesn't care about your battery life. Instead they want you to use more data, since LTE is a lot faster than 3g you will burn through data faster forcing you to either A. Pay overage fees or B. Upgrade your data plan. It's a win-win for AT&T which means that we lose. All we can do is hope that we get some custom roms that allow us to disable LTE.

 

[MattMJB0188]

Simple...Money. AT&T doesn't care about your battery life. Instead they want you to use more data, since LTE is a lot faster than 3g you will burn through data faster forcing you to either A. Pay overage fees or B. Upgrade your data plan. It's a win-win for AT&T which means that we lose. All we can do is hope that we get some customs roms that allow us to disable LTE.

You would think they want more people on their 2G network to clear up congestion on the 3G network.

 

[anon(469638)]

You'd think so, until you realize that most companies are ran by people who make so much money that common sense things are no longer a priority.

 

[Kaptain75329]

You would think they want more people on their 2G network to clear up congestion on the 3G network.

I think you're on the right track here, but legacy 2G equipment is expensive and due to be retired soon since it's not returning the profit on investment it once did.

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As much as some would like to believe this is a money grab (and maybe it could be a factor) I'd say this move to prevent customers from switching off LTE has more to do with an issue of capacity and the costs of providing it.

LTE is being marketed to consumers on the basis of being FAST!™, but the real reason carriers love the technology likely has more to do with the fact that LTE allows more users per tower at greater distances (certainly better than 2G ever could.. slow doesn't sell anyway.) LTE improves a carrier's ability to reduce the cost of infrastructure overhead and likewise service more customers at the same time, who themselves are increasing their demand for data exponentially year over year. Forcing customers on LTE makes technical sense: doing it this way makes network management more predictable, reliable, and thus more cost effective -- even if that means customers are forced to recharge batteries more often. Indeed, AT&T more than likely has good reason to believe the majority of end users will ultimately accept the hit to battery life at the end of the day; everyone in this business is keenly aware of what LTE does to batteries, so this wasn't just some accidental oversight.

No doubt the bottom line still factors in here, but not in the sense of gouging customers. This is more about increasing efficiency of the network, which directly translates into increasing profit *margin*.. AT&T can't increase profit directly because that would require price increases the market won't tolerate.

 

[MattMJB0188]

I think you're on the right track here, but legacy 2G equipment is expensive and due to be retired soon since it's not returning the profit on investment it once did.

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As much as some would like to believe this is a money grab (and maybe it could be a factor) I'd say this move to prevent customers from switching off LTE has more to do with an issue of capacity and the costs of providing it.

LTE is being marketed to consumers on the basis of being FAST!?, but the real reason carriers love the technology likely has more to do with the fact that LTE allows more users per tower at greater distances (certainly better than 2G ever could.. slow doesn't sell anyway.) LTE improves a carrier's ability to reduce the cost of infrastructure overhead and likewise service more customers at the same time, who themselves are increasing their demand for data exponentially year over year. Forcing customers on LTE makes technical sense: doing it this way makes network management more predictable, reliable, and thus more cost effective -- even if that means customers are forced to recharge batteries more often. Indeed, AT&T more than likely has good reason to believe the majority of end users will ultimately accept the hit to battery life at the end of the day; everyone in this business is keenly aware of what LTE does to batteries, so this wasn't just some accidental oversight.

No doubt the bottom line still factors in here, but not in the sense of gouging customers. This is more about increasing efficiency of the network, which directly translates into increasing profit *margin*.. AT&T can't increase profit directly because that would require price increases the market won't tolerate.

Well said, however, they allow iPhone 3GS and 4 users to turn off 3G so what I don't understand is why they don't allow 4S users or Androids users? If all of AT&T's devices didn't have the option it would be one thing, but why allow the 3GS and 4 to have the option?

 

[PatrickAkridge]

Well said, however, they allow iPhone 3GS and 4 users to turn off 3G so what I don't understand is why they don't allow 4S users or Androids users? If all of AT&T's devices didn't have the option it would be one thing, but why allow the 3GS and 4 to have the option?

The 2, 3G, 3GS, and 4 AREN'T LTE capable

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

 

[MattMJB0188]

The 2, 3G, 3GS, and 4 AREN'T LTE capable

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

I know that!!! I am saying that the 3GS and 4 have the option to turn off 3G. The iPhone 4s does not with AT&T. What I'm saying is AT&T should give its Android users the options to turn off 3G along with 4G LTE. Even if I'm in a strong 4G LTE area I still might want to be on 2G when my phone is sitting idle.

 

[Rev2010]

It's definitely ATT. I'm also the blackberry administrator at my law firm and for years the ATT versions of our blackberry's omitted this option yet ever other carrier had the option in the settings. Surprisingly though the newer Bold 9900 has the option to go to 2G only, but it's either 2G only or automatic 2G/3G/4G switching. I know this because the 4G on the 9900 drains the hell out of the battery so I've had to switch some.

However, I just checked on my Verizon Droid 2 and don't seem to see anywhere to change the mode either. I think more carriers might be jumping on this annoying bandwagon :-\


Rev.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Open dialer
enter:

*#*#4636#*#*

then select "phone information">"Set prefferred network type:"


Works on the Vivid, will probably work on the One X as well.

 

[MattMJB0188]

Open dialer
enter:

*#*#4636#*#*

then select "phone information">"Set prefferred network type:"


Works on the Vivid, will probably work on the One X as well.

That setting doesn't stick though.

 

[testingapril]

Open dialer
enter:

*#*#4636#*#*

then select "phone information">"Set prefferred network type:"


Works on the Vivid, will probably work on the One X as well.

I got an at&t one x early. I just tried this and only two of the options will stay selected after clicking. They both have lte in them. All the other options just blink right back to an lte option.

 

[expertzero1]

someone answered this on xda so here it goes..

The lte chip is integrated. Verizon chip isnt. So lets say your on verizon, you cant turn off lte, and hey its sucking the battery. But on att, hey its integrated, so its going to look for the best available network in your area, 3g hspa+ etc. Sounds right to me, correct me if im wrong

 

[varsityhacker]

The reason AT&T doesn't allow you to turn off LTE and go to 3G is not because of money or trying to get you to consume more data, that is a joke. Fact is they have your money already, data overage is not a big money maker actually you could argue they loose money. Think about it AT&T makes more money when you don't use the network, see fact one. When you use all of your data say 3 gbs and get charged for $10 more verus the user who paying $30 a month and using only 500mb's of data on their network. Who is the more profitable user? Easy the one who consumes less data and still pays to have GB's they don't use. It costs AT&T, Verizon etc money when you use the network.

The reason they don't want you on the 3g network is because they already have way to much traffic on it now. Think about what device runs on the 3g network now and I don't care HSPA+ is not 4g regardless if they convinced the fruit company to put 4g on it. AT&T can't afford to let LTE devices stay on the 3g network they are saturated as it is. They need to get as many devices off the 3g network they can.

 

[Sedrick]

Simple...Money. AT&T doesn't care about your battery life. Instead they want you to use more data, since LTE is a lot faster than 3g you will burn through data faster forcing you to either A. Pay overage fees or B. Upgrade your data plan. It's a win-win for AT&T which means that we lose. All we can do is hope that we get some custom roms that allow us to disable LTE.

Seems to be why they're also gimping the One X with little internal storage and no SD slot. I'm starting to rethink upgrading phones.

The reason AT&T doesn't allow you to turn off LTE and go to 3G is not because of money or trying to get you to consume more data, that is a joke.

Wrong. They don't have ALL your money if you're on a limited data plan, but they soon will with this underhanded practice of theirs.

 

[varsityhacker]

Seems to be why they're also gimping the One X with little internal storage and no SD slot. I'm starting to rethink upgrading phones.


Wrong. They don't have ALL your money if you're on a limited data plan, but they soon will with this underhanded practice of theirs.

Okay go over your unlimited plan and you will get what you want the Edge network.

 

[testingapril]

someone answered this on xda so here it goes..

The lte chip is integrated. Verizon chip isnt. So lets say your on verizon, you cant turn off lte, and hey its sucking the battery. But on att, hey its integrated, so its going to look for the best available network in your area, 3g hspa+ etc. Sounds right to me, correct me if im wrong

I responded to this hypothesis over in that XDA thread. Suffice it to say that whether the LTE radio is integrated or not does not affect whether it needs to search for LTE. Searching for LTE is the biggest drain on the battery. It is less of a drain on the AT&T One X because of the 28nm integrated LTE radio, but it is still a drain.

 

[varsityhacker]

I responded to this hypothesis over in that XDA thread. Suffice it to say that whether the LTE radio is integrated or not does not affect whether it needs to search for LTE. Searching for LTE is the biggest drain on the battery. It is less of a drain on the AT&T One X because of the 28nm integrated LTE radio, but it is still a drain.

I can attest to the fact that the LTE radio doesn't have much drain on the battery, the biggest drain is not shockingly the Display.

I had 15.5 hours yesterday between charges and using my phone still had 31% battery charge left.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I can attest to the fact that the LTE radio doesn't have much drain on the battery, the biggest drain is not shockingly the Display.

I had 15.5 hours yesterday between charges and using my phone still had 31% battery charge left.

I would love to know what your average use is. I'm sure others would to.

 

[varsityhacker]

I would love to know what your average use is. I'm sure others would to.

Today I have been off the charger for 5 52 minutes and have 75% battery. The biggest drain today has been voice calls at 43% and the Display at 21%. This included an hour at the gym streaming music from Play Music over Bluetooth headset. I have surfed the internet for a few minutes and sent a few texts and read a ton of email.

Yesterday I had fewer phone calls, but did surf the net a lot and watched a bunch of videos on Youtube just to checkout the display (which was awesome). Ran a bunch of speed tests and ran some benchmarks with Quadrant, Linpack and AnTuTu. Answered texts and emails etc.

Hope that helps, compared to my GS2 Skyrocket IMOP the phone has a much better battery life.