5: Wi-Fi and 3G Connectivity in Objective-C

Create Quick Response Code in Objective-C 5: Wi-Fi and 3G Connectivity

NOTE: The iPhone will notify you when you have 20%, 10%, and 0 left on your monthly data plan and you ll have the option of renewing that plan or upgrading to a higher data plan, if available.

There may be times that you want to turn off your 3G radio and only use the slower 2G connection. One reason might be that you do not need the speed of 3G, and you want to make your battery last longer. Another reason might be that you are in an area that has only 2G connectivity. The 2G connection, which shows up as the letter E next to your wireless carrier in the status bar, uses less battery power than the 3G connection. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Tap the Settings icon. Tap General. Tap Network. Set the switch next to Enable 3G to Off. When you do this, you will see the 3G in the status bar change to an E.

Depending on which country you are visiting and your current iPhone voice and data plan, you may be well prepared for international travel. However, it is quite likely that your basic iPhone data and phone plan will either not work or cause you to spend a lot extra on data and voice roaming charges. We always recommend that you call your phone service provider well in advance of a trip to see whether there is an international feature you can turn on for your iPhone as you travel.

One thing you want to avoid when traveling is returning home to an unusually high voice or data roaming charge phone bill. For example, we have heard of people who returned home after a trip abroad to find a phone bill totaling $1,000 or more in a single month s data and voice roaming charges. Here we show you how to take steps before, during, and after your trip to help avoid surprise charges. There are a few simple steps you can take before you leave to ensure that your iPhone will successfully and economically connect to the local country s network no matter where you might be in the world.

You should contact the phone company that supplies your iPhone before you leave home. When you call, you should check a few things: Any voice and data roaming charges you might incur when traveling. Be specific about each country to which you plan to travel. Check on any temporary international rate plans that you might be able to activate before you leave. Sometimes, these special plans will cost an additional $10 or $20 but save you hundreds in additional charges. If you use email, SMS Text, MMS or picture messaging, web browsing, and any other data services, you will also want to specifically ask about whether any of these services are charged separately when traveling abroad. Usually, text and picture messaging are additional charges. You might be able to find some information on your phone company s web site, but usually you need to call them.

While you may not use AT&T, here are a few examples of international plans available at publishing time that can give you a feel for what might be available. Table 5-1.

Data Roaming $24.99 for 20MB / month $59.99 for 50MB / month More plans available. Voice Roaming $5.99 / month Text Messaging $10 / month

CAUTION: If you watched a 3-minute video on YouTube, then downloaded a 5 megapixel image in email, and finally used Maps for a few minutes, you might use about 6 MB of data. If you were roaming internationally without a data plan, you would pay about $120 ($20 per MB) for all these activities together!