Is Data ALWAYS on and connected? Can't we just auto connect when app requests data???

[Alexis Dover]

Hi,

When your the "data connection" is turned on in settings, does this mean that the phone is constantly connected to the internet? bause on other phones, you can select data to be on, then it would connect when you use an internet based app.

I say this because i see the H or G symbol next to the signal indicator and i think its connected. So i turned data off and the battery was sweeet! If it is the case that its connected all the time, thats crazy, surely it can simply ask you to turn it on when you want to access the internet via an app, just like my old nokia did? I hate toggling the data and widfi manually every time! Same goes for the Wifi, if this is on, is it constantly searching?? Surely it can just search when you open the browser or app store? Maybe this has something to do with live tiles, meaning it HAS to be on, if so why is there not a "turn live tiles off" feature??

Considering there is no app or integrated meter for knowing if data is actively being downloaded, its impossible to tell!

When the phone is locked, is wifi AND cellular data turned off until you unlock? Because when you unlock you can see them both bouce back onto the start screen like they were off.

Someone please help me answer these questions.

Thanks in advance.....

 

[LazySunday]

I too noticed that cellular data is always connected. As I have a prepaid data, everytime I turn data off, I get a message from my operator detailing the summary of my usage. Yup, the sad part is the phone is connected to network in data mode the moment you turn on the data on your phone. I agree in my previous Symbian based phone, it used to disconnect the data, the moment a particular application has finished its online business I used to a get annoyed because I used to get several usage summaries back then and I had to press dismiss all. Now, I get only one usage summary and that to either when I lose the data connection or turn data off.

Based on usage summaries, I can tell it is not using data, but is staying connected even in wifi zones. Once you are out of wifi, data is used based on the app you are running. What I found hogging on my battery is the fact that phone is connected in data mode even in wifi zones. May be MS wanted it that way to begin with. Like you walk out of your wifi area streaming a video, then it starts streaming using network data channel. Whereas, in Symbian, it has to establish a network connection and start streaming it. Meanwhile, it would show data connection off on your phone.

It's both good and bad. Good for the connectivity and bad for the battery usage... I don't know if iOS or Android differ in any manner in this regard....

 

[WorzelGummage]

Yes, it would appear so. As their name suggests, Live tiles require a data connection in order to update whatever information they are designed to display. I understand what you mean regarding having a setting to control 3G data on an "as needed" basis like we had in older Symbian phones but no such setting exists in Windows Phone. I've also noticed that my 920 uses a lot more data per month than my older phones would so I have to be especially careful with this phone to avoid running up a huge bill.

 

[BeaverJuicer]

Welcome to modern smartphones. They are considered "always on" devices. People want the information they are looking for immediately. They don't want to have to wait for a connection, sync, then be able to search for it 30 seconds later.

"Always on" is required for:
- push email
- account synchronization
- Live Tiles
- in app updates (ie weather, etc)
- App updates
- Skype or any other IM

to name just a few things. These phones have a significant Cloud base to them. Even your contacts and calendar are stored online. Using them without an always on data connection would ruin 2/3 of their functionality.

 

[astraith]

Welcome to modern smartphones. They are considered "always on" devices. People want the information they are looking for immediately. They don't want to have to wait for a connection, sync, then be able to search for it 30 seconds later."Always on" is required for:- push email- account synchronization- Live Tiles- in app updates (ie weather, etc)- App updates- Skype or any other IMto name just a few things. These phones have a significant Cloud base to them. Even your contacts and calendar are stored online. Using them without an always on data connection would ruin 2/3 of their functionality.

Exactly. That's what i thought.