iPhone 101: iPhone Connection Speed Symbols from O to E to 3G (or an Airplane)
The S stands for speed, and the 3G stands for the third generation, HSPA (High Speed Packet Access – wikipedia link) data network, which is also supposed to bring broadband-like speed to your iPhone’s internet connection. When you’re on the 3G network, you can tell by the little 3G symbol at the top of left of your iPhone’s menu, right beside the signal strength bars and the name of your carrier (AT&T, Rogers, O2, Orange, etc.).
There are several other symbols your iPhone might show instead of 3G, however, depending on the type of connection and reception available in your area and sometimes specific spot.
If you don’t have a 3G connection, whether your area doesn’t support it or you’re just indoors or behind an obstruction that’s preventing it, your iPhone might default down to a 2G connection, known as EDGE, (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution – Wikipedia link). That’s the little E symbol, and If we keep the same analogy, this is older, slower technology — dial-up to 3G’s broadband.
If you’re getting an E and you really think you should be getting 3G, try going to the Settings Icon and toggling Airplane Mode on and off. That should force your iPhone to re-connect with the network and give you the fastest speed available. Sometimes even moving to a different, less obstructed spot can make a big difference.
If even EDGE isn’t available, the iPhone will still try to connect via GPRS (General Packet Radio System – Wikipedia link) an even older, slower 2G protocol shown with an O symbol (for outside chance?). To stretch our analogy as thin as this signal, GRPS would be the ancient 24K modems.
Of course, if you have Wi-Fi enabled and connected, you’ll get the Wi-Fi fan symbol instead.
If you’ve turned all the radios off and gone into “Airplane Mode”, you’ll get the little airplane symbol and absolutely no connection to the internet whatsoever. (Turn Airplane Mode off — and your connections back on — via the Settings icon on your home screen.)
And yes, you can turn on Airplane Mode and still re-enable Wi-Fi if you really want to.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:03 am
I’ve only seen the O once and that was while on a ferry to Nantucket.
Even in the middle of Kansas it was never slower than Edge.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Try coming to northern Wisconsin, I see the O symbol a lot, unfortunately. As well as the No Signal one. Again, unfortunately.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:13 am
In the UK, when outside 3G coverage it quite often goes to GPRS instead of EDGE
July 13th, 2009 at 7:20 am
While complaining to Apple about lack of signal in Albany NY I described my signal as a ‘dot’ in the first placeholder on the left of the graph and was corrected, ‘you have one bar?’ calling that a bar and a workable signal is deception at the highest level.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Had full bars of 3G since I bought the thing. Must almost be burnt into the screen by now!
July 13th, 2009 at 7:37 am
@Kevin: That’s one of the few things us Kansans can be thankful.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Iwhen I’m not on wifi I’m on 3g 99.9% of the time, I’ve been on o once for like 5mins
July 13th, 2009 at 7:59 am
And I’m in nj
July 13th, 2009 at 8:07 am
And no symbols at all if you’re abroad with data roaming off.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Anyway, worst case scenario you don’t get any symbol if reception is absolutely crappy (happened twice in very remote areas).
July 13th, 2009 at 8:45 am
It should also be noted that if you have the 3G symbol, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are connected to an HSPA network, you may just be connected to standard UMTS (quite likely if you’re on O2 in the UK).
July 13th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Reading in a cab! The “airplane mode” thing helped me a lo! No more rebooting my iphone for 3g thank you
July 13th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Reading in a cab! The “airplane mode” thing helped me a lot! No more rebooting my iphone for 3g thank you
July 13th, 2009 at 9:26 am
My house is screwy. In the front I get full 3G, Edge in the middle and lose it all together in certain parts. If I’m on a call I gotta stand in one place or the call will drop. And no, my house isn’t that big.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I commute in and out of the city. Right now I am missing my 3G. EDGE isn’t that bad though when you have a good signal strength and there is that added bonus of doubling the life of the battery. Whenever I’m on 3G for an entire day with moderate use my battery barely makes it. When you only use EDGE, even a day of heavy use will still typically leave me with a good bit of battery left at the end of the day.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I’m on Optus in Australia, which does not have an EDGE network, so it’s either 3G in the city or fringe country areas or it’s GPRS (the “o” symbol). I’m just happy I get 3G in my house, but my home wi-fi goes one better on internet!
July 13th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Never had an o, it drops from 3g to edge to NO SERVICE written across the AT&T area. Live outside Ann arbor mich in an obviously spotty area.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I used Airline andWifi this weekend in a Delta flight. It worked well.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
o2 doesn’t support edge, which is why it goes straight to gprs. Damnit!
July 13th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
@Simbak2k
I get an Edge connection slap bang in the middle of Blackpool but that seems to be the only place.
There’s enough wifi in Blackpool to turn 3G off and leach so it’s easier to tell when I’ve gone from o to E.
So O2 must support it somewhere in the UK.
S
July 13th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
AT&T just added 3g coverage to where I live. Yeah my battery is definitly thanking me. I have had the O only once on the way to florida driving through Alabama. Lol.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
When the iPhone 2G was brought out by o2 it responded by beefing up it’s Edge network (which by even those times was outdated by 3G, they only did it as the 2G lacked 3G, lol)
They tried to counter the slow Edge speeds with access to all the Cloud wifi spots throughout the UK
July 13th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Just drove down I-95 south from NY to Hilton Head Island, SC and it looked like AT&T shows NC and SC no 3G love. The resort that I’m staying at on Hilton Head leaves me with no service.
Good thing I paid for AT&T navigator, since I do not have a reception. Airplane trick doesn’t help.
July 13th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Always have 3G & 5 Bar’s wherever I go.. Tunnels anywhere AT&T does give good reseption.. Oh and good 3G and 5 Bars when I’m in the middle of the sea…..
July 13th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
3G 5 bars everywhere. Lovin it.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:29 am
3G Full bars in the Chicago burbs, and even all 5 bars of 3G at my College, Illinois State!
Go Redbirds!!!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:43 am
As Steven mentions, once in Airplane mode, you can turn Wi-Fi back on. Then you can surf in peace with no pesky calls.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:25 am
O2 do support EDGE, it’s just that their coverage is rather bad, a bit like their 3G coverage actually.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:14 am
I find it a bit irratating that when I’m on wifi at home. I can’t see what cell reception I’m on, i.e. 3G, EDGE or o. The wifi fan masks over the others. Can’t we have 2 seperare indicators?
July 15th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Andre – your phone (voice) indicator is your phone provider’s name at the right of the signal bars. 3G/E/0/WiFi are the symbols for your data connection. They are different animals.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
While travelling in the Dakotas I was in a constant o or no signal at all.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
While travelling in the Dakotas was mostly o.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I live in a very hilly area between a large town and the coast in California and I mostly get an E at my house. Signal strength is very up and down even when im staying in the same place even though there’s a tower up the street. I’ve had the o and no service a few times. As far as the map shows I’m about a mile west of the 3g area.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Also areas of no signal and strangely good signal at the beach.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I’m very disappointed in Rogers right now. I’m in ne Calgary Alberta Canada on my iPhone 3gs and have been looking at the o for a good 1/2 hour now.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
I get the O (GPRS) from time to time. In the center of San Francisco. Pathetic.
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I’m driving through Fargo, ND right now and it’s jumping from E to O. It sucks.
July 24th, 2009 at 1:58 am
What does the telliphone symble next to my battery mean it’s a blue phone looking symble and it showed up only after I got the e service… But when I got the e I had no service I had full bars but no out going call or texts or anything would work until I got 3g back why don’t they just make it say no service instead of makeing me look like a dumb *** out side of my own club I’m promoting for and can’t get ahold of any oft VIPs… Kinda stupid if you ask me. Really made me rethink of staying with the iPhone for my work or as any phone after this. Not impressed at all via iPhone
July 31st, 2009 at 5:10 am
in bristol (uk), i get full 3g throughout the city. currentl on hols in n. devon. many places no sig at all! or 1 bar of phone sig, but no data connection, or juat gprs. here in ilfracombe, got 5 bars & gprs, if i turn 3g on, i lose all signal! is this normal?
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Thanks for the airplane mode on/off tip to force AT&T to try harder. Very helpful.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Peterborough, UK. Solid 5 bars of signal and permanently on GPRS. Come on O2, time to upgrade.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I have had the iPhone for 7 months now, and never had a 3G connection! I always have the E! Somethings wrong here…
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
how do u change it back to 3g every since i got it its been saying e
October 5th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I live in London and frequently find myself on E or O. Not like it’s a major population centre or anything, only 10 million of us…
October 15th, 2009 at 12:43 am
It is a shame that I live less than 1.5 miles away from Apple HQ in Cupertino- Monta Vista area only not to get any service. 80% of the time it is “No Service” or barely any connections I see either an E or Little o. To top these problems I have dropped calls or no calls at all. It sucks around my home. It is OK in other areas but not good as Verizon coverage. AT&T has done nothing in this area other than bringing U-verse to my area. I have complained so many times and nothing changes. I plan to return the phone and cancel service.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Thanks to this very informative post. It helped me understand what my iPhone is telling me.
kind regards,
-Nat