Orange San Francisco questions before I buy

[Guest colin.bate]

Hi

(Before I go any further, I thought I'd let you know that I'm using my dads account as he uses this forum a lot)

I'm thinking about getting a Orange San Francisco (A.K.A ZTE Blade) but I'm wary after my dad (who has one) warned me of a few things.

When he first bought one, after a couple of days he realised he had no credit left, (on Orange pay as you go) so he topped up again and it went down rapidly again and again. After losing money and a few calls to Orange, it turned out that his phone was connecting to the mobile internet (not wifi) and was using up all his internet allowance then using all his balance because of all the mobile internet the phone had used. He later changed from Orange to T-Mobile to have unlimited internet.

I was wondering about a few things as I dont want the phone to use all my mobile internet nor do I want to change networks or phone numbers: -

1) Is there anyway of setting the phone to only use mobile internet (3G) when I tell it to?

and/or

2) Can I stop the phone from backing up to google, as this seemed to be the prime cause of the internet drain?

3) Has anyone else had this problem and if so how did you get around it?

Thanks in advance

Steve

(not Colin)

[Guest anewman]

1. yes

2. yes

[Guest colin.bate]

1. yes

2. yes

elaborating might be nice thanks anewman lol

[Guest anewman]

1. Settings -> wireless & networks -> mobile networks (at bottom) -> untick "data enabled"

2. Settings -> accounts and sync -> untick appropriate settings.

(these steps can be bypassed using one of the power management widgets).

[Guest colin.bate]

1. Settings -> wireless & networks -> mobile networks (at bottom) -> untick "data enabled"

Thank you anewman

On my current phone, when I use anything that wants to connect to the internet, it asks me if I want to let it connect to the internet then which connection to use, is there anything like that on the San Francisco/ZTE Blade?

[Guest WuLiao]

Thank you anewman

On my current phone, when I use anything that wants to connect to the internet, it asks me if I want to let it connect to the internet then which connection to use, is there anything like that on the San Francisco/ZTE Blade?

no, I doubt there is such an option for it. Android apps would not ask you for that, they will just run background! :)

[Guest TCTUK]

There is also the power control widget that comes with the phone as standard that you can drop onto your homepage.

You can then toggle various settings on and off just by tapping. From left to right: Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G Data transfer, Screen Brightness.

[Guest shadowninty]

I use Traffic Monitor to watch Dara use, and enable/disable Data using CM7s Notification Pulldown Power Widget :)

[Guest Michealtbh]

There is also the power control widget that comes with the phone as standard that you can drop onto your homepage.

You can then toggle various settings on and off just by tapping. From left to right: Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G Data transfer, Screen Brightness.

I believe the 4th one is auto-sync, not data toggle.

[Guest TCTUK]

I believe the 4th one is auto-sync, not data toggle.

Try browsing the internet with wifi and the 4th icon toggled off. Let me know how you get on and then tell me whether you think it is autosync or if it is a 3G toggle :)

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

it's auto sync the 4 th :)

[Guest TCTUK]

it's auto sync the 4 th :)

So you can connect to the internet with wifi and the 4th turned off can you? Try it and let me know...

[Guest WuLiao]

So you can connect to the internet with wifi and the 4th turned off can you? Try it and let me know...

yup! you definitely can! :)

[Guest Thar]

I can understand the confusion as that is the symbol for auto-sync however, the 4th symbol looks like this on my phone.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Thar

[Guest Skip Tracer]

I believe the 4th one is auto-sync, not data toggle.

That is the power widgit that came with the Orange stock ROM.

I have changed mine to JJ r9 which has an extra slot for toggling data on and off which is in the forth place with sync being in fifth place then brightness control.

The data on off tab has a SD card icon on it with two arrows one pointing left to right and one right to left.

The first two weeks I used the phone I thought it was turning read write on and off to the SD card until I discovered it was turning data on and off as in ticking the box in "Data Enable".

[Guest iNoobz2Droid]

Hello, is the GPS navigation with turned off 3g data connection still possible using some commercial navigation software from navigon or copilot etc.?

[Guest Skip Tracer]

Hello, is the GPS navigation with turned off 3g data connection still possible using some commercial navigation software from navigon or copilot etc.?

I don’t know how those two apps work but generally yes the sat nav will work with no 3G connection.

I use it with the free apps, MapDroyd and AndNav2.

Another free app that can be useful with the Blades satnav is My Tracks it logs everywhere the phone goes and the files can be imported into Google Earth.

You can navigate with Google Maps as well but you have to cache the map and journey to the devises SD card while connected to the internet.

Using the Blade with these items does the drain the battery though.

[Guest jeddy1]

Hi

(Before I go any further, I thought I'd let you know that I'm using my dads account as he uses this forum a lot)

I'm thinking about getting a Orange San Francisco (A.K.A ZTE Blade) but I'm wary after my dad (who has one) warned me of a few things.

When he first bought one, after a couple of days he realised he had no credit left, (on Orange pay as you go) so he topped up again and it went down rapidly again and again. After losing money and a few calls to Orange, it turned out that his phone was connecting to the mobile internet (not wifi) and was using up all his internet allowance then using all his balance because of all the mobile internet the phone had used. He later changed from Orange to T-Mobile to have unlimited internet.

I was wondering about a few things as I dont want the phone to use all my mobile internet nor do I want to change networks or phone numbers: -

1) Is there anyway of setting the phone to only use mobile internet (3G) when I tell it to?

and/or

2) Can I stop the phone from backing up to google, as this seemed to be the prime cause of the internet drain?

3) Has anyone else had this problem and if so how did you get around it?

Thanks in advance

Steve

(not Colin)

is this ur dads account? if yes then we see he use this forum a lot:P. just to see whats new i guess !!!

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

Hello, is the GPS navigation with turned off 3g data connection still possible using some commercial navigation software from navigon or copilot etc.?

i use co-pilot and yes it doesn't need a 3g connexion

maps are downloaded in sdcard one time

[Guest Elgreco77]

1. Settings -> wireless & networks -> mobile networks (at bottom) -> untick "data enabled"

2. Settings -> accounts and sync -> untick appropriate settings.

(these steps can be bypassed using one of the power management widgets).

When go into mobile networks I don't get "data enabled" I get 6 options;

1) data connection ( this says connection failed)

2) data roaming ( unticked)

3) network mode GSM/WCDMA

4) use only 2 g

5) network operators

6) access point names

Can anyone advise please as I can't get a connection?

Thanks