• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help Is there a pure phone mode?

elwin15208

elwin15208

Member
Hello all,

It just struck me that, while I appreciate the S3's many features, I don't need most of them a great deal of the time. Is there an app, a technique or a profile that I can use on a non-rooted S3 to suspend its smartphone features and have it act simply as a phone?

I'm looking for something different from airplane mode, which also shuts down the phone function. I want to leave that on, but I don't need to have it checking email, etc., while I'm at my desk.

Thanks!
 
You can do as they said above but... why do you need such an expensive phone if you're not using it for its intended purposes? Don't get me wrong, it seems a waste money to me, though.
 
I haven't found data toggles to work on the few cdma phones I've tried. My Samsung gsm phones and tablet work just fine with them. Anyone else see this?
 
GTWalling, I don't see a "Data" toggle in Settings. Are you referring to the "Mobile Data" checkbox that appears when I press "Data Usage"?

Sherlock5545 and StarMenace, I use the phone's features a lot - especially in creating content for my community news website. For instance, when volunteers built a new playground in my neighborhood Saturday, I tweeted from onsite, posted notes to Facebook, took photos and shot video, which I then uploaded from my phone to YouTube.

But I don't use the smartphone features all day, every day. When I sat down in my office to write the article, I didn't need the phone's full functionality for a while, because I was busy writing, and because I could use my computer. When I know that I won't be using most of the phones features for a while, I'd like to shut them down
 
drag down the status bar at the top and you should see a list of toggles at the top, one of them says "mobile data", another says "wifi". Thats the data toggles :)
 
sherlock5545 said:
You can do as they said above but... why do you need such an expensive phone if you're not using it for its intended purposes? Don't get me wrong, it seems a waste money to me, though.
Click to expand...

StarMenace said:
I was wondering the same thing.
Click to expand...

I just saw these responses, so I wanted to take some time to reply. :)

I know I could go without mobile data 95+% of the time. If I'm sitting in class, or at work the phone is sitting in my pocket. Maybe it'll be used as a timer for some experiment I'm running, but that doesn't require data.

If I NEED data at school/work/home, theres wifi availble. Basically, the only time I'll use mobile data is on the bus to/from school/work. Thats usually only a small amount as I browse the forum or news sites.

Ask yourself if you really need mobile data. If your carrier gave you a large discount (lets say half off) your phone bill if it didn't inlcude data... would you take it?

I could pretty easily. I use a smartphone for the processing power and apps it can run, not necessarily because its connected to the internet. Most budget feature("dumb") phones can do that. Texts and phone calls don't use data (unless you specifically have it set up for it).
 
Rxpert83 said:
I just saw these responses, so I wanted to take some time to reply. :)

I know I could go without mobile data 95+% of the time. If I'm sitting in class, or at work the phone is sitting in my pocket. Maybe it'll be used as a timer for some experiment I'm running, but that doesn't require data.

If I NEED data at school/work/home, theres wifi availble. Basically, the only time I'll use mobile data is on the bus to/from school/work. Thats usually only a small amount as I browse the forum or news sites.

Ask yourself if you really need mobile data. If your carrier gave you a large discount (lets say half off) your phone bill if it didn't inlcude data... would you take it?

I could pretty easily. I use a smartphone for the processing power and apps it can run, not necessarily because its connected to the internet. Most budget feature("dumb") phones can do that. Texts and phone calls don't use data (unless you specifically have it set up for it).
Click to expand...

I would love to see a smartphone with WI FI only option (no 3g 4g) I think that would be cool, although you could get the 1 gig option verizon has and save some money, I'd love to see another option for 500mb. I'd kill both of these but still like the idea.
 
Totaly agree with Rxpert although im different. All of my internet comes through my phones mobile data. I use like 60Gb a month lol :)
 
pappcam said:
This seems like a completely useless and time wasting endeavour to me. IMO of course.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised how much battery drain your radios cause. Especially if you're going to be in a low signal area.

If you dont need it for a while, flip off mobile data or turn on airplane mode and you'll barely lose any battery
 
Captain Sexy said:
I would love to see a smartphone with WI FI only option (no 3g 4g) I think that would be cool, although you could get the 1 gig option verizon has and save some money, I'd love to see another option for 500mb. I'd kill both of these but still like the idea.
Click to expand...


That's a stupid idea to be honest (no offence). Because then it wouldn't be called a smartphone then would it? Mainly what separates smartphone from a normal phone is it's smart features, internet is one of them. Firstly, you could just buy an iPod touch. If you still want an android, then just buy a phone and turn off Mobile Data, simple as that? Why make a special phone without this handy feature?
 
Ghost10bxl said:
That's a stupid idea to be honest (no offence). Because then it wouldn't be called a smartphone then would it? Mainly what separates smartphone from a normal phone is it's smart features, internet is one of them. Firstly, you could just buy an iPod touch. If you still want an android, then just buy a phone and turn off Mobile Data, simple as that? Why make a special phone without this handy feature?
Click to expand...


Internet capabilities do not define a smartphone.


http://shop.sprint.com/mysprint/sho...0159&flow=AAL&planSKUId=&ptn=&tabId=dt_phones

http://shop.sprint.com/mysprint/sho...0135&flow=AAL&planSKUId=&ptn=&tabId=dt_phones

I think we'd be hard pressed to have anyone call those a "smart phone". Sprint agrees, and calls them basic phones. They have 3G connectivity.

To play devils advocate here, if all you want is internet connectivity I'd say its "stupid" and a waste of money to get a smartphone :p.
 
Even my 1st mobile phone in 2000 had internet (wap 1.0). I define smart by bein able to replace the core apps, apps being able to integrate with each other etc.. :)
 
When I do Army reserve stuff, the phone is usually on vibrate with data off. I can still get important calls and texts, use my data toggle to check emails and such, and still end the work day with 70ish% battery life on my S2. There's no point to having constant connectivity if you're not using it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom