Samsung Galaxy S2

[eyebee]

I bought a Samsung Galaxy S2 at Tukcom in Pattaya yesterday (18,500 baht). So far very pleased with it, but it keeps leaking money! Let me explain, I'm on pre-pay 1-2-Call, and with my previous phone, I just had to top it up every couple of months or so (300 baht). But the Galaxy seems to be taking money away every minute, sometimes up to 50 baht an hour. I've tried turning all the networks off, but to no avail. The only thing that stops the money going is "Flight Mode", but with that you can't receive or make any calls!

Anyone got any idea of what's going on?

[beano2274]

You might have it set to poll for your emails and this will help you lose credit, I had the same on my Nokia before. If not that check out the connection to the Internet is it automatic.

[lomatopo]

Evidently you do not have any data plan so you are paying 1 baht/minute for GSM (2G: GPRS/EDGE) data. Further it sounds like you have GSM data turned on permanently? It's not that the phone or any applications are using data, it's just that you've turned on the connection.

I use a program, in the Market, called Quick Settings. This app. allows you to toggle many services from a single UI, including mobile data, which would not affect your ability to make/receive voice calls. Or you can go to Settings, Wireless and networks, Mobile networks, and UN-check Use packet data. This is five steps, vs. one using Quick Settings.

Also, you should immediately subscribe to a VOLUME-BASED (in Mega-Bytes) data plan. Then you cna leave the data connection on all the time.

Do you know how much data you use?

AIS/One-2-Call have an interesting Smartphone plan, and some data plans:

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/pro-SmartPhone.html

http://www.ais.co.th/vas/datatips/

[thaicbr]

With many smart phones you have to turn off stuff. BUT most importantly you have to check what type of Internet connection you have is it hours or megabyte charged. Do you in fact have an internet package on the phone... Not having one is a very quick way to lose credit (as your finding out).

do you have an internet bundled package?

which S2 did you buy?

[Somtamnication]

Go to market and get the apn app. That turns off data, but not cell. APN ON OFF is the name. There are others and it is free.

[eyebee]

Thanks for all the help guys. It's the Galaxy GT-I9100. And no, I don't have an internet package on the phone - I thought I could get by using free WiFi. I'm gonna have to check out the other packages on AIS. Thanks once again for quick replies.

[mik0]

try doing a long press on the power button, then select Data Network Mode and make sure its off. This way it will only work as a telephone, no emails, internet etc.

I also had the same problem with my SGS2 constantly being online and using up my credits.

[jackbox]

Just get yourself a volume based data plan. If you don't do much they are relatively inexpensive. If you don't want to do that and use only wifi, then do as the other poster suggested and in Settings>Networks and Wireless set data connection to off. Smartphones are designed to be always connected to the internet, so on traditional by the minute net access you are going to be paying 60 baht every hour the phone is on, if you don't have a volume based data plan.

[Mobi]

When I bought my Nokia N72 a year ago I had a similar problem. I have a post paid contract with AIS, and I assumed that the phone would use wifi, when available and only GPRS when not. During the first two months my GPRS bill was so high, that AIS actually called me and suggested I change to one of their packages. They suggested the 700 Baht/month unlimited usage and even back dated it so that I recovered some of my high costs.

This solved the problem, but I subsequently discovered that the phone was set to use AIS as a default in most situations, rather than wifi - it didn't even give me the choice of which service to use. It took me hours, with the aid of a manual to figure out how to set the phone so that I was offered the choice of wifi and GPRS every time I wanted to connect and also to stop it connecting automatically to my email accounts to check for new emails etc. I then set it so that it only connected to m y emails manually when I opted to. This is important as although my GPRS bill is capped to 700 Baht in Thailand, it would not be the case if I roamed outside Thailand. (Although there are AIS roaming packages for GPRS)

A month ago, I bought a Galaxy 7inch Tablet, the same system as you are using but bigger, for us oldies. The tablet is already set to automatically connect to wifi when in range and only uses GPRS if no wifi is available. Again, I am using my 700 Baht /month unlimited GPRS package so it doesn't really matter how often it connects and updates my emails, apps etc.

A full range of options is available under the setting menu - it is much more user friendly than the Nokia and easy to set up for your own personal preferences - wifi, gprs, bluetooth , notifications etc etc. There is also a downloadable manual, but I have hardly looked at it.

[eyebee]

Thanks for all your help guys. And thanks to Iomatopo (are you from the Isle of Man?), I logged on to the AIS site and I've now changed my plan to what AIS call a "Smartphone package". For 199 baht a month you get 100Mb downloads, 100 SMS, and 1 baht per minute for voice calls. No more money leaking!!