3G vs 4G

[Wayneboy]

If this question has been answered please forgive me. With my old Nokia 3710 3G flip phone, if I want to send a picture message I just attach my pic to the message and send, right? However, with my Samsung smart phone with 4G, I have to have mobile networks turned on before I can send a picture message. I have mobile networks turned off so I don't have apps running in the background or any unwanted updates eating up my 300MB of data. I know, I am an old geezer, a cheap skate. All that aside. Why can't I send picture messages on 3G network like my Nokia did?

Wayne

[loboheeler]

Data control came in on the early 3G smartphones, and I don't think the feature phones had that. By the time of LTE, data control was more important because of higher use. Some smartphones will automatically turn on data as soon as an MMS is sent, than turn it back off.

[zapjb]

...Why can't I send picture messages on 3G network like my Nokia did?

If under the mobile network settings the phone has the option to have data on 3G & not 4G/LTE & the 3G network is up. Then MMS on 3G might work.

But if the 3G is down or the phone can't select 3G only then no soap.

[Serial Port]

Picture messaging (MMS) has always required a cellular internet connection since the feature was made available, text messages do not require data. This is not a new requirement and data has been required since 2G (which has been discontinued). Picture messages are sent and received without any difficulty using 3G or 4G. A 3G data connection is slower than 4G but it works with either connection. I was an At&t CS rep for about 8 years since the company was still named Cingular Wireless.

There is no need to select 3G or 4G data on the phone itself, the phone automatically uses the fastest cellular connection available. The thing to remember is to keep cellular data active on the phone to allow MMS to be used.