Smartphone users: How much data do you consume...

on a monthly basis?

Mrs. RMD & I are going to be getting smartphones and we're curious about data prices. AT&T's 2gig/mo is $5 less than Verizon's unlimited rate. The salesman at AT&T said very few users go over 2g, but The Boy says he uses 17g (with Verizon unltd) He streams Pandora a lot and watches a lot of movies. I intend to stream a lot of music, as well. The missus will likely watch a lot of videos.

What say you? What do you use most of your data for?

I hit about 5 gigs on a slow month.

Do you do any tethering or anything, or do you just use the phone itself. Do you watch any youtube videos? Google Maps? All of that stuff eats data.

2-5gb

I use my iPhone all day while out in the field searching the net, Facebook, google maps, and such. I have the unlimited data plan from AT&T that you can't get anymore, but I think in the last year, one month I peaked at 550 mb of data.

I use my iPhone a lot and have never gone over. Neither have any of my 3 kids or wife.

Rule 1 of the wireless business: Buy more than you think you need because if you are wrong the additional charges are quite punishing.
Is this 2gb expected to serve both of you or just one of you where you both have 2gb each?
If you use streaming music and streaming video I very much expect that you will go through 2gb each.

I can not give personal specifics. My data is unlimited and with a little bit of talk the whole thing is only at $25 . www.virginmobileusa.com

From a house with an ATT Iphone and a Verizon BB. Go with Verizon. My wife wants to drop her iphone and switch back. (well, I guess she could switch as of today)

Thanks for your insight.

I really posted this to see if The Boy was off-base, misreading his data usage, and really only using 1[point]7g.

We're currently with VZW, and plan on staying with them. With the amount of businesses (restaurants, hotels, etc) that provide WiFi, I don't anticipate much need to tether. But I will certainly be streaming music and occasionally video. Missus will likely be doing the same, although more video than music. The unlimited plans will be the way we go.

I use less than the 2 gig a month when connected to 3G. The Iphone (like most smartphones today, I'm sure) will automatically switch to wi-fi when it recognizes a spot (i.e home) so that's where the bulk of my downloads come from and that doesn't count towards the 2 gig cap.

That being said I HATE AT&T's service.

I wished I would've known 3 months ago that Verizon was getting the Iphone.

I have the 2 gig a month from AT&T and haven't gone over yet. Of course I am on a wifi both at home and work and don't use my phone when I drive.

We have 15-20 iPads at work, most with the 3G connection. The only time we've gone over the 2GB is when we first starting using them and guys were leaving Safari pages open to things like live web cams (most of our large jobsites have them onsite) that apparently kept streaming in the background out in the field where they didn't have Wifi. Otherwise we've been fine.

EDIT - I did get an 80% warning once on a business trip but I was using the Maps app/GPS a lot in addition to streaming Netflix in the evenings.

I didn't go near the limit of my data plan until I installed Netflix. A few days of watching shows on my daily bus ride and I got a friendly notice from my service provider that I had burned through most of my allotment.

WTF is "Tethering"? And why should I pay extra?

Timely Q as I'm about to pick up an iPhone 3GS and I'm trying to figure how much data I'll use

"tethering" is using the cell data plan for an internet connection on a pc. usually "tethered" with a usb cable

I just got a smartphone a couple weeks ago so I don't know what my data usage is yet but I only pay $25 a month for unlimited data. Coming from Verizon I know that they charge waaaaay too much unless you are on your phone 24-7 and absolutely need coverage out in the sticks.

I've had a Blackberry Curve for about a month now. Arrived in Steamboat Springs Colorado this morning for a tire event... and despite numerous calls to tech, replacing the cable and finally requesting another room... I've been without internet all day. So I ended up using my BB to check email, answer facebook and twitter messages. Never used my cell phone in the states before. Hope I don't get totally screwed by roaming charges. My current plan is $50/mth, don't remember my data limit offhand. Rarely watch vids and don't download anything with it.

i normally ue 7 to 8 on sprint. but lots of pandora and videochat with my dad. and not sure if txting counts toward that or not but i send 150 to 200 txts a day so umm ya.

Just an idea of what I use on just my phone. And I have 3 on this account. New minutes start on the 5th next month.

Holy E36 M3! I got canoed!

Does that mean I get to drink?

You need a reason to drink?

Funny thing is that I was tethered to the cell phone when I posted that.

Just checked how much I used last month. 2.6 gig. Streaming Pandora 8-9 hrs/day, facebook, posting stuff here, other random browsing, etc. I think The Boy was full of beans when he said he does 17g/mo.

Posted with my android, btw.

I have used about 700-800 megs a month for quite a while now. Pandora most weekdays for a bit, a fair amount of web surfing on 3g while at work, and hourly email checks, occasional youtube videos.

AquaHusky wrote: You need a reason to drink?

He may be talkin bout this:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/the-grm-board-drinking-game/32912/page1/

^ Yeah, that. :D

Oh yeah. I forgot about that.