3G | here's the thing https://heresthethingblog.com Making sense of gadgets and technology Fri, 26 Jan 2018 22:11:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.2 https://heresthethingblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/FB_icon_500x500-copy-130x130.jpg 3G | here's the thing https://heresthethingblog.com 32 32 Exceeded your monthly smartphone data limit? Here’s what you’ll pay https://heresthethingblog.com/2012/01/19/exceeded-monthly-smartphone-data/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2012/01/19/exceeded-monthly-smartphone-data/#respond Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:59:06 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=5703 Not all smartphone data plans are created equal, particularly when it comes to overage fees. Some carriers will start charging you by the megabyte if you creep over your monthly data limit, while others may slow down, or “throttle,” you data speeds if you’re too much of a data hog. Each of the biggest U.S. […]

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Not all smartphone data plans are created equal, particularly when it comes to overage fees. Some carriers will start charging you by the megabyte if you creep over your monthly data limit, while others may slow down, or “throttle,” you data speeds if you’re too much of a data hog.

Each of the biggest U.S. carriers has its own overage policies, and it’s pretty much a case of pick your poison.

The sole exception: Sprint, the last of the big four U.S. carriers to offer unlimited (well, more or less—more on that in a moment) 3G and 4G smartphone data.

AT&T
If you’re signed up for one of AT&T’s cheaper plans, such as the $15-a-month, 200MB Data Pro plan (which is on the way out, at least as far as new subscribers are concerned) or the upcoming, $20/month 300MB Data Plus option, AT&T will charge you for another month’s worth of data if you exceed your standard monthly allowance.

In other words, if you’re on the $15-a-month 200MB Data Pro plan and you use 201MB of data in a single billing cycle, you’ll see a $30 data charge—the standard $15 fee, plus $15 in overage—on your bill.

For AT&T’s pricier plans, including the $25 2GB Data Pro plan (which, like the old 200MB Data Pro plan, won’t be available to new customers as of January 22), or the new 3GB or 5G options (for $30 and $50 a month, respectively), expect to pay $10 for each additional GB of data you use above and beyond your monthly data cap.

Related: Smartphone data plans compared: Bargain plans becoming more and more scarce

Sprint
It may be the last bastion of unlimited 3G and 4G smartphone data among the big four U.S. carriers, but that doesn’t mean Sprint will let you go nuts with downloads on your iPhone or Android handset.

Like most carriers (such as AT&T, for example), Sprint has a clause in its wireless service agreements that gives it the option of throttling or even cutting off bandwidth hogs who “generate excessive amounts of Internet traffic.” It’s worth noting, though, that Sprint CEO Dan Hesse claims that “98-99 percent” of users will never run afoul of the carrier’s “terms and conditions.”

T-Mobile
The old “Get More” labels several of its smartphone 3G and 4G plans as “unlimited,” and they are … sort of.

Subscribers to T-Mobile’s Unlimited Plus (2GB of “high speed” data for $20 a month), Premium (5GB for $30 a month), and Ultra (10GB for $60/month) smartphone data plans can, indeed, surf as much as they like without fear of paying any overage charges.

But the devil’s in the details—and in this case, the key detail is “high speed” data.

If you’re a T-Mobile unlimited data user and you exceed your monthly allowance, you can kiss your speedy 3G or 4G data goodbye, as the carrier will “throttle” your data speed to 2G levels (think dial up-modem speed) for the rest of your billing cycle.

On the other hand, T-Mobile’s dirt-cheap, “Simple” plan, which offers 200MB of data a month for a mere $10 a month, isn’t an unlimited plan at all; instead, expect to pay 10 cents for every extra megabyte you use—or roughly double the rate of your initial 200MB data allowance.

Verizon Wireless
The biggest wireless carrier in the U.S. has one rule when it comes to data overages: $10 for every extra GB of data over your monthly limit, period.

Have more questions about your smartphone bill? Let me know!

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Smartphone data plans compared: Bargain plans becoming more and more scarce https://heresthethingblog.com/2012/01/19/smartphone-data-plans-compared/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2012/01/19/smartphone-data-plans-compared/#respond Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:33:47 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=5686 If you’re looking to pay less than $20 a month for data on your smartphone, you’ll soon have just one choice left among the biggest post-paid U.S. carriers: T-Mobile. And while pricier 3G and 4G data plans do—on paper, anyway—offer more bang for your wireless buck, chances are you’re not using enough mobile data to […]

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If you’re looking to pay less than $20 a month for data on your smartphone, you’ll soon have just one choice left among the biggest post-paid U.S. carriers: T-Mobile.

And while pricier 3G and 4G data plans do—on paper, anyway—offer more bang for your wireless buck, chances are you’re not using enough mobile data to reap any real benefit.

First, some news. As of Sunday, January 22, AT&T is scratching its $15-a-month, 200MB “Data Plus” plan from its list of options for new customers. (If you’re currently signed up for AT&T’s 200MB Data Plus plan, don’t worry—you can keep it, at least for the time being.)

That leaves T-Mobile as the sole, nationwide U.S. carrier with a sub-$20 monthly data plan for smartphones.

For $10 a month, you can sign up for T-Mobile’s “Simple” data plan, which offers 200MB of data per month.

(Note: T-Mobile’s big U.S. competitors also offer cheaper data plans for as little as $10, but only for so-called “feature” phones, not smartphones.)

The next cheapest smartphone data option for new customers is AT&T’s new Data Plus 300MB plan, which serves up 300MB for $20 a month.

After that, the smartphone plans from the biggest U.S. carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless go up and up.

Verizon’s cheapest smartphone data plan, for example, goes for $30 a month for 2GB, while Sprint—the last big U.S. carrier with a truly unlimited data plan for smartphones—offers nothing but unlimited data bundles, starting at $80 a month (including a $10-a-month “premium data” fee) for all-you-can-eat data, 450 voice minutes, and unlimited text messages.

Smartphone data plans compared: Bargain plans becoming more and more scarce

Click chart to expand

Of course, the pricier the data plan, the more bang you get for your wireless buck—well, theoretically, anyway.

Related: How big is a GB, anyway?

Indeed, one of the worst values among the smartphone data plans in my little survey is among the cheapest: AT&T’s soon-to-expire, $15-a-month Data Plus 200MB, which comes out to a relatively hefty 7.5 cents per megabyte.

AT&T’s new Data Plus 300MB plan offers a slightly better value at 6.6 cents a MB, but that’s more than a cent and a half per megabyte higher than T-Mobile’s competing $10-a-month, 200MB “Simple” data plan.

And the more you spend, the better the value. AT&T’s Data Pro 5GB plan offers 5GB of monthly data, plus the ability to use your smartphone as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot (more on that in a moment), for $50—or a cent per megabyte.

Up the ante even more, and the value gets better. Take Verizon’s $80-a-month 10GB data bundle, which comes out to 0.8 cents a megabyte, or T-Mobile’s “Unlimited Ultra” plan, which delivers 10GB of “high speed” data for $60 a month, or just 0.6 cents per MB.

But here’s the thing: getting great value per MB on a 10GB, 5GB, or even 2GB monthly data plan doesn’t mean much if you’re not using all your monthly data.

And according to a Consumer Reports survey from last summer, most of us don’t even come close.

Related: Which data plan should I get for my iPhone?

In fact, the survey found that the average smartphone user on AT&T consumed only about 360 MB of data a month. And when considering only “median” smartphone data use (or the largest group of users in the middle of the range), the figure for monthly AT&T data usage fell to a mere 120 MB, well shy of the 3GB data cap on AT&T’s new $30-a-month, 3GB Data Pro plan.

That’s why it’s worth checking your monthly bill or calling your carrier to see just how much data you’re using on your smartphone each month.

Are you using less than 300MB or 200MB of wireless data a month? If so, you might be better off with a cheaper data plan, even if it doesn’t offer the same value per MB as a pricier option. And if you’re using 2GB or more data a month, then hey—time to cash in on the values offered by pricier data plans.

The good news is that most carriers will let you change your monthly data plan even if you’re still under contract; the bad news, though, is that you might not have many bargain options, particularly if you’ve signed up with Sprint or Verizon.

There’s yet another key variable to consider when it comes to picking a smartphone plan: overage charges, which you can read about right here.

Got smartphone questions? Post ’em below!

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Holiday Gift Guides; the $99 HP TouchPad, redux; Wi-Fi or 3G iPad? (week in review) https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/12/10/holiday-gift-guides-99-hp-touchpad/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/12/10/holiday-gift-guides-99-hp-touchpad/#respond Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:00:37 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=4962 The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and we’ve got a bevy of gift ideas for you, ranging from gadgets for grandparents and no-contract phones to iPhone accessories and gear for around the house. Also this week: How to create a “smart” Photo Stream album in iPhoto that you can actually edit; 5 reasons […]

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Holiday Gift Guides; the $99 HP TouchPad, redux; Wi-Fi or 3G iPad? (week in review)The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and we’ve got a bevy of gift ideas for you, ranging from gadgets for grandparents and no-contract phones to iPhone accessories and gear for around the house.

Also this week: How to create a “smart” Photo Stream album in iPhoto that you can actually edit; 5 reasons a $99 HP TouchPad might not be a bargain after all; and help for those trying to decide between the 3G iPad and the Wi-Fi-only model.

Holiday Gift Guide: 7 goodies for iPhone users
Among our gift ideas: a gaming-friendly iPhone case, a gorgeous Bluetooth speaker, a Wi-Fi-enabled bathroom scale, and more. Read more…

5 reasons why the $99 HP TouchPad isn’t necessarily a bargain
The $99 TouchPad may serve as another example of getting what you pay for—no less, but certainly no more, either. Read more…

Holiday gift guide: Gadgets for grandparents
From an HD webcam to a digital photo frame that doesn’t look like one, we’ve got five can’t-miss gadgets for the grandparents on your holiday shopping list. Read more…

How to create a “smart” Photo Stream album in iPhoto that you can actually edit
Annoyed that iPhoto makes you jump through hoops to edit or share photos in your Photo Stream? Here’s a quick, easy shortcut. Read more…

Holiday Gift Guide: 5 gadgets for around the house
From a floor-sweeping robot to a blue “light therapy” device to brighten dark winter months, these handy household gadgets will make for perfect holiday gifts. Read more…

Which iPad should you give for the holidays: 3G, or Wi-Fi? 4 things to consider before buying
So, you’re giving an iPad to a special someone for the holidays. But which version should you get: the Wi-Fi-only version, or the pricier 3G-plus-Wi-Fi model? Read more…

Holiday Gift Guide: Prepaid and no-contract phonesHoliday Gift Guide: Prepaid and no-contract phones
Put a spiffy new phone under the tree without hanging a contract around the lucky recipient’s neck. Read more…

Podcast 006: Going iPad shopping—3G, or Wi-Fi?
This week, we tackle the No. 1 question I’ve been getting from gadget shoppers: Whether to get the Wi-Fi-only iPad, or the one with 3G support. Read more…

How to check the status of Xbox Live
Can’t log in to Xbox Live, the online gaming network for the Xbox 360? Here’s how to find out if Xbox Live is on the fritz, or whether your console is to blame. Read more…

Visit the here’s the thing Holiday Gift Guide on Pinterest
Check out all our holiday gift picks on Pinterest, an online “pinboard” that lets you share products, restaurants, and anything else that tickles your fancy. Read more…

How to paste your signature into a PDF using your Mac’s built-in webcam
Got “Lion”? If so, you can scan your signature using your Mac’s iSight camera, then paste it onto the dotted line of a PDF. Here’s how. Read more…

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Which iPad should you give for the holidays: 3G, or Wi-Fi? 4 things to consider before buying https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/12/07/ipad-give-holidays-3g-wi-fi/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/12/07/ipad-give-holidays-3g-wi-fi/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:09:07 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=4895 So, you’re giving an iPad 2 to a special (and very lucky) someone for the holidays. But which version should you get for them: the Wi-Fi-only version, or the pricier 3G-plus-Wi-Fi model? And what is the difference between the two, anyway? Read on for four things to consider before plunking down your cash, starting with… […]

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Which iPad should you get, 3G or Wi-Fi?So, you’re giving an iPad 2 to a special (and very lucky) someone for the holidays. But which version should you get for them: the Wi-Fi-only version, or the pricier 3G-plus-Wi-Fi model? And what is the difference between the two, anyway?

Read on for four things to consider before plunking down your cash, starting with…

1. With the cheaper iPad, you’ll need Wi-Fi to go online
Let’s begin with the basics, starting with the fact that the Wi-Fi-only iPad does practically everything the 3G model can, from browsing the web and sending email to streaming video and chatting online—provided your iPad is connected to a Wi-Fi network, that is.

But once you leave your living room—and your home Wi-Fi connection—behind, your iPad won’t be able to connect to the Internet until you find another Wi-Fi network. And while there are plenty of public Wi-Fi networks in airports, hotels, parks, and other public spaces, they’re typically spotty and expensive, not to mention frighteningly insecure.

Of course, you can still use an iPad even without the Internet; for instance, you can still tap out notes, play music and videos stored in the iPad’s memory, or play games like Angry Birds. Just don’t count on any web surfing, music streaming, or triple-word scores in the online-only Words With Friends.

2. A 3G iPad means freedom from Wi-Fi (for the most part)
The 3G-enabled iPad, on the other hand, can connect to the Internet pretty much anywhere there’s cellular service—and when you’re back home, your iPad will automatically switch back to Wi-Fi. So if you’re traveling on business or relaxing in a coffee shop, you’ll be able to go online with your iPad 3G without having to hunt for an available Wi-Fi network…well, as long as you can can get a signal, anyway.

And here’s another thing the 3G iPad has that the Wi-Fi version doesn’t: GPS. While the Wi-Fi-only iPad will do its best to triangulate its position based on nearby Wi-Fi networks, the 3G iPad can get a much more accurate fix on its location, even if it’s nowhere near a Wi-Fi signal.

So, if all that’s true, why in the world would you ever consider the Wi-Fi-only iPad over the 3G model? Well, let’s see…

3. 3G is nice, but it’s not cheap
For starters, the base price of the 3G iPad is $130 more than the Wi-Fi model. The 3G-enabled iPad 2 with 16 GB of storage, for example, costs $629, versus $499 for the Wi-Fi-only version. Same goes for the 32 GB iPad ($729 for 3G, or $599 without) and the 64 GB model ($829 for 3G, $699 without).

Even if you do decide to splurge on the 3G iPad (either for yourself or someone on your holiday shopping list), you’ll still have to pay for 3G data service. AT&T, for example, charges $15 a month for 250MB of 3G data, or $25 a month for 2 GB.

Related: How big is a gig (or GB), anyway?

The cheapest Verizon plan for the iPad, meanwhile, costs $30 a month for 2 GB—and yes, that’s five bucks more than AT&T’s equivalent plan. You can also opt for a $50-a-month, 5 GB plan, or 8 GB for a hefty $80 a month. (Neither Sprint nor T-Mobile offer their own versions of the iPad 3G, by the way.)

And if you’re planning on using the 3G iPad overseas, expect to pay even more—a lot more. AT&T’s international data roaming plan, for example, costs $25 a month for a mere 50 MB of data, or a whopping $200 a month for just 800 MB of data.

4. Two words: no contract
That’s the bad news. The good news, though, is you don’t need to sign a contract for 3G service on the iPad. That means you could pony up for a month’s worth of 3G data if, say, you’re taking your iPad on vacation; then, once you’re back home, you could turn your iPad’s 3G plan off again without having to pay a hefty penalty.

Are there other differences between the Wi-Fi and 3G iPads? Yes, a few. The 1.33-pound Wi-Fi only iPad is a tiny bit lighter than the 3G version, although we’re only talking a couple hundredths of a pound. And while you’ll get about 10 hours of battery life on both iPad models while using Wi-Fi, expect only nine hours of juice if you switch to 3G.

So, which one should you get?
Well, that depends, of course. Personally, I opted for the Wi-Fi-only iPad, mainly because I use my iPad at home—and over my local Wi-Fi network—about, oh, 99 percent of the time. When I head out into the city, I generally leave my iPad behind and take my iPhone instead. And by saving $130 for a cheaper, Wi-Fi-only iPad, I felt better about coughing up $699 for the largest 64 GB model.

That’s great for homebodies like me, but what about business travelers, mobile mavens, and other jetsetting road warriors? If your giftee tends to spend a lot of time in hotels, airports, and other non-domestic venues, the iPad 3G might be the best option—and given the high price of for-pay Wi-Fi hotspots (think $10 a day, give or take), the pricier 3G iPad might actually end up paying for itself.

Still deciding on whether to give the iPad 3G or the Wi-Fi-only version as a holiday gift? Send me your questions!

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Are you paying too much for smartphone data? https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/08/01/paying-smartphone-data/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/08/01/paying-smartphone-data/#respond Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:16:29 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=2406 Unless you’re on Sprint, there’s a good chance your cell phone carrier has you on a short leash when it comes to speedy wireless data. Indeed, most carriers now limit, or “cap,” their 3G and 4G data plans at levels ranging from 200 MB to 10 GB a month, and they’ll charge you extra if […]

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Unless you’re on Sprint, there’s a good chance your cell phone carrier has you on a short leash when it comes to speedy wireless data.

Indeed, most carriers now limit, or “cap,” their 3G and 4G data plans at levels ranging from 200 MB to 10 GB a month, and they’ll charge you extra if your creep over your monthly limit. (Not sure how big a megabyte or a gigabyte is? Click here for help.)

But here’s the thing: according to a recent Consumer Reports survey, you might actually be using a lot less smartphone data than you think—and that means you may be paying more on your data plan than you need to be.

Indeed, the survey found that the average smartphone user on, say, AT&T, used only about 360 MB of data a month—a figure that’s skewed by a “small percentage” of data hogs downloading huge amounts of data onto their phones.

When considering only “median” smartphone data use (that is, the largest group of users smack in the middle of the range), the figure for monthly AT&T data usage falls to a mere 120 MB.

That means the typical AT&T subscriber could safely downgrade to the carrier’s $15, 200 MB-a-month “DataPlus” plan with room to spare.

The median Verizon Wireless smartphone user consumed slightly more data than those on AT&T—think 158 MB a month rather than 120 MB, according to Consumer Reports. Meanwhile, median data use on T-Mobile was a mere 48 MB a month.

Surprised? I certainly was, although I figured that my own smartphone data use was probably somewhat above the mean.

Well … turned out I was only half-right. Logging into my account over the AT&T web site, I found that I’d used less than 100 MB of data a month for February and March, and just a little more than 200 MB each in April and May. In June, my iPhone 3G data use slipped to about 150 MB, although it skyrocketed to a whopping 923 MB in July—but only because I’d been performing a little 3G battery-drain test.

So, what does all this mean to you? Well, consider checking with your carrier to see how much wireless data you’re really using each month. You can log into your account online, or just call and check with customer service.

Once you’ve figured out how much data you’re using each month, check out your carrier’s data-plan options.

Using less than 200 MB of data a month? Maybe you should switch to a cheaper 200 MB smartphone plan, provided your carrier offers one. (AT&T and T-Mobile do, for $15 and $10 a month, respectively; Sprint and Verizon don’t; check out this post for more details.)

Source: Consumer Reports

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How to track your smartphone data usage on Verizon https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/07/07/track-smartphone-data-usage-verizon/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/07/07/track-smartphone-data-usage-verizon/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:59:14 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=1670 Today’s the day when Verizon Wireless officially yanks its unlimited 3G data plan for new customers. (If you’re already signed up for Verizon’s unlimited plan, don’t worry—you get to keep it.) Verizon’s new smartphone plans are now “capped,” and if you exceed your monthly limit, you’ll see extra charge on your bill (to the tune […]

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How to track your smartphone data usage on VerizonToday’s the day when Verizon Wireless officially yanks its unlimited 3G data plan for new customers. (If you’re already signed up for Verizon’s unlimited plan, don’t worry—you get to keep it.) Verizon’s new smartphone plans are now “capped,” and if you exceed your monthly limit, you’ll see extra charge on your bill (to the tune of $10 for each additional gigabyte of data).

So, what’s the best way to keep tabs on your data usage so you don’t stumble over your monthly limit? Luckily, Verizon offers a series of tools for tracking your data consumption—plus alerts that willl warn you if you’re close to racking up extra data charges.

Track your data usage online
Log into your “My Verizon” account on verizonwireless.com to get a snapshot of how much data you’ve used in a giving billing period. If you’re using a lot less data than you expected—or, on the flip side, if you’re regularly flirting with your monthly limit—it might be time to change plans.

Check your data consumption on your phone
You can take a peek at your data usage while you’re on the go by logging into your Verizon account from your mobile web browser (Verizon’s site is optimized for smartphones), or with Verizon’s official Data Usage widget, available for Android handsets. (A BlackBerry version is “coming soon,” Verizon says.)

Another option: Dial #DATA from any Verizon phone to get a text message detailing how much data you’ve burned through.

Sign up for text and email alerts
Starting Thursday, Verizon smartphone users will get text messages warning when they’ve used up a certain percentage of their monthly data allowances; the texts will arrive after you hit 50 percent, 75 percent, and 90 percent of your monthly data.

After that, you’ll get two more text messages: one when you’ve used all your data, and another when you hit 110 percent—meaning you owe $10 for an extra GB.

You can also get data usage alerts via email if you sign up through the My Verizon portal, or nix the text alerts at the 50 and 75 percent marks if you’d rather not be bothered by all the warnings.

Have more questions about Verizon’s new data plans? Let me know!

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Reader mail: Which 3G data plan should I get for my iPhone? https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/06/28/reader-mail-3g-data-plan-iphone/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/06/28/reader-mail-3g-data-plan-iphone/#respond Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:15:36 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=1458 Diane writes: I’m almost all set to buy an iPhone 4 (I’m on AT&T), but I’m stuck on the data plan part. How much do I need, and what would I be using data for, anyway? (And what’s 3G?) Hi Diane! Great question. Let’s tackle the last question first: why you need a 3G data […]

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Reader mail: Which 3G data plan should I get for my iPhone?Diane writes: I’m almost all set to buy an iPhone 4 (I’m on AT&T), but I’m stuck on the data plan part. How much do I need, and what would I be using data for, anyway? (And what’s 3G?)

Hi Diane! Great question. Let’s tackle the last question first: why you need a 3G data plan for your iPhone.

Wireless data is essential for mobile activities like sending and receiving email, browsing the web on the iPhone’s Safari web browser, streaming YouTube videos, and shopping online.

Now, your iPhone has a Wi-Fi receiver that will connect to a home, office, or public Wi-Fi router—and when it’s connected via Wi-Fi, your iPhone can send email, surf, and stream videos without cellular data from AT&T.

But when there’s no Wi-Fi around, your iPhone depends on cellular data networks to do anything online. No wireless data, no Internet.

OK, so what’s a 3G network, then? “3G” refers to so-called third-generation cellular data networks, which the big carriers (like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile) began rolling out about six or seven years ago.

What’s so special about 3G networks? They’re fast—or at least they are compared to older 2G networks, which are only about as speedy (or pokey, take your pick) as an old-style dial-up network. 3G networks, on the other hand, can download data to your phone several times faster than 2G networks can, while budding 4G networks promise to leave even 3G networks in the dust. (For now, the iPhone 4 only supports 3G data networks.)

So, there’s a little background for you. Now, on to the next question: which 3G data plan should you pick?

On your carrier, AT&T, you have two main choices: 2 GB (short for “gigabyte”) of 3G data for $25 a month, or 200 MB (megabytes) for $15 a month. (Incidentally, Verizon Wireless offers a $30/month unlimited 3G plan for the iPhone, but all indications are that Verizon will soon toss its unlimited plan in favor of metered options similar to those on AT&T.)

Reader mail: Which 3G data plan should I get for my iPhone?

AT&T's online data calculator can help you decide which of the carrier's 3G data plans to pick.

Alright, so how much is 2 GB of data versus 200 MB?

Well, for starters, one gigabyte equals roughly 1,000 megabytes (or 1,024 MB, to be precise), while a MB contains 1,024 kilobytes—details to keep in mind as we consider how much data various online activities consume.

For example: A single, text-only email, for example, averages about 20 kilobytes—meaning you could send and receive more than 5,000 attachment-free email messages each month using the AT&T’s cheaper, 200 MB DataPlus plan.

Not bad, but don’t forget that large email attachments, like photos and PDFs, will add to your monthly total. You’ll also probably want to browse some web pages, too—and at about 200 KB each (depending on the page, of course), you could exceed the monthly limit for the DataPlus package after 600 pages, or 20 webpages a day.

Are you planning on streaming music or video on your iPhone—using, say, mobile apps like Pandora, YouTube, or Netflix? If so, expect to burn through about 500 KB a minute for streaming music, or about 5 MB for every song you download from iTunes. Streaming a two-hour movie on your iPhone over Netflix, meanwhile, could consume close to a gigabyte of data—or about half the monthly allotment for the 2 GB, $25-a-month DataPro plan.

So, how much 3G data might you consume in a month? One handy way to predict your monthly usage is AT&T’s data usage calculator, which lets you adjust a series of sliders depending on how much email, web pages, music, and video you plan on downloading.

As a rule of thumb, though, I tend to tell people who only want to send email and browse the web on their iPhones to go with the 200 MB, $15-a-month DataPlus plan. (Keep in mind that any data you use while connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot won’t count against your monthly 3G allowance.)

If you want to stream music or movies, you’re better off opting for the 2 GB DataPro plan for $25 a month.

OK, but what happens if you sign up for the DataPlus plan and exceed your monthly allowance? Nothing too horrible: you’ll have to pay $15 for another 200 MB bucket of mobile data. Subscribers of the pricier 5GB DataPro plan, meanwhile, will pay an extra $10 for each additional gigabyte over their 2 GB monthly allowance.

Also, remember that you can always change your plan at will, so you could conceivably start with the $15/month DataPlus plan and then move up to the DataPro option if you end up needing more monthly data.

So, Diane … that’s a lot of information, I know, but I hope it helped. Have more questions? Let me know!

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Verizon’s new smartphone data plans: Your questions, answered https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/06/24/verizon-unlimited-smartphone-data-plans/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/06/24/verizon-unlimited-smartphone-data-plans/#respond Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:55:51 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=1329 The largest wireless carrier in the U.S. is about to dump its popular unlimited smartphone data plan in favor of “tiered” options that limit how much data you can use each month. What do the impending changes in Verizon Wireless’s data policy mean for you? Read on. Update [7/5/11]: Verizon just confirmed the leaked details […]

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Verizon's new data plans: Your questions, answeredThe largest wireless carrier in the U.S. is about to dump its popular unlimited smartphone data plan in favor of “tiered” options that limit how much data you can use each month. What do the impending changes in Verizon Wireless’s data policy mean for you? Read on.

Update [7/5/11]: Verizon just confirmed the leaked details of its new data plans to FierceWireless. Also: See how Verizon’s tiered smartphone plans compare to the data offerings of the other big three U.S. carriers.

When is Verizon’s 3G unlimited data plan going away?
For now, all we know for sure is that Verizon Wireless will “move to a more usage based model”—meaning plans that are capped at a certain level—in July. But a series of leaked, official-looking documents (discovered by phone blog Android Central) peg July 7 as the day when Verizon’s unlimited, $30-a-month data plan is going away.

I have the Verizon iPhone with an unlimited 3G data plan; do I have to change plans now?
If you’re in the middle of a service contract with Verizon and you signed up for unlimited smartphone data, relax; your unlimited plan will most likely be grandfathered in. There’s also word that you might be able to keep your unlimited data even when upgrading to a new phone, although again … we’re still waiting for official confirmation on that.

What about if you’re buying a phone from Verizon for the first time?
If you’re a new Verizon customer, you’ll most likely have to choose a metered plan—in other words, no unlimited for you … unless you act fast, of course.

How much will the new plans cost?
According to the leaked documents, we could be talking:

  • 2 GB for $30/month
  • 5 GB for $50/month
  • 10 GB for $80/month

Each of those plans reportedly includes an overage fee of $10 for every extra gigabyte—although again, none of this is official yet.

Um, isn’t that more than what AT&T charges for data?
Yes, indeed. AT&T currently charges just $25 a month for 2 GB of data under its “DataPro” plan, while a cheaper 200MB plan goes for $15 a month.

Are these new “capped” data plans only for the iPhone?
In all likelihood, they’ll apply to any and all of Verizon’s smartphones, including Android phones and BlackBerrys.

OK, so which of these new data plans should I pick?
That depends how much data you use in general, naturally. Those who regularly surf, exchange email, and watch the occasional Netflix instant video should be fine with the 2 GB/month plan, and you’ll surely be able to bump up a level if you need to. Also, Verizon has a data calculator to help you guesstimate your typical monthly data usage.

I have a one of those “feature” phones from Verizon—you, know, a phone that isn’t quite a smartphone. Same deal with the capped data plans?
Yes, although the leaked documents also include a pair of additional, cheaper options for feature-phone users: 75 MB for $10 a month, or a straight $1.99 per megabyte.

Do the new plans also apply to the new phones on Verizon’s ultra-fast 4G LTE network?
It appears so, yes.

I like using my Android phone on Verizon as a mobile Wi-Fi “hotspot,” and for now, that costs me an extra $20 a month for 2 GB of hotspot data. Will that plan stay the same?
Unfortunately, it looks like the fee for mobile hotspot data will be rising to $30 a month for 2 GB of data. Let’s hope Verizon changes its mind before revealing its official pricing plans.

Any idea on when Verizon will go public with its new data plans?
Given that a Verizon spokesperson confirmed that data changes are coming next month, I’d imagine we’ll hear some news any day now. Stay tuned.

Wait, I still have more questions?
No problem; post ’em below, or send me an email.

Source: Android Central

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Verizon to ditch unlimited 3G smartphone plans starting in July? https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/06/20/verizon-ditch-unlimited-3g-data/ https://heresthethingblog.com/2011/06/20/verizon-ditch-unlimited-3g-data/#respond Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:35:49 +0000 http://heresthethingblog.com/?p=1178 That’s the word from Droid Life, which claims that Verizon Wireless will soon roll out tiered smartphone data plans similar to (but more expensive than) those offered by AT&T. Verizon Wireless has yet to confirm the details in the Droid Life story, although a spokesperson told All Things Digital that the carrier will “move to […]

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Verizon to ditch unlimited 3G data plans starting in JulyThat’s the word from Droid Life, which claims that Verizon Wireless will soon roll out tiered smartphone data plans similar to (but more expensive than) those offered by AT&T.

Verizon Wireless has yet to confirm the details in the Droid Life story, although a spokesperson told All Things Digital that the carrier will “move to a more usage based model”—i.e., tiered data plans—”in July.”

Verizon’s new tiered plans will launch on July 7, according to Droid Life’s sources, and subscribers will get to choose from the following options: 2 GB for $30 a month (the same price as Verizon’s current unlimited 3G data plan), 5 GB for $50 a month, or 10 GB for $80 a month.

Those tiered data plans—if they turn out to be real—would be about $5 a month more than AT&T’s menu of data options (which includes a budget 200 MB plan for $15/month, along with 2GB for $25 a month and 4GB for $45/month).

The rumored Verizon data plans would be for both 3G and 4G smartphones, according to Droid Life, which adds that anyone subscribed to Verizon’s current (and apparently endangered) unlimited 3G data plan would likely get to keep it under their existing service agreement.

here’s the thing: If you want unlimited 3G data on a new Verizon smartphone, it looks like you’d better get cracking.

Sources: Droid Life, All Things Digital

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