how do I predict my data usage?

[whitenack]

this new data philosophy from ATT has my curiosity.

I am currently a TMO customer, and have a Treo, which doesn't use much data.

how can I predict how much data I will use when I get a new droid? I don't think I will be a heavy user, because my normal access to the internet will be at my desktop.

however, there will be those times that I do use the net, or navigation, or google lattitude, or any of the other great apps that run in the background.

How can I predict how much data I wll use?

 

[NVR2ND]

Start on the bigger plan, and reduce it if need be after a couple billing cycles.


I know that when I had my BB tour I used very little (around 150mb's). Now when I switched to my droid I have been over 1 gig both months.

 

[anon(12496)]

Well, its hard to guess... It really depends on what kind of apps you run, if you don't do heavy browsing. Even then you can set the interval for the background updating, so you can tune the data usage. Okay, lets take a wild guess:

Email, twitter, weather and location data, a bit of news reading, some content refreshing from apps and the occasional Google Maps use to find nearby places or directions will cost you around 50MB a month. Add in some browsing for timetables and such, or while passing some time waiting somewhere plus updating your apps and you come in somewhere under a 100MB a month. I know, I'm stuck with a data plan that large and it's do-able if you know some good free WiFi hotspots. Opera Mini will also help you a lot, it's a must have on the go. Now I don't know how much data Maps Navigation pulls down, I don't have access to that service here, but I'm tempted to say you'll do fine with a 200-300MB plan. Again, that's my wild guess, it really depends on what you do with your phone. If you want to download podcasts, stream music, watch youtube, god forbid tether... that's going to cost you serious amounts of data. Just to be on the safe side, start with a bigger plan if you can, and adjust according to your usage.

 

[Kyle Gibb]

you can use the data counter widget, its in the market. it will show you how much you use, you can set the time interval to thinks like every month starting on day x so you know if you are gonna go over.

 

[whitenack]

so, while I am accessing data through wifi, it doesn't count against my data usage? if so, I'll be golden on the lower plan. 99 percent of my time with the phone, let alone data access, will be at work and at home, both of which have wifi. the only times i'll be using data off of wifi is the rare occaision I am off somewhere, bored and looking for entertainment, or the random background apps or email downloads while I am traveling to or from work/home, or the road trip using navigation.

 

[whitenack]

Well, its hard to guess... It really depends on what kind of apps you run, if you don't do heavy browsing. Even then you can set the interval for the background updating, so you can tune the data usage. Okay, lets take a wild guess:

Email, twitter, weather and location data, a bit of news reading, some content refreshing from apps and the occasional Google Maps use to find nearby places or directions will cost you around 50MB a month. Add in some browsing for timetables and such, or while passing some time waiting somewhere plus updating your apps and you come in somewhere under a 100MB a month. I know, I'm stuck with a data plan that large and it's do-able if you know some good free WiFi hotspots. Opera Mini will also help you a lot, it's a must have on the go. Now I don't know how much data Maps Navigation pulls down, I don't have access to that service here, but I'm tempted to say you'll do fine with a 200-300MB plan. Again, that's my wild guess, it really depends on what you do with your phone. If you want to download podcasts, stream music, watch youtube, god forbid tether... that's going to cost you serious amounts of data. Just to be on the safe side, start with a bigger plan if you can, and adjust according to your usage.

Have any idea what an hour's worth of Pandora would run?

 

[anon(12496)]

Have any idea what an hour's worth of Pandora would run?

Sadly no, not that I wouldn't like to try that for myself. But Pandora doesn't work in Europe. None of the streaming online radios do... Can someone else tell us? And which one was the one that does station caching, Last.fm?

 

[whitenack]

According to AT&T (via article on cnn.com)

Some customers won't like the new changes, especially iPhone users who love to get the full use out of their devices. For many cell phone users, 200 MB sounds like a lot: According to AT&T, 200 MB equals about 1,000 emails without attachments, 150 emails with attachments, 400 Web pages, posting 50 photos to social media sites, and 20 minutes of streaming video combined. But for heavier iPhone users, that's just days worth of data.

It will be harder for most iPad users to exceed 2 GB of data in a month: 2 GB is 10,000 emails without attachments, 1,500 emails with attachments, 4,000 Web pages, posting 500 photos to social media sites, and 200 minutes of streaming video combined.

And if I do any of this while connected to my wifi network, it doesn't count toward my data usage, correct?

 

[avacomputers]

Correct.

 

[Paladin]

According to AT&T (via article on cnn.com)




And if I do any of this while connected to my wifi network, it doesn't count toward my data usage, correct?

Just your Wi-Fi usage. ii

 

[whitenack]

Just your Wi-Fi usage. ii

...Which doesn't matter to anything, right? Sorry for potentially missing your point. We don't have a wifi limit, right?

 

[anon(12496)]

...Which doesn't matter to anything, right? Sorry for potentially missing your point. We don't have a wifi limit, right?

No, you don't. Anything you do on WiFi has nothing to do with your data plan, that is only for your 3G (4G) usage. Those two have absolutely no connection to each other, at all. Me, for example, I make do with my small 100MB plan, but on WiFi (bless the great infrastructure on my university campus! ), my monthly usage is well over 1GB. Still, it doesn't matter at all, your carrier will never bill you for WiFi, they don't even know when you use it. Hope this puts your mind at ease!

 

[Paladin]

...Which doesn't matter to anything, right? Sorry for potentially missing your point. We don't have a wifi limit, right?

HAHA Sorry I did not meant to confuse you. ii

The Wi-Fi connects to whatever hotspot you use. I only meant that you will then be using the data over the Wi-Fi connection so will be using that data. If there is a Wi-Fi data usage limit then that would take affect. Some hotspots(such as hotels) limit your data or charge you by usage or time etc... So be aware that Wi-Fi usage is not ALWAYS free, it depends on exactly where you are connecting. If you are at work/home then it is probably unlimited! ii

With that said using the Wi-Fi radio itself has nothing to do with the EVDO(3G/4G) data your Evo will use through Sprint since you are basically bypassing Sprint's data usage when using Wi-Fi. So basically Wi-Fi usage is free on the Sprint data side of things (you are not using it) but you could have charges on the Wi-Fi side depending on where you connect to. I just like people to be aware of this. I have heard of people new to this go to a coffee shop and connect to their Wi-Fi but end up using more than they intended then get charged and wonder why.

I personally NEVER use Wi-Fi hotspots and always use my phones data even when on my laptops (tethering)
Public Wi-Fi spots are just crying out to steal your information. Evil Twins etc... (I can explain that if you want)

Of course any phone calls still go through Sprint as normal no matter what connection you are on.

Is the more clear man?

 

[takeshi]

Have any idea what an hour's worth of Pandora would run?

If you can find the bitrate you can calculate it out.

 

[whitenack]

If you can find the bitrate you can calculate it out.

Ok, make sure I am doing my math right....

I can't find what the standard bitrate is, but I see that the upgraded (paid) version is 192 kbps. In other words, that is 192,000 bits per second. Or, in other words, that is 24,000 bytes per second. 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour...3,600 seconds in an hour...86,400,000 bytes in an hour. Or, just over 82mb per hour. Yikes. It won't take long to exceed 200mb at that rate.

I wonder where I can find out what the standard bitrate is?

 

[Kyle Gibb]

http://forum.tipb.com/iphone-forum/190968-pandora-slingplayer-mobile-data-useage-per-hour.html

I would suspect it is something like 15 MB actually, but you could test the rate but only listening for like 10 mins and then just multiply by 6 from there.

 

[whitenack]

http://forum.tipb.com/iphone-forum/190968-pandora-slingplayer-mobile-data-useage-per-hour.html

I would suspect it is something like 15 MB actually, but you could test the rate but only listening for like 10 mins and then just multiply by 6 from there.

Thanks. Does that guy have his equation right? I don't know what I am talking about, but it looks like the higher the bitrate, the better the quality. However, that guy's equation looks to show a smaller file for higher bit rates. For instance, he says that 32KBPS means 32 seconds per MB. So, if we had 192kbps, he would say we would have 192 seconds per MB. This would make the quality poorer. Or am I completely missing the boat?

 

[whitenack]

Just found this article that references this calculator.