OMG! my data usage really spiked!!!!!!

[ShaggyKids]

Holy cow! Before I got my TB my data usage was totally minimal like 15-17mb's on my Storm. I just checked mine now - I have the 1400 min plan w/150mb data and I'm at 143.189. YIKES! Well, if I'm going to use this phone I guess I better move to the unlimited plan! Thank goodness I thought to check! I would have had a really unpleasant surprise come bill time. I was so happy to have gotten my bill down from like $210 to $180 or so by changing to the 1400min plan.

Question - my grandkids downloaded some free games today on my phone and spent a lot of time playing them. They are free games they got off The Market app on my phone. Does game playing add to data usage?

 

[ShaggyKids]

I think I just answered my own question on the game thing. I just checked the usage in my account. Most of the usage was prior to getting my TB ... the dates where the usage occurred I was still using my Storm. There is no usage showing during the time the kids had the phone. Data uses updates almost immediately, doesn't it?

 

[dhendriksen]

I don't know how quickly it updates, but get that $29 unlimited plan while you still can. It's going away soon. Watch how much data one video call will suck down...

 

[leehblanc]

I think I just answered my own question on the game thing. I just checked the usage in my account. Most of the usage was prior to getting my TB ... the dates where the usage occurred I was still using my Storm. There is no usage showing during the time the kids had the phone. Data uses updates almost immediately, doesn't it?

I'm not sure about that, but I am pretty sure you HAVE to have the $30 unlimited plan on the Thunderbolt. You are probably seeing your usage from before Thursday online.

 

[ShaggyKids]

I'm not sure about that, but I am pretty sure you HAVE to have the $30 unlimited plan on the Thunderbolt. You are probably seeing your usage from before Thursday online.

I thought so, too, but when the clerk set up my phone she mentioned that my data plan remains the same. I told her I thought that I *had* to have the unlimited plan and she told me no but that when they go to tiered plans mine would automatically move to the unlimited plan for the duration of my 2 year contract. I said "are you sure?" and she said "yes."

 

[dwaynewilliams#WN]

There is no way that you would be able to keep your data usage under 150 mb with the Thunderbolt. You need unlimited.

 

[Smitty_82]

There is no way that you would be able to keep your data usage under 150 mb with the Thunderbolt. You need unlimited.

150 mb would be hard on any Android device, lol. Unlimited is the only way to go!

 

[edoublediz]

there would not have been data usage while they played the games but, of course they did have to DOWNLOAD the games!

 

[anon(79257)]

150 mb would be hard on any Android device, lol. Unlimited is the only way to go!

+1

You will do 150 MB easily, just doing email and light browsing.

 

[nativi]

Yeah you need Unlimited for sure. And any app you download will use some data.

 

[SUB-dawg]

go unlimited unless you want an overage charge.

 

[ShaggyKids]

I *really* appreciate your help with this. I needed the usage education because I was totally misunderstanding things.

Not happy at all to have to up my monthly bill costs, though. Ugh. I *know* my internet use is going to increase significantly - I didn't bother much with the Internet on my Storm cuz it was such a pain in the patoot - very slow, a lot of white pages after agonizingly slow attempts to load pages. But this TB is amazing for me in comparison

 

[jim302]

I didn't bother much with the Internet on my Storm cuz it was such a pain in the patoot - very slow, a lot of white pages after agonizingly slow attempts to load pages. But this TB is amazing for me in comparison

That will be a major factor. The BlackBerry browser and limited processing power, especially on OS 5 and below, made it almost pointless to try except for pages designed specifically for mobile use. Most of my battery pulls on BlackBerry were due to trying to load web pages that it couldn't handle. Opera Mini helped, but its design made it use less bandwidth than most browsers. Most web pages have a lot of stuff in them now... just the ads alone can add up to a lot of data with heavy browsing.

Another factor is that BlackBerry email is very efficient with data usage. Android isn't bad, but it isn't as efficient with network usage. BlackBerry was built around email and business communication, at a time when wireless networks were slow and much more limited than they are now. While this does have some advantages, it also has a lot of downsides. Android was built to be used on modern fast networks, and a different target market that wants more features and toys.

 

[NotJustAPhone]

there would not have been data usage while they played the games but, of course they did have to DOWNLOAD the games!

Many free games are ad supported so they will use data to download the ads.

 

[anon(149276)]

Many free games are ad supported so they will use data to download the ads.

Yeah, I was going to mention that. Also, a good way to check to see if they use data is look at the permissions. Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > All > "Whatever game you are looking to see if there is data transmission" and then look for Network Communication - Full Internet Access

 

[d1ez3]

I didn't know there was a non unlimited plan, I've use 1.78 gigs in 2 days lol

 

[ShaggyKids]

Also, a good way to check to see if they use data is look at the permissions. Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > All > "Whatever game you are looking to see if there is data transmission" and then look for Network Communication - Full Internet Access

Oh my, you are so right. The games did use data and have Full Internet Communication and I'll bet that's for the ads like someone mentioned.

 

[ShaggyKids]

I didn't know there was a non unlimited plan, I've use 1.78 gigs in 2 days lol

I'm just glad someone set me straight on the fact that I was using from my data allowance and that I checked it. I'm soooooooo close to going over it's scary. In fact, because it didn't update since yesterday I could already have gone over

I will call VZW 611 after 6am and take care of that. Hmm, they're on Eastern time I think so should just be a little while and then I can breathe easy again ... until I have to pay the extra for unlimited on my bill again every month. Ugh.

 

[DroidXcon]

if you go to the market and go to the verzion section there is an app called my verizon, after it is installed and you have logged on you can go to your home screen and add the widget called data usage and it will give you on screen gauge of your usage

 

[DroidXcon]

oh a good way to save data running at night or if you dont care about things like weather widgets or email notifications you can do the following

Settings>accounts & sync>and uncheck background data

you will still recieve calls and texts but widgets wont automatically update neither will emails, but you can manually check things like mail or widgets and they will update..

this will save from any unwanted data usage running without you intiating it