Average iPhone Consumer Data Usage Pegged at Five Times That of BlackBerry

[cameronjpu]

or might the moscone be damping (what's the right technical term?) service in the meeting rooms to prevent outbound video streaming? dunno.

Doing so would get them thrown in jail, so I don't think so.

 

[rtdunham]

This was not funded by Consumer Reports (what the hell do they gain from this research?). It was funded by AT&T...

in the absence of a smiley face following your post, i have to conclude you're quite the conspiracy theorist. The rest of us were tricked into thinking a consumer magazine might try to serve its readers by developing facts to present them. I feel so silly, so ashamed...

I'd write more...shhhh!!....but I think they're listening to my keystrikes...or maybe...(shielding keyboard with hand) that Esquire magazine i got yesterday was funded by the authorities and has cameras hidden in it....

...The blackberry's web browser is adequate enough to check footy scores, quickly gain some info from mobile websites. Why do you need to do more?
--(then a poster found fault with that, and tunster responded)--
I'm not saying the iPhone isn't a good device, I just didn't need one in my circumstances. I find irritating when you make a jokey jibe against the iPhone, someone has to think you're jealous of them.

There are enough people willing to argue the "check scores and a few sites" pov that i took your comments seriously, not as a joke, and i guess some others did too. I'm amazed daily at the things i can do -- with my phone! -- because of the apps that are available. They've extended my concept of a phone beyond all imagination. It's gonna be interesting to see whether or the iPad creates that same unanticipated empowerment after several years of use and development.

Anyway, I much prefer my MBP 13" + Blackberry Tether setup than trying to focus my eyes on a 3.5" web-browser

yeah, but you must look so awkward using that gear while driving, or pulling it out of your pockets on the walk to your office? (jokey-jibe alert!)

 

[OneMike]

I have pretty good internet on the road and much faster internet at home.

You have pretty good internet on the road and pretty good internet at home.

So we're paying the same amount but I'm getting way better service than you. And you're asking ME why I do things the way I do?

3G on the road is fast and my home connection is way faster. However, as I said most of my iPhone net usage is on the road so I couldn't use my home connection anyway, although I still don't when home.

At the same time I have both Mac desktops and Laptops at home so by your same theory of hoping off 3G for something faster. If at home I'd hop off iPhone for something bigger and more capable.

We are paying the same amount for 3G data. You're not getting better 3G service than me though so you failed to make a point. You are using a different service all together. If I'm being charged for unlimited 3G data it makes no sense to me to not use it, and my home connection which I'm also paying for has nothing to do with 3G. It's like if AT&T forced everyone to use an unlimited voice plan. Should I also hop off my iPhone to use the house phone every chance I get? Until there are plan options for data unlimited to me will continue to be used as such.

I agree with this and it puzzles me that you and I would be considered bandwidth hogs. I use 5-6 GB average per month. I check my email every 15 minutes, send and recieve lots of pictures, watch lots of youtube, stream Pandora, even play bejeweled (which downloads).

Yep. You're paying for data as we all are. Unlimited = No Limit = Use as much as you want.

I don't agree with tethering for those that do, but usage within TOS I say use as much as you need.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Either way, this is a useless & senseless report for comparison to BlackBerry as a platform & infrastructure.

RIM's NOC compresses data (a LOT more than the competiting NOC for WindowsMobile - GoodLink) in a significant way for both consumers and corporate BES users.

For now, I prefer my BlackBerry ... it offers so much without the compromises that iPhone 3GS currently present with my lifestyle and dialy use patters/habbits - no I've never jailbroken (and I really shouldn't have to).

 

[Journojulz]

60% use less than 50mb a month?

That is less than 2 web pages a day!

What are these people doing with a smartphone?

The thing i love most about my 3g is just how easy the interface and screen makes mobile browsing.

 

[LagunaSol]

Didn't we come to the conclusion that the BOGOF were conducted by the carriers, not RIM?

Yes, but RIM should recognize what works and run with it.

 

[strike1555]

60% use less than 50mb a month?

That is less than 2 web pages a day!

What are these people doing with a smartphone?

It's a little thing called Wifi.

 

[Journojulz]

Ah - gotcha - ta.

 

[DrumApple]

Probably because BlackBerry users actually have things to do

 

[etchedvinyle]

I'm a data usage heavyweight

I find it humorous that this study is measured in megabites when I use about 4-5gb per month. 5 days into my billing cycle and I'm already at 675mb.

As for you Blackberry users, I had one for a couple of years. It was great for email but fell short beyond that. I can do everything I did with my blackberry and much more with the iPhone. Say I need to access the my company's web site for our sales reporting tool, can't do that with a blackberry but I can with my iPhone. Also I can move files in an FTP environment as well. Lastly, I can have all my email, spreadsheets, pictures, music, and video in one device. I can't remember the last time I had to have my laptop out while on the road, which I always did with my blackberry.

 

[cwwilson]

I believe in this report. When I'm bored at work (which is often) I'll pop out the old iPhone and do some browsing. Safari works so well that it can hold its place as my main source of internet if I had to go without a computer for a while. Because of that, it's not so much a pain to use so you'll be more than happy to browse your favorite sites on the go.

The only sites that I use "mobile" versions of are the ones with heavy flash (ESPN for example).

 

[deconstruct60]

Yep. You're paying for data as we all are. Unlimited = No Limit = Use as much as you want.
....
I don't agree with tethering for those that do, but usage within TOS I say use as much as you need.

It is doubtful that your Terms of Service say "Use whatever amount you want to". It will say you can use as much as the provider deems not to represent gluttony. If you go to a smörgåsbord/buffer/all-u-can-eat restaurant you cannot go there and sit there for 6 hours and clear out as much food as you can possibly fit into you body. Nor can you use your "all-u-eat" plate to feed other mouths. Again it is what can reasonable folks can eat (or eat to reasonable excess).

Typically unilimited providers set the limits so that 98+% of the folks are below the gluttony level. So it is really defacto "unlimited' you are buying. not 30 days * max 3G speed of data/s you are buying. Presume that folks will sleep and not using it 24/7 for a billing cycle.

 

[briand05]

Not surprising at all there aren't too many things that are more painful than using the BlackBerry browser. While waiting for a BlackBerry to bring up a real webpage you'll feel like throwing it against the wall. Most people that have BlackBerries use it for messaging and email because well anything else isn't a very enjoyable experience to say the least.

 

[Journojulz]

Probably because BlackBerry users actually have things to do

Yeah,
Refill the photocopier
Mop the floor
Stop pretending to be a yuppie
Dream of a position senior enough not to have to ask permission to use your smartphone at work...
Develop an aesthetic/sense of humour

(note: joke)

 

[mrklaw]

why is the headline that iphone users use 5 times the data of blackberry users?

Why isn't the headline that iphone users use less than double the data of most smartphones?

Why pick out blackberry? Seems like the only reason you'd do that is to artificially inflate the iphone stats, and I don't understand why any independant company would do that. Are they selling their reports to iphone developers?

 

[offwidafairies]

does this include tethering?? if so, of course... im surprised the numbers aren't higher. if you own an iPhone then why wouldnt u use it for everything it is capable of doing...

i know several people who dont take their computer with them when they travel anymore - they just check their email/facebook/search for restaurants etc via their iPhone.

i still take my computer with me on holiday but thats because it is attached to my right arm. the iPhone, on the other hand... i even take it to the toilet with me

i LOVE having easy access to the internet via my phone. it's great for during boring meetings. i also use my phone for lots of phone calls and texting, but i have always been a heavy phone user.

i guess the type of people who use their phone a lot are seeing the benefits of owning an iPhone over a nokia or samsung.

if only battery life on the iphone was twice as good, and apps loaded a little quicker....

 

[Gasu E.]

I had the choice to jump to the iPhone and denied it totally. Not regretting adopting the blackberry one single bit.

a) The device is a rip-off money wise (especially when you look at it SIM-Free)
b) I don't have time/money to waste on the apps
c) Already have an iPod that isn't very old
d) Blackberry does what it needs to do (make calls and send messages reliably)

I'm not saying the iPhone isn't a good device, I just didn't need one in my circumstances. I find irritating when you make a jokey jibe against the iPhone, someone has to think you're jealous of them.

Anyway, I much prefer my MBP 13" + Blackberry Tether setup than trying to focus my eyes on a 3.5" web-browser .

I have a BlackBerry for business. I use it constantly-- for email. Blackberry excels for reading and responding to short text emails. It's not good for reading or writing long e-mails. It's not good for managing business correspondence. It's awful for attachments and graphic items. It's okay as a phone. It's awful for the web. It's really a one or two trick pony. I'm not saying it's not a good device, but it doesn't free me from having to rely on other electronic gear.

 

[statisticschick]

WOOHOO! I use at least double that of the average iPhone user!

me too! If AT&T is so concerned about usage, they should offer incentives to get people to use WiFi when it is available. If I got some small incentive (a free app each month, a percentage off my bill, etc) for keeping my data usage down, I would be more apt to remember to connect to WiFi. With the AT&T hotspots all around major cities, it's pretty easy to connect to these and reduce data usage over 3G.

 

[cameronjpu]

me too! If AT&T is so concerned about usage, they should offer incentives to get people to use WiFi when it is available. If I got some small incentive (a free app each month, a percentage off my bill, etc) for keeping my data usage down, I would be more apt to remember to connect to WiFi. With the AT&T hotspots all around major cities, it's pretty easy to connect to these and reduce data usage over 3G.

Isn't the fact that wifi is 10x faster enough incentive?

 

[Journojulz]

Agreed - we need free wifi in towns and cities as standard if we are going to make the most of our 3g networks elsewhere.

Believe Paris is trying it.

Bienvenue a la future - vous etes ici!

 

[Gyrferret]

Hasn't anyone noticed yet....?

The fact that blackberry users have data COMPRESSED before it is sent to them? Internet, emails, etc. It's all compressed so long as it runs through RIM's servers....
I must say, I'm running at at least 150MB right now, and that's browsing everyday and streaming youtube quite often....

 

[TurboSC]

I wonder what % of that bandwidth usage is porn...

 

[Journojulz]

Make you blind that will!






Squinting at a small screen.