Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

[1GB RAM/Tab Reloading/Data Overage]-GATE

S

samiznaetekto

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 26, 2009
1,016
24
I realized that my data overages are mostly due to tab reloading in Safari (on both my iPhone 5 and iPad Mini). I'm on a 5GB/mo. plan, but consistently go over the limit by 3-5GB each month. Tabs reload almost all the time, and I use them a lot.

So, I'm paying somewhere around $500 extra every year "thanks" to Apple putting in a measly 1GB of RAM.

Does anyone else smell conspiracy here?! That's hundreds of millions, if not billions, of our hard earned $$, landing in the pockets of some people in the know at Apple and cell companies.
 
I really doubt that your tab reloading is causing you to go over by 3-5 gb a month. Websites just don't chew up that much data. The more likely culprit is streaming or video.
 
kerrikins said:
I really doubt that your tab reloading is causing you to go over by 3-5 gb a month.
Click to expand...

Well, I use tabs a lot - for example, when reading some article, I tend to read it from start to finish, while opening interesting links in it in background tabs. When I finish the article, I continue with these tabs. Almost always, ALL of them would reload. So they consumed 1x data on background load, then 1x more data on reload. That's 2x. But oftentimes, I switch between the tabs for crossreference, etc., and they reload again and again... that's 3x, 4x, etc. more data than necessary.

So if I consume 8-10GB per month, I have reasons to believe that the necessary data was only 4-5GB, and thus 3-5GB is unnecessary overage due to 1GB-gate.
 
If you have a 5GB plan, and are "consistently" going over by another 3-5 GB per month and paying (on average) $41/month in overages, why the heck don't you step up to a 10GB plan??
 
samiznaetekto said:
Well, I use tabs a lot - for example, when reading some article, I tend to read it from start to finish, while opening interesting links in it in background tabs. When I finish the article, I continue with these tabs. Almost always, ALL of them would reload. So they consumed 1x data on background load, then 1x more data on reload. That's 2x. But oftentimes, I switch between the tabs for crossreference, etc., and they reload again and again... that's 3x, 4x, etc. more data than necessary.

So if I consume 8-10GB per month, I have reasons to believe that the necessary data was only 4-5GB, and thus 3-5GB is unnecessary overage due to 1GB-gate.
Click to expand...

Websites don't take that much data. Unless you are reading Tumblr or Instagram regularly and they are the ones always reloading, plain text and even the ads at the side just will not use up that much. Especially since most websites still give you an optimised view for smartphones.

You probably just need to step up your data plan.
 
seinman said:
If you have a 5GB plan, and are "consistently" going over by another 3-5 GB per month and paying (on average) $41/month in overages, why the heck don't you step up to a 10GB plan??
Click to expand...

Are you one of the people at Apple who's responsible for 1GB RAM? Because that would be a natural response.

----------
kerrikins said:
You probably just need to step up your data plan.
Click to expand...

You must be from that conspiracy ring, too. :D

Why should *I* spend more money if *I* really consume 4-5GB of data (within my plan), the rest 4-5GB is consumed, essentially, by Apple due to inadequate specs??? :eek:
 
samiznaetekto said:
Are you one of the people at Apple who's responsible for 1GB RAM? Because that would be a natural response.

----------



You must be from that conspiracy ring, too. :D

Why should *I* spend more money if *I* really consume 4-5GB of data (within my plan), the rest 4-5GB is consumed, essentially, by Apple due to inadequate specs??? :eek:
Click to expand...

There is absolutely no way you are consuming 4-5GB a month because tabs are refreshing. Go check your safari Internet usage under settings -> cellular. I'm willing to bet you don't even use 1GB a month in safari. Websites use KB of data at a time. In the last 2 weeks I've used 83MB of data with safari and I'm on it 6-8 hours a day just browsing.
 
samiznaetekto said:
You must be from that conspiracy ring, too. :D

Why should *I* spend more money if *I* really consume 4-5GB of data (within my plan), the rest 4-5GB is consumed, essentially, by Apple due to inadequate specs??? :eek:
Click to expand...

You should spend more money because your data usage habits have increased and rather than accept this fact, you have decided that somehow, something on your phone is causing this increased usage. You have no proof of this fact as far as I can tell, you didn't even say anything when I pointed out that most websites don't use a lot of data.

I see and hear this all the time. People just don't want to accept that they are using more.

If you're really so convinced, borrow someone else's smartphone or do an upgrade and use the buyer's remorse period to see how much you use.

You have three choices, really.

1. Curtail your usage.
2. Upgrade your plan.
3. Buy another phone.
 
samiznaetekto said:
What makes you think so?
Click to expand...

Websites just don't use enough data for the occasional tab reload to amount to so much data. Unless you spend every day all day only browsing the web on your phone your supposed 4-5 GB you are using is coming from other sources as well so there just isn't any way that safari reloads would account for almost doubling your data usage.
 
Mlrollin91 said:
In the last 2 weeks I've used 83MB of data with safari and I'm on it 6-8 hours a day just browsing.
Click to expand...

Wha??? That's impossible. It's either you're on WiFi most of your browsing or you turn off images (e.g. in iCab). Many sites easily chew up a meg or several just on one load. Viewing any full-size image from a digital camera is many megs. Pages are very heavy these days.
 
Mlrollin91 said:
There is absolutely no way you are consuming 4-5GB a month because tabs are refreshing. Go check your safari Internet usage under settings -> cellular. I'm willing to bet you don't even use 1GB a month in safari. Websites use KB of data at a time. In the last 2 weeks I've used 83MB of data with safari and I'm on it 6-8 hours a day just browsing.
Click to expand...


Last reset 8-23-14

681c4d55adbcbac7b58078dec2e41907.jpg


Usage varies per person. I'm on a 4S so I get constant tab reloading. I don't particularly care since my employer pays for data. I don't feel like I use Safari more then average though.
 
OP, maybe you should use a computer instead based on the usage you've described.

Or, read your article THEN scroll up and open a new tab.

Or, instead of opening in a tab... click add to reading list. Then it won't load the tab but put it in a list.

It's a phone. You seem to be expecting too much out of it in my humble opinion.
 
cynics said:
Last reset 8-23-14

Image

Usage varies per person. I'm on a 4S so I get constant tab reloading. I don't particularly care since my employer pays for data. I don't feel like I use Safari more then average though.
Click to expand...

OP, why don't you take a screenshot and show us what your Safari usage is at?
 
samiznaetekto said:
I realized that my data overages are mostly due to tab reloading in Safari (on both my iPhone 5 and iPad Mini). I'm on a 5GB/mo. plan, but consistently go over the limit by 3-5GB each month. Tabs reload almost all the time, and I use them a lot.

So, I'm paying somewhere around $500 extra every year "thanks" to Apple putting in a measly 1GB of RAM.

Does anyone else smell conspiracy here?! That's hundreds of millions, if not billions, of our hard earned $$, landing in the pockets of some people in the know at Apple and cell companies.
Click to expand...

Check out atom browser. No reloads because it caches the tabs on your SSD. Downside is it takes up more space the more tabs you have loaded.

Conspiracy is going too far. If you are browsing 5+ gigs per month, you are a very heavy user. Sure, if very one used safari like you do we would see billions in increased revenue. I doubt even 5% of people consume that much data in browsing alone.

By the way, I hate that it reloads too. And atom is a band-aid, if anything. But the paid version ($2) has unlimited tabs, which should reduce your overages, assuming they actually are coming from Safari.
 
How is it that my Mom only uses 100mb and I am constantly having to close out the dozens of tabs she has open each time I see her?

And why is it that people who have data overages never discuss their WiFi usage? Or lack of wifi.

I'm not buying the reloading tabs crap.

Stop streaming video at work or get a wifi router.
 
samiznaetekto said:
Wha??? That's impossible. It's either you're on WiFi most of your browsing or you turn off images (e.g. in iCab). Many sites easily chew up a meg or several just on one load. Viewing any full-size image from a digital camera is many megs. Pages are very heavy these days.
Click to expand...

Then show me a screenshot of your cellular data. I call BS until I see it. I'm never on wifi. I use 5GB of data a month on my unlimited plan. My usage has not changed. Maybe I don't view as many websites with images as you but I am constantly browsing.
 
SpyderBite said:
How is it that my Mom only uses 100mb and I am constantly having to close out the dozens of tabs she has open each time I see her?

And why is it that people who have data overages never discuss their WiFi usage? Or lack of wifi.

I'm not buying the reloading tabs crap.

Stop streaming video at work or get a wifi router.
Click to expand...

I have no idea how or what your mom does, and frankly it irrelevant. Have a look on youtube for tab reloads. None of them have anything to do with anyone watching videos.
 
Phoboss said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCln9_mgZJo

2:41 Oh look, the top android phones also reload tabs....
When will people stop this 1GB RAM/Tab reload nonsense?
Even the 2 and 3GB RAM Android phones reload the browser tabs...
Click to expand...


Why is there someone that always has to make every thread a "vs Android" thread?

Is that a valid argument now? Find another device that exhibits the same crappy behavior to exonerate the device in question.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back