Checking AT&T iPhone Data Usage History

[MacRumors]

With AT&T's announcement today that it is rolling out new data plans next week for the iPhone and other smart phones, many customers have been thinking about which data plan is right for them in light of the new download limits.

AT&T iPhone customers can view their data usage for the current billing period on the summary page for their account by logging in to the AT&T Wireless website. Such data is only an estimate, however, and AT&T notes that delays of up to five business days may be experienced before data activity shows up in the displayed total. Users can also dial *DATA# and receive a text message with their current billing period's usage.

From their AT&T Wireless account summary page, users can also click on the "View Past Data Usage" link to see a six-month history of their data usage to help gauge which new data plan they may want to select.

For existing customers who wish to keep their $30/month unlimited data plan, they can continue on the plan even if they upgrade to new hardware. If a customer elects to switch to one of the new plans, however, they will be unable to switch back to the unlimited plan at any point in the future. Customers on the grandfathered unlimited plan will also be unable to use AT&T's tethering feature, which comes as a $20/month add-on to the new $25/month 2 GB data plan.

Article Link: Checking AT&T iPhone Data Usage History

 

[blizaine]

I've averaged about 1.2GB / month for the last 3 months. I stream SlackerRadio all the time and use MyWi quite a bit. Most of the other iPhone users in my company (50+) use between 100-300MB/month.

 

[TalkAboutApple]

Gee, thanks AT&T. This will be so handy as you've set us up a new thing to get worried about. Do I want the stress of a lower plan and constant monitoring? Or just simply curse AT&T each month with the exorbitant rate of a higher plan? Decisions, decisions...

When does the Verizon iPhone come out? Seriously.

 

[BrownManUPS]

I use my phone frequently for GPS navigation and slacker radio listening. This means it heavily uses the 3G network and I usually road trip with it. I have used 577MB over a month, which really surprises me given the data usage I have. Therefore, I doubt I would go over a 2GB cap.

I don't quite understand though - if you have tethering attached, does your dataplan become unlimited or does it share the 2GB across usage on your phone and laptop. So if I used 500 MB on my phone, I have 1.5 GB left for my laptop, theoretically? If so, this may be a deal breaker, given that a mobile device doesn't pull as much information as a laptop would.

 

[scarboni21]

Does anyone have a guess to how much data would be used to watch an MLB game over 3g using the at bat app. I currently have an HTC FUZE with no data and im wondering if i should put the unlimited plan on now so that i can be grandfathered in when i upgrade on release day.

 

[JPT]

So basically I can switch from the unlimited to the 2GB plan (3GS) and save $5/mo? I'm in!

 

[quagmire]

There is a discrepancy between the graph and what it says on the main page of my data usage for the month. The main page says my May data usage is 212 MB. The graph says my data usage for May is 283 MB. Either way I will take the $5 savings and go down to the $25 data pro plan, but the graph may be misleading.

 

[jav6454]

Thank God... I was worried that was going to be an issue when I upgraded. My consumption has been around the 3GB month average...

 

[amac4me]

My primary issue with this new change is sourced from the context of mobile web usage. Web usage on a per user basis is likely to increase over time not decrease. Combine this with tethering and many people will approach if not exceed the 2GB cap.

It's simply a way for AT&T to increase it's contribution margin per customer. It's a profit and revenue play plain and simple.

 

[GigaWire]

Post pics! Not anecdotal "oh I've used blah blah blah." As you can see, my trend is upwards, which I would imagine is the case for most people.

 

[timlot]

Folks need to stop trying to rationolize this bull from At&t. Yeah you may not be hitting that 2GB limit now, but future is filled with services that will need alot of bandwith, netflix, video chat, wireless syncing, etc. that will easily push pass that limit.

 

[skyehill]

This is moronic. Apple is about to stress how awesome and MAGICAL their version of video chat is and at the same time telling us how little data we use. Yeah, cause video chat isn't going to increase data usage. How about all the iAds Apple is about to shove into apps? Will those use my data? How about the extra twenty dollar text rape fee they charge? Will text data not count towards total data used? Hello Sprint. Hello Google phone. Hello Google Voice.

 

[WildCowboy]

There is a discrepancy between the graph and what it says on the main page of my data usage for the month. The main page says my May data usage is 212 MB. The graph says my data usage for May is 283 MB. Either way I will take the $5 savings and go down to the $25 data pro plan, but the graph may be misleading.

The main page is your current month's usage. The graph shows only total months, and thus the last entry is your previous month's usage.

 

[Small White Car]

Thanks, I didn't know about the charts. That's helpful.

As I thought...I've never gone over 900 MB for a month. This 2 GB plan is looking more and more like a good deal.

 

[mountaingrub]

Complete BS

I just got off the phone with AT&T about this. Even the guy working there said it wasn't right. I put up with dropped calls and all the other garbage from this company for one reason - and that is the unlimited data. The future will bring even more data-intensive apps and hardware. I don't want an a la carte system like a pay per minute phone. It is enough already that iPhone users have to pay out of their a$% for their "service". This is ridiculous, and yeah I do use more than 2GB a month just with AirVideo alone. The Apple fanboys will try and defend this, but if you do you aren't a true fan. I have been using Apple computers since before they were Macs, and I hate the direction this company is heading. Steve Jobs is no messiah, he is becoming the very type of CEO he swore not to become - a greedy man who wants to control everything. If it weren't for the clause allowing my iPhone to have its data plan grandfathered in I would be switching to Android or jailbreaking instead of getting the new iPhone when it comes out.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

If a customer elects to switch to one of the new plans, however, they will be unable to switch back to the unlimited plan at any point in the future.

Not if retentions has anything to say about it.

 

[topher2889]

This is the data usage chart for my original iPhone with edge data only.



I'm probably going to get the new iPhone when it comes out but I am a little worried what my data usage will be with speedier 3G. Since I have an original iPhone with the $20/month data plan (including 200 texts mind you ) I'm almost certain I'll have no choice but to go with the new 2GB data option. This is really unfortunate. At least let me use my 2GB how I want (tethering without $20 fee). (sigh)

 

[jmccray]

Wow

It shows an average of 1.1 GB a month. Had a huge spike in January to 4GB for some reason. But ever since I got my iPad, I use my iPhone data less and less so I may make the switch.

 

[IBradMac]

27 MB so far this month!

I think I could go down to the 200 plan easily.

 

[Small White Car]

Folks need to stop trying to rationolize this bull from At&t. Yeah you may not be hitting that 2GB limit now, but future is filled with services that will need alot of bandwith, netflix, video chat, wireless syncing, etc. that will easily push pass that limit.

And doing any of those things will suck on AT&T anyway.

I currently only use YouTube and online games when I'm on Wifi. You think Netflix is gonna work way better than Youtube? I'll probably stick to Wifi for that, too.

AT&T is a crutch to get me from one hotspot to another or for using Google Maps in my car.

 

[JPark]

Based on all the comments here, I think AT&T's problem is more an image problem than anything else. They just made a move that will save the majority of their customers money, and they made an easy-to-use web page so those customers can check and see what plan would be best for them. What do they get for it?

Calm down people. AT&T is not the devil (or at least I'm pretty sure they're not). The move makes sense for both the company and the customers. Somebody posted in the last article that they were regularly using close to 100GB per month. He's the exception. The rest of us have been paying for his exorbitant data usage this whole time, and I'll be glad to finally only have to pay for my own share.

 

[Yvan256]

Why is there a fee to use tethering? It doesn't matter which device uses the data plan.

We need a new kind of "data providing" company. One that doesn't care if the data is VoIP, data, SMS, tethering, etc.

 

[Dimwhit]

I was going to stick with my unlimited plan, but I might switch my phone and my wife's to the $25/month. Looking at our past 6 months, the most data either of us have used in a given month is 69MB. And we use our phones quite a bit. Interesting...

 

[slyreptile]

So instead of using the money they've been collecting on data plans to upgrade their system to handle the bandwidth, they're screwing everyone by capping the usage. But their giving unlimited access at AT&T hotspots, so that's what...only AT&T stores? And why do people continue to stay in their contracts with this company?

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

This is the data usage chart for my original iPhone with edge data only.



I'm probably going to get the new iPhone when it comes out but I am a little worried what my data usage will be with speedier 3G. Since I have an original iPhone with the $20/month data plan (including 200 texts mind you ) I'm almost certain I'll have no choice but to go with the new 2GB data option. This is really unfortunate. At least let me use my 2GB how I want (tethering without $20 fee). (sigh)

Switch to the 3G plan now! You can be on the 3G plan and still use the 2G iPhone.