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iPad uses much more data than iPhone; 250 MB might not be nearly enough

H

Hey Now

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 7, 2010
181
432
I tethered my wifi-only iPad to my iPhone using Mywi and did some very light internet browsing for roughly 60-80 minutes, no streaming video or music. Watching the up/down data displayed the iPhone's "usage" section, I found that the amount of data used was much more than similar browsing would be on the iPhone alone. I usually use approximately 10MB a day on my iPhone, and yesterday I used just over 50MB in that relatively short surfing session.

As a test, I opened the extremely nice Weatherbug app and measured the amount of down data used just to open the app and fully display all the info for my default weather location, with no additional use inside the app. Each time I tried used over 1 MB of data.

I had been considering the iPad 3G, because I thought the 250 MB data plan would be plenty... After all, I usually don't break the 300 MB mark on my iPhone in a month. However, if these numbers are accurate, there's no way 250 MB will be sufficient for even light usage and the $30 unlimited plan would be required. YMMV.
 
When I travel out of the country, I use the 100mb a month plan with AT&T on my iPhone. To make that 100Mb last the whole month, I can only use roughly 3.3mb per day. I am generally never around wifi and I make it work. Granted I can't surf many websites, and if a site doesn't have a mobile version, I avoid it.
250mb a month makes that about 7.2mb per day. It is doable considering that most users will be on wifi at home or at an installation most of the time. For that person that is never around wifi for 30 days, they may be cutting it close.
 
Another big reason is that the iPhone often gets sent over to a mobile version where the iPad is seeing a full website. Full websites are always going to be more.
 
samcraig said:
Another big reason is that the iPhone often gets sent over to a mobile version where the iPad is seeing a full website. Full websites are always going to be more.
Click to expand...

Most of my iPhone surfing is on the full version of the website, I don't like the mobile versions. So I think the usage I describe in the OP is roughly equivalent.

Based on my iPhone use, I had considered 250MB to be sufficient. But it looks like the iPad will blow through that in far less time. Just posting my observation in case others were tempted to buy the 3G because of the $15 plan. I myself may now stick to tethering; $15 a month gets me in the door, but $30 a month might be a dealbreaker.
 
The 5 GB cap is the reason why I'm a bit iffy on jailbreaking and installing a tethering app.

I know that, with the iPad, I'd come close. but I don't normally go more than 1 GB a month on my iPhone so I should be good.
 
The MB/day equation also obviously depends on whether/how much you truly use it every day vs. wifi. If I sign up for a month, in reality the usage would be almost entirely confined to say a 1 week trip. So 250MB is likely to be fine in that scenario.
 
anthonymoody said:
The MB/day equation also obviously depends on whether/how much you truly use it every day vs. wifi. If I sign up for a month, in reality the usage would be almost entirely confined to say a 1 week trip. So 250MB is likely to be fine in that scenario.
Click to expand...

Same here. And avoid using maps and you're good to go ;)
 
With my Verizon MiFi, I will often use ~300MB/day with just casual web browsing on my laptop. I never come close to that with my iPhone. My planning assumes that the iPad usage will be between that of an iPhone and laptop.

For that reason... I never thought the 250MB plan would be too useful to me, except when I know that I would only need the connection for a very short time.

/Jim
 
Warbrain said:
The 5 GB cap is the reason why I'm a bit iffy on jailbreaking and installing a tethering app.

I know that, with the iPad, I'd come close. but I don't normally go more than 1 GB a month on my iPhone so I should be good.
Click to expand...

There is no cap with at&t. Why do people pay for an unlimited plan and don't use it to its potential? I've been using >5GB for each of the past three months and nothing happened. Granted, maybe only half of that was from tethering, but the rest was from streaming Sirius.
 
ngenerator said:
There is no cap with at&t. Why do people pay for an unlimited plan and don't use it to its potential? I've been using >5GB for each of the past three months and nothing happened. Granted, maybe only half of that was from tethering, but the rest was from streaming Sirius.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that all smartphone plans on at&t have an upper limit of 5 GB.
 
Another reason you're using more data is because the iPad is so much faster. You're spending much less time waiting for things to load and much more time actually surfing.
 
ngenerator said:
There is no cap with at&t. Why do people pay for an unlimited plan and don't use it to its potential? I've been using >5GB for each of the past three months and nothing happened. Granted, maybe only half of that was from tethering, but the rest was from streaming Sirius.
Click to expand...

Unlimited data on AT&T = 5GB limit. After that they will start contacting you asking what the hell are you doing
Just like unlimited internet from comcast means 350GB soft limit ;)
 
:)
illutionz said:
Unlimited data on AT&T = 5GB limit. After that they will start contacting you asking what the hell are you doing
Just like unlimited internet from comcast means 350GB soft limit ;)
Click to expand...


I have been averaging between 8GB to 12GB of Internet usage on my 3GS phone for 8 months now. I am still waiting for a phone call from AT&T. I use it mostly to catch up with sports talk radio in NYC for my New York Jets as I live in Miami now.
 
I stream 250 mb a day leaving my slingbox on at work over 3G AT&Ts never said a word to me.
 
1 cant trust mywi

2 it also counting thew data you used with the iphone

3 it used more data when going into the phone to ipad vs just ipad.
 
That's what I'm worried about. I don't want to pay to $60 for iPhone and iPad. I wonder if there will be overage charges after the 250 or if data will just stop working.
 
bidwalj said:
That's what I'm worried about. I don't want to pay to $60 for iPhone and iPad. I wonder if there will be overage charges after the 250 or if data will just stop working.
Click to expand...

From Apple Website:
"If you choose the 250MB plan, you’ll receive onscreen messages as you get close to your monthly data limit so you can decide whether to turn off 3G or upgrade to the unlimited plan. "

http://www.apple.com/ipad/3g/
 
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