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What's the point of LTE when most of us have capped plans?

B

BlueMoonForever

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 2, 2012
303
16
I am new here and will be going to either AT&T or Verizon when the new iPhone comes out next month (hopefully). I will have an individual line and usually use between 3-4GB of data each month. One of my buddies has a Galaxy S III and his usage since June has gone up about 4GB. Of course he is on LTE all the time. So this makes me wonder if I will be going over my monthly allotment often or seldom?

I am leaning a bit more towards AT&T and their 5GB $50 plan because I do qualify for a discount from them. They also have LTE everywhere here as I see my buddy use it all the time on his Galaxy S III. His Galaxy S III is pulling around 50-60Mbps down which I think is amazing!!!

So, how can one live with LTE and a capped plan? Obviously doing one speedtest eats up a lot of data. I love doing speedtests, streaming netflix, and streaming Spotify on my Sprint Evo.

Would love to hear others thoughts on this?
 
BlueMoonForever said:
I am new here and will be going to either AT&T or Verizon when the new iPhone comes out next month (hopefully). I will have an individual line and usually use between 3-4GB of data each month. One of my buddies has a Galaxy S III and his usage since June has gone up about 4GB. Of course he is on LTE all the time. So this makes me wonder if I will be going over my monthly allotment often or seldom?

I am leaning a bit more towards AT&T and their 5GB $50 plan because I do qualify for a discount from them. They also have LTE everywhere here as I see my buddy use it all the time on his Galaxy S III. His Galaxy S III is pulling around 50-60Mbps down which I think is amazing!!!

So, how can one live with LTE and a capped plan? Obviously doing one speedtest eats up a lot of data. I love doing speedtests, streaming netflix, and streaming Spotify on my Sprint Evo.

Would love to hear others thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

Use your data judiciously.
 
LTE doesn't mean you'll use more data. It just means you'll get it quicker. My usage habits have not changed since getting an LTE iPad over 3G. Therefore I have not seen in increase in my usage. The only way you'll go over is if YOU choose to use more data.
 
While it's true that faster data speeds do not actually increase data usage, when your data speeds are faster then you are encouraged to use more data.

I remember using a 2G data speed iPhone 4 with T-Mobile last year and was only using around 400MB per month. When I switched to AT&T and got their 3G/4G 4S speeds, my usage went to around 2.5GB per month.
 
You wont watch a netflix movie any faster, meaning you would not use anymore data. Webpages and email will load faster, but it wont really make u use more data.

Speedtests can be dangerous. I almost got in trouble with it cuz I did not realize how much it was down/up-loading each time. So I kept running speed tests to show my friends what AT&T LTE was like and what to expect on the new iPhone. I used around 400 Mbps in one day of having the GS3.

I am just glad I noticed it before I got a warning.
 
Uh, is this a serious question?

I have 2GB per month on my iPad, if I could have LTE, Fiber Optic or even faster, I would obviously pick the fastest possible.

How much you use is up to you.
 
Mr Hill said:
While it's true that faster data speeds do not actually increase data usage, when your data speeds are faster then you are encouraged to use more data.

I remember using a 2G data speed iPhone 4 with T-Mobile last year and was only using around 400MB per month. When I switched to AT&T and got their 3G/4G 4S speeds, my usage went to around 2.5GB per month.
Click to expand...

This makes more sense I think. Kinda like what I said with the speedtests. And since LTE is faster than my wifi connection is at work.
 
If you spend time waiting on downloads, your usage will go up as you can move to the next page, video or whatever sooner (Edge/1X to 3G is a good reflection of this). At some point when you're not waiting on the content to download then your usage won't increase with connection speed as the excess speed is waste.

If you watch videos that change their bit rate based on our connection speed, your usage will go up.

Otherwise, not so much.
 
slightly off topic

I am an att user and have unlimited data since iPhone 3. Do you think that with the LTE I will have to change my account, and will lose my unlimited data? Thanks for any responses.
 
Want300 said:
You wont watch a netflix movie any faster, meaning you would not use anymore data. Webpages and email will load faster, but it wont really make u use more data.

Speedtests can be dangerous. I almost got in trouble with it cuz I did not realize how much it was down/up-loading each time. So I kept running speed tests to show my friends what AT&T LTE was like and what to expect on the new iPhone. I used around 400 Mbps in one day of having the GS3.

I am just glad I noticed it before I got a warning.
Click to expand...

The thing is, when browsing the internet, a lot of users typically have a certain amount of time that they can be using their phone. For example, you might have a 30 minute break at work, or wait for a table at a restaurant for 30 minutes. So now instead of checking the 4 sites you typically check during that 30 minute block, you are done with those 4 sites after 15 minutes and you check 8 instead. You just doubled your data right there

Additionally, a lot of video streaming bases your streaming quality off of your bandwidth available. If it recognizes that you only have 2mbps, then it will give you a lower quality stream. If it recognizes a 20mbps connection, and it will provide you with a lot higher quality. You didn't watch the movie any faster, but you watched the movie streaming at 720p quality instead of 480i. That is a lot more bandwidth.

Hell, maybe before you just got fed up with the quality of your video streaming and didn't watch it at all. And now you are streaming 720p movies instead.

So yeah... there are a lot of examples where having LTE can increase your bandwidth, sometimes dramatically.
 
sulpfiction said:
LTE doesn't mean you'll use more data. It just means you'll get it quicker. My usage habits have not changed since getting an LTE iPad over 3G. Therefore I have not seen in increase in my usage. The only way you'll go over is if YOU choose to use more data.
Click to expand...

I agree.
Everyone thinks just because its faster you will use up 10 times as much data.
Doesnt make sense.
If you just check email, facebook and a few websites here and there for example and use up 500mb of data per month and your data usage stays the same the amount of data you will use with LTE is around the same.
Now if you go and use lots more data, viewing videos all day and streaming radio then it will be more.
Yes you will get your data faster, no you will not use more data just because its faster.
 
Therefore I have not seen in increase in my usage.
a91.jpg
 
You mean your phone doesn't have Apple's latest "Personal Wifi" in it? Shameful.

After the problems I was having with ATflopT's 4G service, Jon Ives set my personal wifi up steadfastly. Don't you have his number?

tumblr_m958djdhtI1rb3gxdo2_400.gif
 
Applejuiced said:
I agree.
Everyone thinks just because its faster you will use up 10 times as much data.
Doesnt make sense.
If you just check email, facebook and a few websites here and there for example and use up 500mb of data per month and your data usage stays the same the amount of data you will use with LTE is around the same.
Now if you go and use lots more data, viewing videos all day and streaming radio then it will be more.
Yes you will get your data faster, no you will not use more data just because its faster.
Click to expand...

What if the majority of my data is spent during relatively small breaks in my day? During those breaks, I tend to browse the internet as possible. The fact that my internet is faster allows me to view more websites during those time periods will use up more data.

Yes, if you view facebook, check your email, and browse a website or two, then your data might not go up. You will simply be able to do your tasks in 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes, and then go about your day. But there are more than one type of smartphone user in the world.
 
Mr Hill said:
While it's true that faster data speeds do not actually increase data usage, when your data speeds are faster then you are encouraged to use more data.
Click to expand...
Encouraged != more data. Your data usage is based on your usage. If you're worried about hitting your cap then monitor your usage.
deadhorse.gif
 
Last edited:
rman726 said:
What if the majority of my data is spent during relatively small breaks in my day? During those breaks, I tend to browse the internet as possible. The fact that my internet is faster allows me to view more websites during those time periods will use up more data.

Yes, if you view facebook, check your email, and browse a website or two, then your data might not go up. You will simply be able to do your tasks in 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes, and then go about your day. But there are more than one type of smartphone user in the world.
Click to expand...

I understand, there's many different ways people use their phone, computer, and data usage in general.
But even if you view a few more websites now that they load a little faster a single website or few is not going to rack up that much data usage like GB's extra.
Im on AT&T and get around 8mbps now. So those same websites will still load at the same time to me wether Im pulling 8-9mbps on HSPA+ or 40mbps on LTE.
Unless you're talking about very slow speeds not sure what carrier you're on and how fast it is. Lets say for example you're on Tmobile and using 2G edge at 30kb per second and takes you a few minutes for your email to download or a full site to load up for view. Then yes LTE will make a big difference in your data usage.
My friend wasnt even using 200mb of data every month on Tmobile with his iphone. Switched to AT&T now and racks up 2GB's every month. Before it was so unusable he wouldnt even bother when he was away from wifi:D
 
Most likely you'll be able to turn off 4G and have your phone work on 3G.
So when you get close to your data limit or I should say 'If' then you'll go to 3G for the rest of the billing period.
 
3G is not a substitute for common sense.

You want a slower data so that you won't go above your monthly allotted data? Mankind going extinct soon if these people keep on reproducing!
 
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