OK smartphone users ... help me out

[bigpern23]

I may be taking the iPhone plunge, but I want to know if the AT&T $15 data plan is enough bandwidth for a months worth of usage or if I'm going to end up racking up a ton of overcharges (I refuse to call them "overages").

I mean, I don't think I'll be a full-blown web-browsing maniac, but I want to be sure I'm not going to go over if I check my email and fantasy team a few times per week.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

You won't have any overages if you're using wifi.

 

[bigpern23]

To clarify, I'm going to get the 3GS, not the iPhone 4 ... does the 3GS have wifi connectivity?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

It should. I don't know why it wouldn't. My original iPhone has it.

 

[bigpern23]

Gotcha ... I tried to check the AT&T website, but it's FUBAR for me at the moment.

So do you have to choose WiFi or 3G, or does it select it automatically? Am I going to think I'm on WiFi and not realize that I'm not?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

When you look at the phone, there's a little logo at the top that will tell you if you're on AT&T's network or wifi.

The above image is showing the phone is on wifi.

Once you hit a hotspot, the phone will automatically switch to it next time you're in range. And if there are wifi signals floating around you haven't used before, the phone will ask if you'd like to join them.

 

[bigpern23]

Cool, thanks, Inky ... What about when you're not on WiFi ... is it easy to burn through the allotted megabytes quickly? I have no idea how many megs loading a webpage takes.

 

[SpeedTchr]

If you're not on WiFi, and you plan to do anything besides basic browsing, be cautious. The 200MB allowance can go pretty quickly if you happen to watch a few YouTube vids or sports highlights, etc.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Cool, thanks, Inky ... What about when you're not on WiFi ... is it easy to burn through the allotted megabytes quickly? I have no idea how many megs loading a webpage takes.

I've never gone over the limit, but then again I rarely use the online stuff when I'm off wifi. I'll check and send e-mails, but that's about it.

Of course, I'm on the iPhone 1.0 on the Edge network which is about as fast as the old dial-up Internet connections.

 

[JackReacher]

Do people actually have data plans with megabyte limits? Why not just spend the extra few bucks and get unlimited data?

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

You can go with the smaller plan to start and monitor your usage, and if it's too high, you can go back and change it retroactive to the beginning of the billing cycle. That's what I just did with text messages.

 

[JackReacher]

What's the price difference between the limited and unlimited data plans?

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

I think it's $20 or $25 bucks a month. I'm right on the bubble with my usage, so I considered going with the smaller one. Not a huge amount, but for those working at tiny papers like me, it makes a difference.

 

[bydesign77]

IIRC, at&t did away with its unlimited plan a few months ago due to the iPhone and how much people used the network. You could grandfather in the unlimited plan but could start anew.

That said, I'm a pretty heavy usert on my BB and use about 1.5 gigs a month on verizon. The wife, a basic user does about a tenth of that, which sounds like your level of usage.

I would do what has been suggested, and start big and work your way down.

 

[mustangj17]

I have ATT and I keep a very close eye on the Data Package, because once you drop down, you can't go back up.

Anyway, I started at unlimited but it was rather unecessary as I was pretty close to the lowest tier. Even with all of my web usage.

I am constantly checking Twitter and Facebook, and for one weekend alone, I streamed Pandora for about 20+ hours. With all of that, plus another 30 minutes per day of Pandora, the ocassional download and a few log ons to Opera mini, I was barely over the usage for ATT's lowest plan. You should be okay.

 

[mustangj17]

What's the price difference between the limited and unlimited data plans?

Unlimited is $25. There is also a $20 plan and a $15 plan.

Even if you are a power user, the $20 plan will work. If you are an occassional user, $15 will absolutely do the trick. I am a power user, and throughout the last 4 months (since I dropped unlimited) I've been over the $15 plan allotment 2 times and under it 2 times.

 

[JackReacher]

I think mine is $25 with Verizon, too. Not sure, though. It's worth it for me to just pay the extra few bucks, get unlimited usage and never worry about possible overages, etc..

 

[Wendell Gee]

Unless they recently changed it, unlimited is $30 for an iPhone data plan. I got my 3GS last year, so I had the unlimited deal. Dropped down to the $15 plan a few months ago and haven't come remotely close to going over it. So you're probably OK.

With my grandfathered-in voice plan from a decade ago, cheaper data plan and work discount, my iPhone bill is less than $50 a month now.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Sprint unlimited phone, text, data: $69.99 per month.


I guess this would be where people start posting that Sprint sucks, etc, etc. :

 

[Det. Jimmy McNulty]

I dropped the $300 and bought the Blackberry Curve with Virgin Mobile for the $35/month 300 min unlimited everything else plan on the Sprint network and I have nothing bad to say. My desk at work is a huge dead zone, which sucks, but I have no complaints about the coverage everywhere else. If you talk a lot, you can get 1200 min monthly for $40. I was previously paying Verizon $65 month for lots of text and talk. I do miss unlimited nights and weekends, though. I have to be careful with chats with the parents now.

I'll have the phone paid off in eight months, so it is worth it.