September 2010 Weddings
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Q for Smartphone users

I think I've asked like five smartphone questions on this board, it seems I need someone to hold my hand and walk me through the process.

Anyway, I'm pretty much set on the phone I'm getting (HTC Trophy - I'm giving up on the slideout keyboard).  My next question is about data plans.  What kind of plan do you have?  If you have an unlimited plan, how much do you use per month?

I used a little calculator on the Verizon website and it puts my estimated usage at 1.1 GB, so it seems like the 2 GB plan would be fine, but I'm worried that I'm off in my estimates since I don't REALLY know how much I'll be using it - the calculator doesn't even have anything about apps, just e-mails and websites.  It's possible that my usage will increase exponentially when I get a smartphone!

TIA, ladies - as always.

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Re: Q for Smartphone users

  • p.s. this is going to be a post-and-run, I am heading out early but I will be back in an hour or so!
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  • I don't monitor my usage very closely, so maybe I'm not very much help.

    Most of your apps shouldn't use the data, unless you're connecting to the web to run them (ie:  FB, Pandora, etc.)  How much do you use the internet on your phone right now?

    I'm not familiar with the Verizon tiered plan, since I've been there forever and still get to keep the unlimited.  Can you upgrade if you have a month that you go over, or are you locked in for the term once you select a plan?  Maybe try the 2GB and then up it if you need to.

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  • Im a phone whore. Im always on mine and my data is probably through the roof but I have no idea I have unlimited because otherwise I'd probably have at $$$ bill. I would get more at first and then if you don't use it go down. The charges for going over your plan on that stuff is redic!
  • I have unlimited, and I have no idea how much data I use. I'm sure it's excessive, so I'm glad I have the unlimited plan. If it's not a ridic amount, I would get the unlimited if you can, because you never know when you're going to want to jump online with your phone, and which apps will use a lot of data.
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  • I have unlimited because now that I have a smartphone, I tend to net browse more frequently especially when I'm bored/have nothing to do/etc. I would get the unlimited at first and then downgrade if you find out you're not using as much. It's much easier that way. We did that with our minutes. We figured out how many we used on average for a few months and then decided we could get a different plan.
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  • There is no unlimited option any more  :(  Guess I should have jumped on the smartphone bandwagon sooner.

    I don't use the internet on my phone at all currently - it technically could be used as a semi-smartphone, and I purposely bought it thinking I might upgrade my plan in the future, but I never did because it didn't seem worth it (it doesn't have a good OS).  Using the internet on it without getting a dataplan would be really expensive.

    I get a 20% discount on plans, but not the 2 GB plan, so it would be:

    $30 for 2 GB

    $40 for 5 GB

    umm....$50 for 10GB?  IDK, I definitely don't need 10.  It's an extra $10 per 1 GB if you go over.  You can upgrade your plan at any time, but I'm not sure if I could switch back to 2 GB for lower usage months.  I'm torn bc one of my coworkers uses his iPhone all the freaking time, and he checked and said his highest month was 1.4, so I feel like the 2 GB plan would be safe.  I'm leaning toward doing the 2 GB and monitoring my usage (if I get close to my limit before the end of the month, I can just upgrade).

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  • So I just signed into my Verizon account and looked... I rarely ever use the internet on my phone, and I occasionally use the FB app, not much else other than games.  I used 2.25MB in the past month.  I'm guessing some of my apps must use data even when I'm not using them since I know for a fact that I never used my phone yesterday and I have 11 data usage charges on my account from yesterday.

    I think it would probably be a good idea to start with the 2MB, monitor what you're using closely, and then upgrade if you need to.

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  • I've used .09 MB in 4 days....
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    I think in your shoes I'd go with the plan you stated - go with 2GB, but monitor usage and upgrade if necessary. 

    I had unliminted on my iPhone, and definitely put it to the test!  I'm bummed that when I finally get my Verizon iPhone I won't have the unlimited option; H has it, though.

    image
  • Hmmm I wonder if my co-worker was looking at it wrong or something?  He uses his iPhone constantly, I was really surprised that whatever amount he uses would fit in the smallest data plan.  Hmph. 

    I think the switch happened semi-recently for Verizon, so maybe I should have sucked it up and paid full-price for a phone so I could get grandfathered in on an unlimited plan.  Ah, well, hindsight's 20/20 and all that.

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  • i have unlimited with verizon for my iphone.  i was told that if the phone is on, it is always pulling from the data package.  i just checked and it says (at the end of my billing cycle right now) that i have used 86.91 MB?!?!?!?  How is that real??

    I do use mine all the time for email, internet, apps, i pandora the shits out of it, i use FB, etc.  But that is a staggeringly high number.... 

    ETA: that is still less than 1GB of data, so I think you will be fine with the 1GB.  And verizon is awesome about letting you upgrade.  so if you go over, you can always go up to 2GB and then the following month go back down to 1GB.   

    ETA #2: ok, this is only 4 days into my billing cycle, so maybe do the 2GB.  If I am 4 days in and I have already used .9 GB than I think you should go with a higher package...

     

  • I'm a total techno-idiot, but when we got our iPhones, the sales-dude said that unless we were using the phone for work, the 2G plan should be more than enough.  Plus we hop on our wifi when we're at home so we're not using our plan bandwidth.  Just my $0.02.
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  • Susie, when you say you hop on your wi-fi at home, do you mean your phone uses your wi-fi, or you're not using your phone because you're using your computer instead?  Sorry if that's a dumb question, I'm a techno-idiot, too.  I'm not sure if this phone can use home wi-fi, but I doubt I'll be using the 'smart' capabilities of the phone much at home since we do have three computers.

    Verizon has had awesome customer service IME, so I'm pretty sure that if I go with the lower plan I will easily be able to upgrade if necessary.  I just wasn't sure if 2 GB was ridiculously low, but it seems like not really!

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  • If you're in a WiFi hotspot, you can use WiFi to access your internet/apps instead of the data package.  You just have to remember to turn it on/off when you're using it.

     

    Also, I realized from my post yesterday I'm special.  I was thinking 2MB package instead of 2GB package and wondering how I'd used so much data.  In that case, I'd maybe try the 1GB and upgrade if you need to.

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  • Ha Rach, no, it's GB.  MB is like...an e-mail!  2 GB is actually my smallest option, so that's where I'll start.

    Thanks so much for all of the responses - I'm such a dinosaur, for just coming around to getting a smartphone!

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  • I missed this earlier...our phones automatically search for local networks, including our home wifi.  So, if we use our phones in the house, we access our own wifi instead of the data package.  I don't use it often in the house, but there are definitely times (we only have one laptop). 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked. PersonalMilestone
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