How Much Data Do You Really Need? – Terry’s Tech Support
June 14, 2012 1:27 PM 
On most cellular carriers Unlimited Data has gone the way of the dinosaurs: extinct. Verizon recently announced they are phasing out the unlimited data option even for customers who are “grandfathered in” like me.
Initially I was concerned about living under a limited data cap–with the possibility of overages and additional fees–but then I endeavored to find out how much data I really used. I was surprised by the findings.
When I purchased my iPhone 4 on the Verizon Network, I was quick to snap up the Unlimited Data option. I had no intention of living with a quota, and I wanted to use my shiny new iPhone as much as I wanted, any way I wanted. Now with the death of Unlimited Data, Verizon has given us the new ‘Share Everything’ plans. They offer unlimited talk, unlimited text, and the ability to use your smartphone as a hotspot for free, but you have to select the amount of data to share on your plan. Here’s how the plans break down:
1 gb a month? That certainly doesn’t sound like much…
I grabbed a data tracking app for my iPhone and started crunching numbers. I used sigterm’s Data Usage ($0.99 iTunes) because it tracks both cellular and wi-fi. The app allows you to set the monthly quota for your cellular usage, so I set it at 1gb to see what would happen. I thought I would hit my quota in the first day. Almost one month has passed and I’ve only used 12.9% of my allotted 1gb of cellular data. I was shocked by the results.
I don’t know if I would label myself a smartphone “power user” but I am on my iPhone quite a bit. I manage four radio station sites, Facebook pages, numerous admin tools, analytics, snap tons of pics with Instagram, text, email… and I didn’t even use 1gb of data. Of course, I am on wi-fi a majority of the time. I have wi-fi at home and at work so I don’t have to use my cellular data.
Your results may vary depending on what you do with your smartphone. I don’t watch Netflix often, and I very rarely stream music on Spotify or Pandora anymore.
It seems like I’ll be signing up for the 1gb plan when I get my new iPhone 5 this October.
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