$29.99 unlimited data worth it?

Maggie Leung · 06-03-2010, 10:03 PM

I've been traveling and haven't been following the AT&T changes closely. I'm also technically challenged. Trying to figure out whether it's worthwhile for me to sign up for unlimited now and be grandfathered in. I was going to wait till my iPhone contract expired and ditch the phone for a cheapo one, because I make few calls. (Then I'd use iPad on unlimited.) That was before AT&T's announcement.

Would appreciate suggestions.

dmaul1114 · 06-03-2010, 10:12 PM

Best you can do is try to estimate how much you use the 3G.

If you're almost always using the iPad near WiFi, then you may not need the unlimited internet and be able to save some by buying the lower capped tier later on.

Also, if you don't think you'd ever use more than 2GB of 3G, then there's not point in rushing since the $29.99 plan is just becoming a 2GB cap plan as I understand it.

kjk · 06-03-2010, 10:24 PM

I'm going to keep my old iPhone plan(s) for now.
I'm not going to get on the iPad 3G unlimited plan before the 7th just to keep it-the hassle of keeping that plan going indefinitely seems too stressful

The irony is 250MB is about 100MB too low for me...so the new 200MB plan is totally useless...I guess I'm going to the 2G plan from now on.

VictoriaP · 06-03-2010, 11:34 PM

In general, if you use a lot of streaming media services (Netflix, ABC, etc.) when you're away from a regular WiFi network, you are a good candidate for keeping unlimited. If you don't use video streaming, you likely don't need to worry about limits.

As an example, one person posted on one of the forums I read that watching on MLB.tv game through the MLB app was 300 MB. Others have noted that YouTube videos take up a fair amount of bandwidth as well.

By contrast, I only ever stream audio, and that very occasionally. A glance at my last six months' worth of iPhone usage shows that only once did I pass 100 MB in a month...and it wasn't even a month where I was doing a fair amount of streaming (MLB audio during spring training, where I was listening to a game every day) because most of that usage was at home, on our own network. The month with the most usage, I was staying with my in laws for a week with no wireless access at all.

If you're really not sure, then sign up for unlimited now, and measure your usage over the next month or two.

scottjl · 06-03-2010, 11:36 PM

Victoria has a good point. you can always cancel, but you can't sign up after Sunday. if you're worried, grab it now, measure you usage over the summer, and cancel.

Maggie Leung · 06-04-2010, 12:27 AM

Sounds good, Victoria and Scott. Thanks to everyone.

dmaul1114 · 06-04-2010, 12:44 AM

Victoria also noted that she was able to look at her past 6 months usages. It's probably easier for you to take a look at that vs. signing up for the summer and the canceling unless you know your future usage will be higher than over the past 6 months.

HarryT · 06-04-2010, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Best you can do is try to estimate how much you use the 3G.

No need to estimate it. Go to "Settings", select "General" and then "Usage"; it shows you your 3G data usage.

murraypaul · 06-04-2010, 05:20 AM

As I understand it, to keep the old unlimited data plan, you need to be on auto-renew, and maintain a continuous subscription to the plan. Take a month off and you lose the ability to keep it.

scottjl · 06-04-2010, 07:20 AM

that is correct

pshrynk · 06-04-2010, 02:59 PM

:sheesh: I'm glad I swung by here today. I had completely missed this news! Just signed up, not because I think I need it, but because I don't actually know how much I'll need, since I've only had it a month...

Is there a thread here that outlines the announcement? I'd like to submit it for Front Page.

HarryT · 06-04-2010, 03:44 PM

How much data do people find themselves downloading, as a matter of interest? Judging from my current usage, I think I'm going to struggle to come anywhere near the 1GB/month that my current contract gives me.

stustaff · 06-04-2010, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

How much data do people find themselves downloading, as a matter of interest? Judging from my current usage, I think I'm going to struggle to come anywhere near the 1GB/month that my current contract gives me.

13th march to today I have used 412mbso about 150mb a month and I'd say ima fairly heavy duty user! But mist of time am on a wifi network.

VictoriaP · 06-04-2010, 04:07 PM

My husband got his 20% remaining warning about a week before his monthly allotment of 250 MB was set to expire. So, 200 MB in 3 weeks--and the first couple of days, he still had 3G on when he was home, so it kept flip-flopping from 3G to wireless and back. He's on wifi only here at home, but 3G all day on weekdays while out of the house. I know he leaves push notifications on that whole time, and he gets a fair amount of mail, plus he's usually logged in to IM services and the like. He uses minimal to no video or audio streaming while away from wifi, which helps keep bandwidth usage down.

HarryT · 06-04-2010, 04:09 PM

That fits in with my experience; for the last week I've made extensive use of my iPad on 3G - showing it to my friends with satellite map downloads, downloading lots of apps, free books, and so on, and I was very surprised to find that I've only used 40MB. That's why I wonder if, for the overwhelming majority of users, there's actually any practical difference between an allowance of 1 or 2 GB and "unlimited". The only situation in which I suupose you might need a huge allownace would be for things like downloading movies.

06-03-2010, 10:03 PM	#1
Maggie Leung Wizard Posts: 1,449 Karma: 58383 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle, iPad	$29.99 unlimited data worth it? I've been traveling and haven't been following the AT&T changes closely. I'm also technically challenged. Trying to figure out whether it's worthwhile for me to sign up for unlimited now and be grandfathered in. I was going to wait till my iPhone contract expired and ditch the phone for a cheapo one, because I make few calls. (Then I'd use iPad on unlimited.) That was before AT&T's announcement. Would appreciate suggestions. Last edited by Maggie Leung; 06-03-2010 at 10:06 PM.

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06-03-2010, 10:12 PM	#2
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Best you can do is try to estimate how much you use the 3G. If you're almost always using the iPad near WiFi, then you may not need the unlimited internet and be able to save some by buying the lower capped tier later on. Also, if you don't think you'd ever use more than 2GB of 3G, then there's not point in rushing since the $29.99 plan is just becoming a 2GB cap plan as I understand it.

06-03-2010, 10:24 PM	#3
kjk . Posts: 3,408 Karma: 5647231 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: never enough	I'm going to keep my old iPhone plan(s) for now. I'm not going to get on the iPad 3G unlimited plan before the 7th just to keep it-the hassle of keeping that plan going indefinitely seems too stressful The irony is 250MB is about 100MB too low for me...so the new 200MB plan is totally useless...I guess I'm going to the 2G plan from now on.

06-03-2010, 11:34 PM	#4
VictoriaP Addict Posts: 298 Karma: 491576 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle PW2; Kindle Touch; Kindle 2; iPad Mini; iPad1	In general, if you use a lot of streaming media services (Netflix, ABC, etc.) when you're away from a regular WiFi network, you are a good candidate for keeping unlimited. If you don't use video streaming, you likely don't need to worry about limits. As an example, one person posted on one of the forums I read that watching on MLB.tv game through the MLB app was 300 MB. Others have noted that YouTube videos take up a fair amount of bandwidth as well. By contrast, I only ever stream audio, and that very occasionally. A glance at my last six months' worth of iPhone usage shows that only once did I pass 100 MB in a month...and it wasn't even a month where I was doing a fair amount of streaming (MLB audio during spring training, where I was listening to a game every day) because most of that usage was at home, on our own network. The month with the most usage, I was staying with my in laws for a week with no wireless access at all. If you're really not sure, then sign up for unlimited now, and measure your usage over the next month or two.

06-03-2010, 11:36 PM	#5
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	Victoria has a good point. you can always cancel, but you can't sign up after Sunday. if you're worried, grab it now, measure you usage over the summer, and cancel.

06-04-2010, 12:27 AM	#6
Maggie Leung Wizard Posts: 1,449 Karma: 58383 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle, iPad	Sounds good, Victoria and Scott. Thanks to everyone.

06-04-2010, 12:44 AM	#7
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Victoria also noted that she was able to look at her past 6 months usages. It's probably easier for you to take a look at that vs. signing up for the summer and the canceling unless you know your future usage will be higher than over the past 6 months.

06-04-2010, 05:20 AM	#9
murraypaul Interested Bystander Posts: 3,725 Karma: 19728152 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Note 4, Kobo One	As I understand it, to keep the old unlimited data plan, you need to be on auto-renew, and maintain a continuous subscription to the plan. Take a month off and you lose the ability to keep it.

06-04-2010, 07:20 AM	#10
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	that is correct

06-04-2010, 02:59 PM	#11
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	:sheesh: I'm glad I swung by here today. I had completely missed this news! Just signed up, not because I think I need it, but because I don't actually know how much I'll need, since I've only had it a month... Is there a thread here that outlines the announcement? I'd like to submit it for Front Page.

06-04-2010, 03:44 PM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	How much data do people find themselves downloading, as a matter of interest? Judging from my current usage, I think I'm going to struggle to come anywhere near the 1GB/month that my current contract gives me.

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06-04-2010, 04:07 PM	#14
VictoriaP Addict Posts: 298 Karma: 491576 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle PW2; Kindle Touch; Kindle 2; iPad Mini; iPad1	My husband got his 20% remaining warning about a week before his monthly allotment of 250 MB was set to expire. So, 200 MB in 3 weeks--and the first couple of days, he still had 3G on when he was home, so it kept flip-flopping from 3G to wireless and back. He's on wifi only here at home, but 3G all day on weekdays while out of the house. I know he leaves push notifications on that whole time, and he gets a fair amount of mail, plus he's usually logged in to IM services and the like. He uses minimal to no video or audio streaming while away from wifi, which helps keep bandwidth usage down.

06-04-2010, 04:09 PM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That fits in with my experience; for the last week I've made extensive use of my iPad on 3G - showing it to my friends with satellite map downloads, downloading lots of apps, free books, and so on, and I was very surprised to find that I've only used 40MB. That's why I wonder if, for the overwhelming majority of users, there's actually any practical difference between an allowance of 1 or 2 GB and "unlimited". The only situation in which I suupose you might need a huge allownace would be for things like downloading movies.