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Your 3G Usage?

B

bgribin

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 16, 2010
138
0
For those of us getting the 3G model (which seems like almost everyone on here nowadays)...

Will you be activating your AT&T usage right away? Do you plan on using 3G every month or only using it once in a while?

And which plan? 250 MB or Unlimited?

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I'm thinking I'll activate it within the first few days and will probably go for the unlimited, all the time. I'm pretty sure I'll be using more than 250 MB on a regular basis but we'll see how things go after the first month!
:D
 
I'm not sure if I'll activate right away... but I'm going to start with the lower plan and see how it goes.

There is a LOT of WiFi availability where I live, but I expect to use 3G when WiFi just isn't available. I also travel to PA quite a bit, and I never have any internet access there, so 3G will be great for that.
 
My wife used about 100 MB in about an hour on the iPad with fairly typical usage over 3G (jailbroken iPhone serving as a wifi hotspot). 250 MB might be fine for a phone with a crippled (i.e., non-Apple) web browser, but it's next to nothing for something like the iPad.
 
I'll be activating it right away with the unlimited plan. I don't have an iPhone or any other smartphone so I will be in "connected" bliss at the beach, roadtrips, etc.

I'm curious to how much data is used listening to Sirius radio.
 
I have a MiFi, and have been browsing the internet a lot lately (too much) due to a certain new device I bought. Sites with mostly text, like MacRumors, and news and tech sites, just the occasional video and pics, and downloaded a bunch of free ePub books and several apps. Not counting that 800 MB Mac OSX update, I've used a little over 100MB per day.
 
Used about 1gb since April 3rd tethering my iPhone to iPad. Tether at work and I use wifi at home.

Probably 95% email/web and 5% streaming video.
 
I had planned that I would initially activate the 3g with the unlimited until the newness wore off...then swith to the 250mb. Mainly because my employer doesn't have wireless in my building, we're only on Edge where I work in beautiful Dodge Center, MN and I get really crappy Edge signal in my office.

But, yesterday I went into Ninja mode and brought my Airport Express into my office and plugged that bad boy in and now I'm rockin' wifi on the sly. Will probably wait to activate the 3g until we're taking a trip somewhere where I would want to try it out.

Steve
 
I don't think using the iPad at home on WiFi when it's a brand new device is at ALL a good indicator of how you'll REALLY use it away from home/WiFi in day-to-day life when it's not a shiny new toy anymore. LOL

Plus, if you buy the minimum plan and start to run out of data, you get a pop-up warning and the ability to upgrade. I see NO downside in starting with the lower plan.
 
My iPhone 3GS is currently at 2 GB data received after less than 10 months (so just over 200 MB/month). I'd expect my usage for the iPad to be higher.
 
I tether my netbook at work to stream radio and other things, and I use about 1.5gbs per month. I would expect ipad to be similiar, but I am going to try out the 250 plan and see how it goes.
 
normwood said:
I had planned that I would initially activate the 3g with the unlimited until the newness wore off...then swith to the 250mb. Mainly because my employer doesn't have wireless in my building, we're only on Edge where I work in beautiful Dodge Center, MN and I get really crappy Edge signal in my office.

But, yesterday I went into Ninja mode and brought my Airport Express into my office and plugged that bad boy in and now I'm rockin' wifi on the sly. Will probably wait to activate the 3g until we're taking a trip somewhere where I would want to try it out.

Steve
Click to expand...

Hope you don't work somewhere that takes credit cards because a PCI compliance violation like that will get you walked out a lot of places...
 
well, I'm not a heavy "streamer" on my iPhone. I mostly use it for pulling up weather + traffic info, web surfing, etc. Since last MAY (which is the last time I did a stats reset) I have:

Sent: 362MB
Received: 2.8 GB

Granted, with the pad, I'll probably stream a lot more video, surf full size web sites more, etc. So I'm expecting to need at least 250MB.

I'll probably activate the 250MB first, see how that goes. If I stay under the limit I'll just stick with that until I get into a "I need more" situation. No point giving AT&T more month than I need to!
 
I think I am going to try and wait to active until I am out of town and turn it on/off when needed? At least thats the plan but we will see when I get it might just turn on unlimited and leave it for convienience
 
bgribin said:
Will you be activating your AT&T usage right away? Do you plan on using 3G every month or only using it once in a while?

And which plan? 250 MB or Unlimited?

--
Click to expand...

I'll be doing extensive travel for the next three months after I get the iPad, so I think it's safe to say I'll go with the unlimited package to start and then check my usage from there. I feel I'll far surpass the 250 MB, and I doubt it will be "upgrade to an unlimited plan for $10 more" but a "buy a new 250 MB or go unlimited" option instead.

Like some have "saved" money by having a phone that allows them to do a 3G hotspot, my neighbor has offered me the use of his wireless for all the help I have given him around his place, including setting up his computer system and fixing all his computer problems. I will then be able to cancel my Internet contract and use his wireless, in addition to having the 3G on my device. I have his signal from everywhere in my house. I figure not paying for Internet over a year span (I'll be done with this assignment in about a year) will pay for over half the cost of the device!
 
I have wifi at home and at work, so I only plan on using 3G when I'm traveling or somewhere out and need to quickly look something up or check email. Very light usage. I plan to get the 250MB package for my business trip in May and take it from there.
 
I've been streaming HD video to my iPad over Air Video for like 3 hours and it's already sent 2 GB of data in that time according to my home router. :eek:
 
iRabbit said:
I don't think using the iPad at home on WiFi when it's a brand new device is at ALL a good indicator of how you'll REALLY use it away from home/WiFi in day-to-day life when it's not a shiny new toy anymore. LOL

Plus, if you buy the minimum plan and start to run out of data, you get a pop-up warning and the ability to upgrade. I see NO downside in starting with the lower plan.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that you can "upgrade" and just pay the incremental cost difference between the limited and unlimited. Likely, you'll pay the cost for both that month and you'll be on unlimited ongoing months until you revert back. I'm not sure how that will work but I'm guessing they don't make it overly easy.
 
If you have an iPhone, log onto your AT&T account and they will give you a breakdown of data usage for the last few months. That might be a good indicator. I've been streaming music and MLB games recently so my usage has really spiked.
 

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qtx43 said:
I have a MiFi, and have been browsing the internet a lot lately (too much) due to a certain new device I bought. Sites with mostly text, like MacRumors, and news and tech sites, just the occasional video and pics, and downloaded a bunch of free ePub books and several apps. Not counting that 800 MB Mac OSX update, I've used a little over 100MB per day.
Click to expand...

Any way to get unlimited on Mifi?
 
I'm signing onto unlimited right away and will go from there. The non-contract aspect is nice.
 
well last month i used 2.1 gigs on my iphone 3gs. sooo. im most likely tho to get a 4g iphone the day it comes out and just swap the microsims. (thank you apple!!!)
 
Remember the "unlimited" plan is really 5 GB, not unlimited. I think it'll be easy to hit 5 GB a month with an iPad. But I like that you can do the lower plan first, and then upgrade to the larger plan by paying the difference.

I'll use WiFi as much as possible; my Verizon 3G is true unlimited (I signed up before everybody quietly instituted the 5 GB limit), so I'll use that as much as I can, via sharing through my Mac. I would love a MiFi, but I don't think it has an external antenna jack. If it did, I would get one. I use an external antenna in my trailer (I live in an RV) and it makes a huge difference in performance.

Rob
 
Like another poster said I'll get the unlimited plan at first since I'll be playing with it alot. Then gauge my usage.
 
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