In the wireless world, “data” is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot and it is used to cover a wide range of things. But, since data is easily the most expensive part of any plan–especially a prepaid one–how do you decide exactly how much data you should pay for? And what is data used for anyway?
Sometimes it seems like all of the carriers are busy screaming over each other that they offer more data than their competitors but unless you understand what data is used for, it can be hard to decide exactly how much you should buy. So, first here are some ways data can be used:
Low data usage
- Email
- Browsing the Internet
Medium data usage
- Downloading/updating apps (amount varies depending on app)
- Using some apps (anything that displays ads is low data usage, anything that connects to social media is medium)
- GPS Navigating (most apps including Google Maps)
high data usage
- Streaming music/video
- Uploading/downloading media
It’s worth noting that many of these activities will vary. For example, there are some apps that are extremely small while others might be as big as a couple GB. Uploading pictures can use a higher amount of data, but an hour of Facebook would easily use more than uploading a photo.
This article explains how data works and compares a MB to a GB in terms of use.
You can check how much data you’re using, what app or function is using it and limit the data on your Android device through the data manager.
See how here.
Data is one of those things that either you use it, or you don’t. Few companies offer rollover for prepaid so if you’re looking to save some money, understanding what data is and how much you need will help you find the best plan available.
Do you have any other questions about data usage? Ask in the comments below and we’ll do our best to answer them!!]]>
