Help Galaxy Note Data Usage Question...

[Gr13zly]

I'm due to upgrade my Dell Streak 5 next month (on O2UK) and I've been looking at Galaxy S2, S3, or Note as a replacement. I'm swaying more towards the Note but I've heard bad things about data consumption. I'd seen somewhere that someone went from 50MB a month to 100MB a day which seems excessive and unless you have an unlimited data package very expensive.

Has anyone encountered any excessive data consumption? If so, how bad was it?

 

[touringhaggis]

I have a 5gb plan so I rarely care about data consumption, but the only time I saw significant data use was when I was using the Note as a WiFi hotspot for myself and two other of my colleagues (all using laptops, skype, outlook and desktop web browsers).

Basically if you configure the Note to only sync when connected to Wlan then you will use the same as before. You may also want to download opera and turn on "turbo" mode to only download lower quality images.

You may also want to avoid all the cool hd YouTube videos that the Note eats for breakfast. They are huge and will sap your data quickly.

Btw: you will have the same problem with all the phones you listed since they all have large screens and support flash.

Hope this helps...

Regards,
Eric Ritchie.

 

[Gr13zly]

Cheers for the reply,

I spoke to one of the O2 'Gurus' this afternoon who assured me that I wont exceed my 1GB data allowance. He told me that I very rarely went over 300MB with my Dell Streak 5 which has a 5" HD screen, runs flash, etc.

I'm not planning on doing anything different with the Note than what I do on the Streak but with seeing the stories about the data usage I thought it best asking Note users.

 

[ifb-online]

Data usage is all about what you do with your device. However, I would agree that you find yourself doing more with your note because it's such a compulsive device. I'm using mine much more than my old HTC Desire, for example. On my Note I only switch mobile data on when I need to use it. Have used over a gig in wifi data in 12 days but only 50MB in mobile data during the same period.

Ian

PS I don't know about O2, but on T-Mobile Web browsing and email doesn't count from your monthly data allocation.

 

[MadAmethyst]

how do you check how much you have used on the note,thanks

 

[biker74]

how do you check how much you have used on the note,thanks

I just check the Orange website. It's probably quicker than looking for it on the phone.

 

[Gr13zly]

I don't know about O2, but on T-Mobile Web browsing and email doesn't count from your monthly data allocation.

I mainly use it for emails while out and about, plus checking my suppliers website and ordering equipment as I run my own pest control business.

I'm not sure if emails or web browsing comes from my allowance or not? I would assume it does.

I suppose there's only one real way to find out how much data I'm likely to use and that's by getting myself a Note next month when my contract is up for renewel and using it

how do you check how much you have used on the note,thanks

I just do the same as biker74 does and check my account online. It tells me how much data I've used.

 

[cactus2u]

My Samsung Note is a data hog. I recently "upgraded" to the Note and I've used the same surfing habits as on my old Samsung Galaxy S2 that had previously resulted in no excessive data consumption. Now in my first 30 days I have gone over my allowed usage of 1 gig to 4 Gigs (!!) at a huge cost. I haven't been downloading anything or watching streaming videos, etc. etc. This thing seems to be constantly using an astounding amount of bandwidth in the background without my permission. Yikes!
Stay away from this pig is my advice.

 

[touringhaggis]

My Samsung Note is a data hog. I recently "upgraded" to the Note and I've used the same surfing habits as on my old Samsung Galaxy S2 that had previously resulted in no excessive data consumption. Now in my first 30 days I have gone over my allowed usage of 1 gig to 4 Gigs (!!) at a huge cost. I haven't been downloading anything or watching streaming videos, etc. etc. This thing seems to be constantly using an astounding amount of bandwidth in the background without my permission. Yikes!
Stay away from this pig is my advice.

I can only assume that you have a rogue app installed to get this sort of data use. I have only used 485Mb of data in the last twelve days and that is more than my monthly average due to the fact that I was using the Note as my primary internet connection for three days this month (which means youtube videos and other downloads). Really, you have something installed that should be deinstalled!

Install Onavo count and see what is doing the damage.

Regards,
Eric Ritchie.

 

[Gr13zly]

Cheers for the replies

I contacted Samsung direct and posed the same question to them. This was their reply:

Thank you for contacting Samsung.

There are far too many variables for me to possibly give an answer to this question.

It will depend on how many apps you have, whether they are 'pushing' information to your phone, etc.

There are several settings you can change to minimise the data being used for example turn all 'push' notifications off and only search for new data every 30 min or more.

1 GB of data is very big and if you are using WIFI as well it should last even with regular usage.

If you require any further assistance, please contact Samsung again and we will be more than happy to help.

Kind regards,

It seems that Samsung themselves reckon 1GB of data allowance should suffice. I'm confused now From all the posts on various forums, unless you're on an unlimited data plan, which O2 UK don't offer (neither does anyone else in the UK other than 3) you're pretty much screwed...

 

[amarantha]

On IcS it's easy to look at data use, I've been using my note as my primary internet since I got it and have only been warned for approaching fair use limit once, I don't view videos often but do send and receive large image files via email. I think anyone with a massive use has an app problem.

 

[ifb-online]

Cheers for the replies

I contacted Samsung direct and posed the same question to them. This was their reply:



It seems that Samsung themselves reckon 1GB of data allowance should suffice. I'm confused now From all the posts on various forums, unless you're on an unlimited data plan, which O2 UK don't offer (neither does anyone else in the UK other than 3) you're pretty much screwed...

That is simply not true. T-Mobile UK offer an unlimited data plan. Even their plans that are limited have unlimited Web and email, so you only use up your allowance for file transfers and streaming services.

Ian

 

[Gr13zly]

That is simply not true. T-Mobile UK offer an unlimited data plan.

Ian

Indeed you are correct, I apologise.

I missed it when I checked the site earlier. Their unlimited packages start form

 

[mpw]

...unlimited data plan, which O2 UK don't offer (neither does anyone else in the UK other than 3) you're pretty much screwed...

Try GiffGaff; Unlimited data/texts & 250mins for

 

[ifb-online]

My Samsung Note is a data hog. I recently "upgraded" to the Note and I've used the same surfing habits as on my old Samsung Galaxy S2 that had previously resulted in no excessive data consumption. Now in my first 30 days I have gone over my allowed usage of 1 gig to 4 Gigs (!!) at a huge cost. I haven't been downloading anything or watching streaming videos, etc. etc. This thing seems to be constantly using an astounding amount of bandwidth in the background without my permission. Yikes!
Stay away from this pig is my advice.

That reads rather like - "I don't know how to use my device so it eats up my data allowance. Stay away from devices I don't know how to use properly."

Er, no thanks.

Ian

 

[mpw]

...This thing seems to be constantly using an astounding amount of bandwidth in the background without my permission. Yikes!...

Have you figured out where?

Could it be something like the instant uploading of all photos to Google+ via your SIM? in which case it's an app pig, not a device pig.

I've set mine to upload over WiFi only, same for things like GDrive/dropbox

 

[ifb-online]

T-Mobile (UK) doesn't seem to be able to show you how much data you have used either via the usage text service or on My T-Mobile - or does someone have a crafty tip?

I use the My Data Manager app from Mobidia, which measures total data usage on wifi and mobile data, but this can't distinguish what T-Mobile takes from your data allowance and what it doesn't. It would be nice if it counted texts too, actually. Otherwise it's an excellent app.

Ian

 

[Gr13zly]

I've spoken to O2 again this morning and they are unable to match T-Mobiles tariff (O2 can only give me 2GB max) so I think come next month, when my contract expires, I'll be making the move to T-Mobile after being with O2 for over a decade...

 

[mpw]

Why tie yourself to Tmobile for 2 years? At the end of your contract you'll have paid

 

[Gr13zly]

Why tie yourself to Tmobile for 2 years?

Purely for convenience of not having to pay a large lump sum out (that I can't afford) in one hit

 

[xxbazhxx]

ermm so why not get giffgaff sim, put it in your dell streak, pay

 

[Gr13zly]

ermm so why not get giffgaff sim, put it in your dell streak,

I dropped my Dell a couple of weeks back and broke the LCD screen so I'm using an old crappy LG handset till I can renew. Plus, and more importantly, I need to keep my number as it's my business number and is therefore on my website and all my business stationary.

 

[mpw]

Purely for convenience of not having to pay a large lump sum out (that I can't afford) in one hit

Fair and good point; and I know it's not for everyone, but if you can get yourself an M&S credit card, buy the handset using it's 15month 0% offer, pay it off in 15 equal payments of

 

[ifb-online]

I dropped my Dell a couple of weeks back and broke the LCD screen so I'm using an old crappy LG handset till I can renew. Plus, and more importantly, I need to keep my number as it's my business number and is therefore on my website and all my business stationary.

Transferring a number is a doddle. At least it was when moving my daughter from Orange PAYG to T-Mobile contract. It took less than 24 hours and her number was transferred before she even got her new phone.

Ian

 

[Gr13zly]

get yourself an M&S credit card, buy the handset using it's 15month 0% offer

That'd be one solution but alas, tis not for me...

I'm happy to pay over the odds for a handset at a rate I'm happy with.

Cheers for the advise though