Unlimited data and the android market

[Mike1298]

Hey, just got the Thunderbolt HTC today and had a few questions. I have the $30 unlimited data plan for internet, etc. Can I download as MUCH as I want off the android market without any cost? Can I play as MUCH as I want without any costs?

A few examples.

Pandora radio app - using it will it cost me?
Pocket Legends - MMO rpg , will it charge me if I play it?

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Your carrier is Verizon, who has stated they will throttle or cap at 5GB even with the unlimited plan.

So theoretically yes, you should be able to download as much, as downloading apps will never hit the 5GB mark. But be aware of the 5GB cap.

 

[Mike1298]

Can I play multiplayer games alot without hitting the 5g cap? Also I asked if I could do as much as I want, like watch as many videos, etc. He said there was no cap.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I would guess even multi-player does not use much bandwidth. It's the streaming media / movies that take up a lot of bandwidth.

 

[Mike1298]

How can I even tell if I'm running low on bandwidth or if something will charge me THROUGH the data plan?

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I'm not on Verizon, but on Sprint, you can log online, and see online how much data you've used. It also gives me the call info, texts, roaming, etc. I'm sure Verizon must have something similar.

 

[Mike1298]

Well the Verizon dude at the store told me that it was unlimited. I asked him if I could watch as many youtube videos on it as I want, or netflix, he said yes.

He said they are working on a cap, but it's unlimited now. If you have it now before they cap, you will always have unlimited without cap.

 

[GSX]

How can I even tell if I'm running low on bandwidth or if something will charge me THROUGH the data plan?

Log into my verizon and check it. I check mine and my wife's daily. Of course I'm a lightweight user averaging about 3/4 g/month. My wife, on the other hand, can burn it up watching movies on netflix with her iPhone. They've never done anything to throttle, cap, slash, tap or contact us about excessive use. I personally think that the 5g threshold is nothing more than an internet urban myth.

 

[Krislawl]

the first month i had my droid i used like 22gb of data. i dont know how i managed to do that, but i wasn't charged extra

 

[MyNamesTooLong]

Data throttling just regulates the data transfer rate, so on an unlimited data plan it doesnt cut you off just throttles your speeds after you hit the cap

 

[enthoosiasms]

Bumping this with a new question instead of starting a new thread.

I'm on Sprint now, but contract is up at the end of the month. Pretty sure I'm going with Verizon, so I can get the wife an iPhone, and myself an Android. Seems the phone I think I would really enjoy is the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy S2, which is rumored to be out "in the fall."

Also, seems like the next iteration of the iPhone may be out in the fall as well (maybe).

I'm trying to decide whether to wait for "the right phones," or get something now so we can get unlimited data. I've also heard rumors of family data plans, which actually sounds like it might save us money.

Leaning towards waiting, but what do you experienced folks think?

 

[mpciii]

Your carrier is Verizon, who has stated they will throttle or cap at 5GB even with the unlimited plan.

So theoretically yes, you should be able to download as much, as downloading apps will never hit the 5GB mark. But be aware of the 5GB cap.

No they haven't. They said a few months back that they may throttle high end users but there have been no reports of this anywhere. And there is definitely not a cap. It is true unlimited so knock yourself out.

 

[mpciii]

Bumping this with a new question instead of starting a new thread.

I'm on Sprint now, but contract is up at the end of the month. Pretty sure I'm going with Verizon, so I can get the wife an iPhone, and myself an Android. Seems the phone I think I would really enjoy is the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy S2, which is rumored to be out "in the fall."

Also, seems like the next iteration of the iPhone may be out in the fall as well (maybe).

I'm trying to decide whether to wait for "the right phones," or get something now so we can get unlimited data. I've also heard rumors of family data plans, which actually sounds like it might save us money.

Leaning towards waiting, but what do you experienced folks think?

If you use a lot of data, I'd say move over now. I think there will be some sort of tiered plan by the end of summer, but who knows. You can always sell the phones you have now and subsidize the cost of the new ones you want.

 

[enthoosiasms]

If you use a lot of data, I'd say move over now. I think there will be some sort of tiered plan by the end of summer, but who knows. You can always sell the phones you have now and subsidize the cost of the new ones you want.

Yeah, that's the trick. I currently don't use a lot of data, but I'm stuck on a really, really bad phone (Palm pre), and the wife doesn't have a smart phone, yet.

So, hard to guess what we'll go up to when we both have phones we're using.

Thanks for advice.

 

[mpciii]

Yeah, that's the trick. I currently don't use a lot of data, but I'm stuck on a really, really bad phone (Palm pre), and the wife doesn't have a smart phone, yet.

So, hard to guess what we'll go up to when we both have phones we're using.

Thanks for advice.

Well, my wife barely uses 750mb a month, I use anywhere from 1-3gb. I know this is low but I don't know what the tiers are going to be and I don't know how my usage will change when speeds in my area get upgraded (no 4g yet). I had a usb modem a few years back, I got it about a month before they switched to the 5gb cap. When I upgraded to a mifi I kept my unlimited plan. Not having to worry about capped data is worth it to me. We have 3 little kids, ages 18mo, 3 and 5, so our time is pretty filled but anytime we need to look something up or use the internet we use our phones. I would multiply what you use with the Pre by about 10 because the current phones can do so much more and are more enjoyable to use.

 

[enthoosiasms]

Well with this news, I think I might just go ahead and wait until July. Not much difference between the end of June and whenever in July, anyway.

 

[ebolamonkey3]

Well with this news, I think I might just go ahead and wait until July. Not much difference between the end of June and whenever in July, anyway.

Verizon actually retracted that statement, so it's no longer official.