As well as being its all-time biggest selling model, the iPhone 5 will also be Apple's first 4G LTE compatible phone. Combined with Optus switching on its own 4G network, and Telstra planning to expand its established services to more customers over the next 12 months (along with Vodafone introducing its 4G network in 2013), more users will be streaming and downloading at a rate they weren’t able to via 3G. The extra speeds that 4G offers will make streaming music and video easier than ever before, but the downside is that burning through your mobile data allowance will become just as easy.
Users just switching to a 4G phone may be stunned at just how much data they’ll use compared to before. With this increased usage comes a much higher risk of bill shock; as we’ve covered previously, customers may find that the charges for data past the included monthly limit are exorbitant. The ACMA have estimated that consumers may increase their data use by up to 50%.
We’ve compiled a list of what you need to know about iPhone plans before you buy, and also a guide to mobile data usage that should be of some help when working out which plan will best suit your expected data usage. However, one of the best ways to prevent bill shock from data usage is by taking advantage of data usage monitoring applications available to download from the App Store.
The main providers – Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile – all offer data and voice/text tracking tools, both through their website and as apps (the exception being Virgin Mobile, who don’t have a usage app yet). These offer additional options such as being able to access billing information and make payments directly from within the app, but unfortunately they don’t offer real-time spend alert information – the amount of data you have apparently used could, in fact, be up to two days old.
However, the good news for customers is that there are several third-party apps that claim to be able to offer real-time data usage information including what you’ve used and how much you have left before the end of your billing cycle and can even send alerts when users pass certain percentages of their data allowance.
Data Usage Monitor
- Free.
- Monitors usage for both cellular data and WiFi.
- Shows data usage in either graph form or as a list that includes the date and location.
- Includes speed testing feature for networks and websites.
- Can stay running in the background and use GPS for real-time data use monitoring.
- Optional usage alerts can be sent when customers reach specified amounts of their plan limit.
- Highest rated app in the App Store.
The main plus for this app is that it’s quite exhaustive. It gives users the option of checking either cellular data or WiFi, calculating the amount used for today and the month so far and how many MB they have left. It is fairly easy to read, with data amounts used presented in a number of ways –as percentage, a graph and through a lime green percentage ‘compass’ that strongly resembles a speedometer. When you first download and open the app, you’ll be prompted to enter your data cap, billing cycle and how much data you’ve used so far that month (assuming you’re aware of it). Users have the option switching on or off data limit alerts and real-time data use monitoring, but be warned: the real-time option accesses location services and will continue to run in the background after you’ve hit the ‘Home’ button. This will greatly increase the accuracy of the data tracker, but will also increase your battery use.
It also includes a speed-test for WiFi and cellular connection and for websites, which is a nice touch but not something necessary to keep track of monthly data usage.
Overall, it’s a great option for keeping tabs on your data usage. The green-and-black interface may be a bit much for some users, but it contains all the information and features you’d expect from the most popular data usage app for iOS (and some that you probably don’t). Best of all, it’s completely free
DataMan
- $0.99.
- Shows both cellular data and WiFi usage.
- Shows amounts uploaded and downloaded.
- Clearly shows percentage of data used and billing cycle details.
- Has the option of setting automatic percentage alerts .
DataMan is easily the simplest option of the apps reviewed. It’s ‘Usage’ screen is basic, just offering the percentage of data used, amount in MB downloaded and uploaded for both cellular data and WiFi, and the dates of your billing cycle. It also gives the users the option of up to four alert thresholds to prevent going over data limits. Like the other apps, it’s a matter of simply inputting your billing date and monthly data allowance and DataMan takes care of the rest.
As a general app to keep an eye on your data use, DataMan is clear, easy to read and use (seriously, there’s nothing confusing about this product), and won’t eat up your battery by running in the background. The only negative is that it may not be as up-to-date as its more complex competitors, but for someone just wanting a general guide as to how much of their allowance is left and nothing more it’s an effective option.
The makers of this app, X Vision, also offer similar VoiceMan and WiFiMan apps.
Data Usage (Lite)
- $0.99.
- Shows both cellular data and WiFi usage.
- Has an easy to read progress bar that shows percentage of data used so far in current billing cycle.
- Calculates ideal usage.
- Calculates likelihood of going over plan allowance.
- Shows monthly total and amounts used today, as well as average amounts used.
- Features usage notification option .
- Includes usage history.
The imaginatively named Data Usage app is a nice compromise between the modesty of DataMan and the information overload of the Data Usage Monitor. As with the Data Usage Monitor users can switch between percentages and statistics for both cellular and WiFi use. It clearly displays both the percentage and amount of data you’ve used, how many days left in your billing cycle, and the daily average data amount to use. It lists a lot of helpful additional information, giving users an estimate of what they’ll use that day and if they are likely to go over their plan allowance, and includes a usage history that can be exported to your email inbox or converted into a chart. It's similar to Data Usage Monitor in the way it utilises location services to continuously track data sent and received in real-time; again, this feature can take its toll on your battery life, so users have the option of switching it off if they're happy to sacrifice accuracy and up-to-date statistics.
Overall, Data Usage and Data Usage Monitor share many of the same features. While DataMan is the simplest and clearest of the three apps we've tried, it doesn't offer quite as much detail as the others, and some users may prefer a more comprehensive tool to check how they're managing their data plan. Both of the more detailed apps have similar screens and for most users will be quite intuitive to navigate and understand, and each has in-app help features and plenty of settings to customise or turn on or off. When it comes to deciding between the two, Data Usage Monitor may have the edge - it's the only free app on this list and currently the most popular available from the App Store.
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