First Smartphone

[Starbrite]

I will be picking out my first smartphone from AT&T this weekend. Since I currently don't have a "smart" plan, I'll need to upgrade.

I'm not sure if I need the 200MB or 2GB plan

How do I guesstimate?? I would be using it for basic social networking, youtube videos, music, calendar scheduling.....I wont be on it all day long.


Oh, and I'm still torn between the Samsung Captivate (Android) or the HTC Surround (Windows7). If anyone has either of these & can offer input that'd be great too.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I have an unlimited plan through Verizon but I on general use 400 MB each month and I very rarely use music streaming apps such as Pandora; just internet and social networking.

 

[BankBunny]

I can't help you with the phones since I have an iPhone 4, but when your phone uses wifi the data doesn't count against your plan. I almost never use even half of my data plan (200 MB) since I have wifi at home and work.

 

[DebbieB]

I just got an I-Phone a couple of months ago and the salesman talked me into the 2GB plan. I'm not using anywhere near that, I could have got the 200mb plan. Last month I used 195,933kb.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

It all depends on if you will be using a WiFi source a lot or not.

I use about .7 - .8 GB a month, mostly inpart to the fact that I stream music (Pandora) while working out at the gym and they don't have WiFi. My partner on the other hand uses about 5.5 - 6 GB a month mostly from streaming music (Pandora/DTunes) at the gym, work and surfing the internet and watching Netflix.

We don't really use our phones much at home (that's why we have computers) for streaming or downloading stuff, so the effect of WiFi for us is minimal (the most common place we are that has WiFi).

Video's use about 5 - 10X more data per minute than audio, so if you're a heavy video user you could rack through data quick.

 

[Music City Mama]

I have 200 MB and it's plenty (even without WiFi). However, DH would use way more than that if he wasn't using WiFi (as someone else said, if you're connected to WiFi, the data doesn't count against you).

Here's the AT&T calculator to give you an idea of what you might use data-wise:

http://www.att.com/standalone/data-calculator/index.html

Also, I do have the Samsung Captivate. I love it, but my only complaint is that after all of these months, I just can't get used to a touchscreen keyboard like I thought I would.

 

[Kurby]

when i was looking at getting an iphone 3 of the 4 places i went to suggested getting the basic plan until i got in the first bill to make sure i wasn't paying way too much and using way too little.

the plan i got on the weekend includes 1gb of data which apparently is a heck of a lot so i don't see me going to a 2gb plan

most people on here and another board i'm on use between 2 and 600mb so 500 would prob be ok unless you're living on the internet on your phone which i'm kinda of doing righ tnow

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I have an unlimited data plan through Verizon. In the past 11 days, I've used 2.2GB

I stream Pandora Radio and download podcasts to my phone, as well as watch YouTube videos on the bus to and from work.

 

[golfgal]

I have an unlimited data plan through Verizon. In the past 11 days, I've used 2.2GB

I stream Pandora Radio and download podcasts to my phone, as well as watch YouTube videos on the bus to and from work.

I just checked mine and 14 days into my billing cycle I have used 1.4GB. I am glad we have the unlimited option .

 

[Starbrite]

I have an unlimited data plan through Verizon. In the past 11 days, I've used 2.2GB

I just checked mine and 14 days into my billing cycle I have used 1.4GB. I am glad we have the unlimited option .

I don't think AT&T offers an Unlimited option anymore. I have an unlimited data plan now, but I do not have a smartphone. I think I'll start with the 2GB & monitor myself for a few months. I can lower or raise it based on that.

Also, I do have the Samsung Captivate. I love it, but my only complaint is that after all of these months, I just can't get used to a touchscreen keyboard like I thought I would.

This will be my first full touchscreen also. I don't think that'll be an issue for me. Have you had any luck with the Swype texting??

 

[golfgal]

I don't think AT&T offers an Unlimited option anymore. I have an unlimited data plan now, but I do not have a smartphone. I think I'll start with the 2GB & monitor myself for a few months. I can lower or raise it based on that.





This will be my first full touchscreen also. I don't think that'll be an issue for me. Have you had any luck with the Swype texting??

I tried the Swype and didn't care for it. I use the speak to text a lot though . My kids like Swype but I think my old brain just doesn't think along those lines so I "type" my texts I type more "instinctively" vs REALLY knowing where the keys are-not really thinking about the individual letters but more of the words (if that makes sense). It takes me half a second to pick out an individual letter on a keyboard-which is what swyping really has you do.