2GB data plan enough?

You're lucky! O2 here in the UK are only offering a 500Mb data limit on their standard mid-range tariff.

Unless you regularly stream video or visit high-graphic web pages via 3G, 2Gb (per month, presumably) should be plenty. Just be sure you do all the little things to stop you phone from burning up bytes unintentionally (set email push OFF, etc.)

I do think O2 are being particularly stingy with their data cap and told them as much when I asked for my PAC to go to another operator. Orange are offering 750Mb and Vodaphone/Three are offering 1Gb.

I'm not a heavy user but I don't want it preying on my mind every time I use data on my iPhone, that was the whole point of all-you-can-eat on the old tariff =0)

I'm totally with you on that. Unless O2 can offer me a better deal on data, I'll be going elsewhere.

Like you, chances are that I won't use 500Mb+/ month, but I don't want to have to constantly monitor my usage just in case.

If you were upgrading you should have been offered the option to keep your unlimited plan. If you were not offered that option I would go back to AT&T and ask them for this. I kept mine because I have a wife and teenager that are addicted to the internet and texting.

I've been trying to get an answer on this in another thread.

I think a quick and dirty method is to go to Settings/General/Usage, then scroll down to check the Sent and Received figures under "Cellular Network Data". If you reset this at the start of each month, it should provide you with a ballpark figure on your usage (I think).

Worryingly, I reset mine (an iPhone 3G) about 5 hours ago, just to see what my usage would be with everything switched on (email on 15min push, WiFi and 3G networks activated) A quick check tells me that in that short time, my phone has sent 3Mb of data, and received 85Mb!!! And I haven't even gone near a web page!!

well not knowing where you're from you are but if you're in Canada on a Rogers carrier, i know there's an app a freind of mine showed me called "Rogers" something....i don't remeber the last part but it helps you manage your usage on text's, calls and data usage as well... like i said, do a search for Rogers ( Canada only ) on the apps and look around.... good luck 🙂

Kenn Hughes :
It just dawned on me why I ran up 85Mb of received data in just a few hours. I absent-mindedly updated some Apps! So, I guess one easy way to prevent running up your data allowance is to always update Apps, etc. via iTunes through your computer rather than over 3G!

Invisible-bob:
If your phone is set to PUSH email, that means that it automatically retrieves messages via 3G/WiFi in real time (or in the time interval that you set - every 15 min, 30min, etc.). If you set PUSH off, email is only retrieved when you go into the Mail app. PUSH does tend to use up battery life, and would run up your data allowance if there is no WiFi connection available. By setting PUSH off, you control when you want to retrieve messages, allowing you to wait until you have access to a WiFi connection.

NormCash1968 wrote:
<...>
Invisible-bob:
If your phone is set to PUSH email, that means that it automatically retrieves messages via 3G/WiFi in real time (or in the time interval that you set - every 15 min, 30min, etc.). If you set PUSH off, email is only retrieved when you go into the Mail app. PUSH does tend to use up battery life, and would run up your data allowance if there is no WiFi connection available. By setting PUSH off, you control when you want to retrieve messages, allowing you to wait until you have access to a WiFi connection.

A few corrections...

In PUSH the email is sent to your phone by the server--the phone does not initiate a connection to 'retrieve' it. To do this an open connection is maintained. (It is much the same as receiving a phone call--your phone doesn't 'check' to see if a call is incoming, it knows it because the server says so.) The 'time interval' does not enter into it.

The time interval refers to FETCH. In fetch the phone actively initiates a link to the server and checks the server for email each time the 'time interval you set' elapses. You do not have to 'go into the Mail app', the system does it for you.

If you set the 'time interval' to MANUAL the phone system never goes out and checks--you must physically initiate the check after executing the mail app.

Note that you can have PUSH enabled for those servers that support push and MANUAL set at the same time which means that you check the 'non-PUSH enabled' servers you may have accounts for by executing the mail app and initiating a check.

I've had an iPhone for 3 years. I have Push email and use the internet-enabled apps pretty heavily. I have never used more than 200 MB in a month during those 3 years.

i have the mywireless att app. you can check usage( mins, texts, data) and pay your bill. Im not sure if carriers over seas have an app like that or not, but it works pretty well for me to monitor.

There is no data rollover.

there should be. but then, i cant complain. i still got the unlimited plan.

What are some ways to save using data unknowingly?
I know that using wifi, and turning email PUSH off is good. Any other ways?
I have the 2GB plan.