# How is data calculated on a smart phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-data-calculated-on-a-smart-phone/846016 "2020-01-06T04:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-data-calculated-on-a-smart-phone/846016/1 "2020-01-06T04:55:43Z")
I have never had a smart phone but there are times when it would be nice to look something up on Google when I am out and about. I don’t use my phone much at all just a few short calls a month. I have a basic Page Plus plan right now, only $12 a month. It comes with 100 MB of data on 4G LTE if I had a smart phone. So, how does that translate into something meaningful like browsing time? The next plan comes with 3 GB of data if I need to upgrade. Watching videos and things like that are not something I would need to do. There is an app I would use sometimes at a fixed location with Wi-Fi, does that time count against the data limit? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-data-calculated-on-a-smart-phone/846016/2 "2020-01-06T05:04:29Z")
You’ll go through 100 MB of data pretty quickly, even if you’re just web browsing or checking email. If you don’t watch videos, you should be OK with 3 GB a month. If you’re on wifi, you’re not even connected to your cellular carrier, so that doesn’t count against your data plan. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-data-calculated-on-a-smart-phone/846016/3 "2020-01-06T05:10:01Z")
100 MB is nothing. If the 3GB plan is affordable, that is more reasonable. An average webpage is maybe 3-5 MB these days, and you’ll likely go through several of them trying to do anything, even just looking up directions or buying a ticket or something. To help, you can get [AdGuard — World's most advanced adblocker!](https://adguard.com/en/welcome.html) to block all the bandwidth-wasting ads, plus use Android’s built-in bandwidth meter/limiter to make sure you don’t go over your limit. I’d consider Google’s Fi network too, $20/mo for unlimited texts & calls, plus $10/mo per GB you use, down to the penny, so if you only use 100MB you pay just $21 total that month. [Google Fi - A Simple, Wireless Phone Plan With Unlimited Data](https://fi.google.com/about/) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-data-calculated-on-a-smart-phone/846016/4 "2020-01-06T05:22:42Z")
Data is only used if you are not connected to wifi. YMMV, but under any subjective metric 100 mb is a minuscule amount. You can check a handful of websites per month, no streaming of video, music, anything. As a point of reference, using regular browsing in Chrome wasted about 500 mb in a month for me. That’s including much more wifi browsing. My plan is currently 5 GB and that’s a safety margin, I don’t always use that much but most is streaming music in the car, I don’t watch movies off wifi. Many services don’t necessarily give dire consequences for going over, but may throttle you down to very slow speeds. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-data-calculated-on-a-smart-phone/846016/5 "2020-01-06T07:17:22Z")
There is a big problem with smartphones called background app usage–not just the specific things you think you are using like browsing web pages. > **[Android Data Saver and beyond: How to cut back on data use in Android](https://www.computerworld.com/article/3190985/13-easy-ways-to-cut-back-on-data-use-in-android.html)** > > Trimming back your Android data usage can save you or your employer a bundle on your phone bill — and with little downside. So what are you waiting for? For smartphone plans look at: > **[Find & Compare the Best Cell Phone Plans - BestPhonePlans](https://www.bestphoneplans.net/#by-network)** > > Find and compare the best cell phone plans on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. See cheap plans, unlimited plans, the best plan for families, and more.