Minimize your Smartphone Data Bill

Most cell phone carriers have gone to tier pricing for data plans. This can save lighter users of data up to $180/year over unlimited plans. However, it isn't that easy to figure out how much data you are consuming. Use the calculator below to estimate your monthly consumption of data. As you make an estimate for each activity, the Total Monthly Data Usage will update, as will the Recommended Plan table.

Keep in mind that the data consumed for an activity can vary widely, and the same activity can use different amounts of data on different devices. Therefore, treat these projections as a very rough estimate. If you do go with a less-than-unlimited data plan, keep track of your data usage throughout the month to avoid billing surprises. Also, try and use free Wi-Fi connections for data as much as possible as this will not count against your usage allowance. Contact your carrier directly if you find a need to increase or decrease your data plan.

Tethering: Many smartphones can share a cellular data connection with laptops and other devices. The sharing can be via Wi-Fi (often called a mobile hotspot), Bluetooth or by cable. Each carrier offers an add-on option to enable this feature. If you'd like to include the cost for tethering in the price calculation, check the box below. Data used while tethered counts against your plan's allowance, so keep that in mind when you are estimating how much data you need.