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Welcome to Tech-Knowledgy where your tech questions are answered!
Q. What does “data” mean and why would I want to download it? I’m still using a pre-2005 mobile, so go easy on me!
A. This question was asked to me by a brilliant Wonder of Tech reader (sorry for the redundancy) on Twitter in response to my tweet of a wonderful blog post, WI-Fi, Blue Tooth, 3G/4G, GPS, NFC – What’s it All Mean?, written by the esteemed tech writer, Gary Braley. The Twitter question is particular relevant because many articles in The Wonder of Tech have referred to data (see, Mind the Cap!), 3G data, Wi-Fi, streaming data, data plans, etc.
So what does “data” mean?
I could give you the technical definition of data, but I’m thinking you want something you can relate to, so here is how I suggest you think of data.
In the tech world, people use the term “data” a lot to mean downloading data over 3G, not Wi-Fi. That’s what tech folks are talking about when they discuss data plans, data usage, etc. (Tech people really do talk about that stuff. Yeah, I know. We’re weird.) It’s not technically correct, but that’s what they mean.
When I refer to data, I’m talking about information coming to your smartphone, iPad, computer, etc. from the Internet. If you didn’t have Internet, could you access the information?
- If you can only access the information when you have an Internet connection, then you are using data.
- If you can access the information whether or not you’re connected to the Internet, you’re not using data.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to play a game on your smartphone (I know, you said you didn’t have a smartphone, but you probably will someday). Angry Birds? Okay.
To get the game on your phone, you have to get it from the App Store or the Android Market. You go to your App Store or Market app and buy the game.
- When you open the app, you are using data to connect to the store.
- When you buy the game you are using data to complete the transaction.
- When you download the game you are using data to get the game on your phone.
- When you play the game you are not using data.
Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, Netflix, Safari, Pandora, Google+, etc. all use data. Apps such as Angry Birds, Be Confident!, Peggle, iPod, etc. don’t use data (except when you download them to your phone or iPad).
Some apps are a combination: Audible and Kindle apps use data to download files, such as audiobooks and ebooks. But when you use the apps you to read and listen to these books, you aren’t using data. The Civil War Today! app is a combination app as well. The app uses data to download the daily Civil War newspaper, but then you don’t need access to the Internet to read the paper later.
So how can you tell if you are using data or not? Disconnect from the Internet.
- iPhone/iPad: Settings => Airplane Mode => On
- Android: Settings => Wireless & Network => Airplane mode => Select
If you can’t open the app, such as App Store or Market, then the app uses data.
Another example is when you use a computer. If you are not connected to the Internet, then you aren’t using data, so anything you can do on your computer when you don’t have an Internet connection doesn’t use data.
When you’re shopping for your first smartphone and need to consider a data plan, think about which apps you will be using and how you will be using them. A storm cloud is on the tech horizon. More information is moving to the Cloud (iCloud from Apple is coming in September) but more cell phone carriers are limiting their data plans. People who don’t Mind the Cap! might discover some nasty cell phone bills in October if they access their data over 3G instead of Wi-Fi and don’t have unlimited data plans.
So when you get a smartphone and sign up for a data plan with your cell phone carrier, err on the side of getting more data than you think you’ll need. It’s better to have leftover data each month than to exceed your data limits and repeatedly have overage charges on your cell phone bills.
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Do you pay attention to the data you use? Do you consider how much data you use before you download an app? Have you ever been charged for exceeding your data limit? Let us know in the Comments section below!
* Image by Tom Woodward
** Image by Potyike
Thank you for this explanation! I think my problem is that when I hear the word “data”, I think of documents, filled with reams of data. But that definition didn’t seem to be what people were using so much of, so I was confused. (I always have a hard time when words don’t stick to their original context!)
I suspect I’d be a heavy data user if and when I get a smart phone. In fact, that’s the main thing I’d use it for, since I’m a heavy internet user but rarely make phone calls or text. I would have bought a very limited data plan if I didn’t realize what data actually was! Thanks!
Hi Kathy, I’m so glad this cleared things up for you. Sometimes people use terms in the tech world different from the way they are used in the real world. “Data” is one of those terms.
It’s easier to use data more heavily than you think you will be when you sign up for a cell phone plan. Luckily, I have an unlimited plan with AT&T because I’ve used over 3GB so far this month in 21 days out of a 30 day plan.
Thanks so much, Kathy, for your awesome question, visit, brilliant comment and kind tweet! 🙂
Hi ,
This is really very good and informative article. The content was well written and well chosen. Thanks for the information.
Hi Shivam, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Thank you very much for your kind words about this article. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for your wonderful comment! 🙂
I agree with Kathy Carolyn. When I thought of the word data I also thought of documents. Obviously in the tech world these things don’t mean the same thing. Dah! But you definitely cleared that up young lady. I now know more than I did before.
Thanks for this very clear explanation.
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, I am so glad I was able to clear up the confusion for you and Kathy. Do people in the tech world deliberately try to confuse non-techies? No, I don’t think so, but sometimes techies talk in a kind of shorthand to save time explaining every term. But that can be confusing for those who don’t get the shorthand.
It’s easy to forget it’s shorthand, though which is why I really appreciate these great questions!
Thanks so much, Adrienne, for your visit, amazing comment and wonderful tweet! 🙂
Data usage on a smartphone could be huge, could be small, based on what you do. AT&T has two plans $15 for 200mb, and $30 for 2GB plans. Other carriers have similar (its good noone has unlimited, as it’ll unnecessarily strain the network).
Few months back I switched from $30 to $15 plan, and trust me, I haven’t felt like I am restricting myself. Because for most part I am in a Wifi zone (YMMV though). The rest of the time I am driving, out in a park, the data usage isn’t that heavy, if you use standard email, reading (WonderOfTech) blogs, or FB/Twitter. The big data consumption happens in watching video, streaming music/radio, downloading apps/games.
Most of the apps these days transmit some analytics data on opening/closing of the app – but that’s really really small.
Hi iRewardChart, I agree, if you aren’t using a lot of data and are able to access Wi-Fi most of the time, you may not need a large data plan. But it’s probably good to start with more data than you need and then reduce the plan if you find you don’t need a lot of data.
September, with Apple’s introduction of iCloud, could be a game changer for iPhone owners. I think people’s data needs will increase just when carriers are making unlimited plans scarce. Sprint and Sprint-owner Virgin Mobile still have unlimited plans, but they don’t carry the iPhone yet.
Thanks so much, iRewardChart, for your visit, thought-provoking comment and wonderful tweet! You always add so much to the conversation. 🙂
So if you don’t use up all of your Data in a month, does it roll over to the next month like minutes do? Thanks for this blog. It was helpful to understand Data.
Hi Rose, I’m so glad you enjoyed the blog post!
Great question. AT&T in the US has plans that allow you to roll over some unused voice minutes into future months. You may not ever need them, but when you do, they’re handy to have.
Unfortunately, AT&T (nor any other carrier that I know of) allows you to carry over unused data to future months, though that would be very handy.
My data usage fluctuates a lot so rollover data would be very handy for me. But I have unlimited data on my AT&T plan now so that’s even handier.
Thanks so much, Rose, for your visit and great comment! 🙂
nice explanation. Data can refer to a lot of things when it comes to computers. But when we talk about data plans, data transfer for mobiles, it basically means the data transferred over 2g or 3g which you explained really well here…
Hi karan, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! I’m so glad you enjoyed this blog post and found the explanation understandable.
You’re right, “Data” can refer to 2G (Edge) and 3G. It can also refer to 4G, though there aren’t many 4G phones or networks right now. A year from now there will be more, but for right now 3G is the most prevalent type of data transmission.
Thanks so much, karan, for your welcome visit, brilliant comment and wonderful tweet!
Hi Carolyn,
I always here or read the word “data” but never really thought of its meaning. Correct me if I am wrong, so data is something that we use when we need to connect to the internet. So if I downloaded an app that requires an internet connection to be able to play it, I will be using a data. Right?
Hi Vie, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, you’re right, there are some game apps that require that you connect to the internet to play them Words with Friends is one of those games. So when you play games that require you to connect to the internet, you are using data.
Thanks so much, Vie, for your visit and brilliant comment! 🙂
This blog reminds me of the student who said she couldn’t use apps because she didn’t have a smart phone. I pointed out her computer also used applications! I checked you Klout score today, you do better on Twitter than me and I do better on Facebook and LinkedIn! Maybe you could write a blog about Twitter? My friend has a group on Facebook and you have a fan page, I’m not sure which is best but I want one or the other when I self host.
Thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂
Hi Mike, I have written a blog about Twitter. See, Celebrate Twitter’s Birthday! Sign Up Today!
The ironic thing about that blog was when I published that article my Twitter button (Tweetmeme) broke. It just wouldn’t show up, no matter what I did. So I replaced it with another plugin I didn’t like as much. I couldn’t very well have a Twitter article with a non-working Twitter button! I learned others were having problems with their Tweetmeme buttons that day too.
When I put the Tweetmeme button back on my blog, it worked with every post but my Twitter post. Go figure. So I got rid of my Tweetmeme button and found the one I use now.
Anyway, Klout. Yes, I was very pleased with my Klout score this week and I thank The Wonder of Tech readers who have supported me. I have two Facebook accounts, one private one for my friends and one public one I use for The Wonder of Tech. I am so happy you are active on LinkedIn as that’s how I found your awesome blog!
Believe me, it’s my pleasure to visit your blog. I look forward to when you are self-hosted so I can post comments when I visit your blog from my iPad! Your pictures always delight and look especially good on the iPad.
Thanks so much, Mike, for your visit and wonderful comment!
Oh Data, my friend and enemy 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
Sorry to start in such a way but I had interesting experience with data . I put a request for unlimited data plan with the mobile carrier on my Blackberrry device. I then travelled to my wife’s place and used it to the maximum extent on Google maps to understand the roads of city.
When I returned , I saw a bill of Rs 6000 i.e. around 120$. I was shocked. I could not understand why I was billed so much for a month. I called them and asked. It is very funny but their system had auto generated a request about reducing my plan from unlimited to limited usage and whole system worked as configured.haha!!! I told them that I was their long term customer and they refunded me the money in two months.
That incident showed me the meaning of Data . haha
Infact one problem with these smart phone is that ads in the free app also consume data and that data is I think counted against usage.
Many people would definately understand about it better if they read your post. I am sharing it everywhere. 🙂
Hope you are having a great day 🙂
Hi Ashvini, I liked your opening. I thought Bill Shakespeare was commenting here!
I’m so glad you were able to get your issue straightened out with your mobile phone carrier. That would have been quite the penalty.
I hadn’t thought about ads in free apps using Data. That would be really annoying to use data on the ads in apps. Unless, of course, the ad was for something you really wanted, like Porsche sunglasses! 😉
Yesterday morning I got an email from my carrier that my unlimited data plan on my iPad was about to expire in an hour and that I had to select a new plan or pay within an hour. I tried to enter a credit card number on their website but it wouldn’t go through. I tried to call them, but the call center wasn’t open yet.
I was in a panic because once you lose the unlimited plan with the carrier you can’t get it back. Luckily the call center opened withing the hour and the operator was able to process the transaction. I didn’t even have to explain to him that I just told the world the importance of Data!
Thanks so much, Ashvini, for your visit, poetic comment and awesome tweet! 🙂