“Apple’s new iPhone 4S consumes on average twice as much data as the previous iPhone model and even more than iPad tablets due to increasing use of online services like the virtual personal assistant Siri, an industry study showed,” Tarmo Virki reports for Reuters.
“When Apple rolled out the iPhone 4S in October, its small improvements disappointed many analysts and reviewers, but consumer demand for the device has been strong, and buyers have extensively used their devices,” Virki reports. “iPhone 4S users transfer on average three times more data than users of the older iPhone 3G model which was used as the benchmark in a study by telecom network technology firm Arieso.”
Virki reports, “The iPhone 4S is perceived by some as a data hog because of Siri, a well-reviewed virtual personal-assistant and search app. It is integrated into the iPhone 4S and responds to voice commands. ‘I use the iPhone 4 myself and when I first heard of the iPhone 4S features I was not compelled to rush out and get one. However, the data usage numbers I am seeing make me wonder what I am missing,’ said Arieso’s chief technology officer, Michael Flanagan.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What you’re missing, Michael, is the future. Compared to our iPhone 4S units, we hardly ever used or iPhone 4 devices.
I’ve noticed for the first time (I’ve owned every iPhone the day it came out) that I got a text saying I was in the top 5 percent of cell data users with my iPhone 4S. I have two theories; both probably right. 1 is that the wifi reception dropped so at work (in our large building) I end up on 3G when I’m not in my office, and 2 is I’ve been driving using Spotify a decent amount. Bonus round is that the pictures I take while traveling are now larger because of the 8mp camera so that’s not helping either. I don’t use Siri that much other than for directions, too.
I don’t have any evidence but I would suspect this has more to do with icloud and photostream than Siri. I would expect there to be a large number of iPhone 4 devices that are not upgraded to the latest iOS and icloud, where this is the default on a new iPhone 4s
Actually, these are *very* good points – I’ve just disabled Siri (can’t use her) and Photostream to try and reduce my monthly usage. I actually use iCloud (on wifi at work) to stream my music, but rarely do over 3g
About 2 weeks ago I read an article reporting on a test of Siri. Siri uses a surprisingly large amount of bandwidth if you use her throughout the day — dictating texts, setting alerts and reminders, asking questions, etc.
Photostream is wi-fi only.
What seems strange is that my usage patterns are roughly the same now with my 4S as they were with my 3GS, yet I’m using almost twice as much data each month as I was before too. I rarely ever use Siri either so I know that isn’t it. But I noticed on ATT’s site that it shows I’m using close to 500MB per month now compared to around 250-300MB per month that I averaged on my 3GS.
odd! i went from around 500mb a month to about 3GB now for the average of since the 4s came out the past 2 months. i didn’t even think of iTunes match, which i use while driving as well. i make about 2 trips to SF from LA each month, and end up wanting to listen to stuff in my iCloud. Ya, i think you nailed it, iCloud is whats doing it for me. Music is key to my sanity obviously. 🙂
Keep your iTunes library loaded on the iPhone and cut that out of your data, see if that’s the hog.
I rarely listen to music on my iPhone, so my data hasn’t changed much. Most of my usage is on wifi anyway.
I’ve got to admit, since switching to the 4s, and being bumped from my unlimited plan on my 3Gs, I’m suddenly using WAY more data than before, and getting close to my 2gb cap each month (ATT send me unhelpful warning texts to let me know this)
and I also know it’s NOT Siri doing it, as I can’t use Siri – she doesn’t understand a damn thing I say, and I can’t accurately do ANY voice dictation or commands *(I’m a Brit living in the US, so I do have a “tricky” accent for the US Siri, I’m sure)
You should turn on the UK Siri. Have you tried that?
Settings > General > Siri > (change the language to UK English).
This will change Siri’s voice to a British accent male voice and will prep Siri to expect UK accents.
My girlfriend just got her 4S night. Tried for about an hour to get Siri to understand either of us. Only once in an hour. I tried the abortion question on a lark just to see if Wolfram Alpha had updated things since the controversy.
It was the only question it understood. I don’t understand why it doesn’t understand her near perfect diction. Not impressed so far…
only time siri doesn’t understand me very well is on my Bluetooth.
My brother in law just got his 4S and he was skeptical that Siri would work for him, works great.
I did notice Siri likes words clearly spoken, saying not sayin etc.
Could also try speaking a little slower, could be a fast talker and not know it.
User error. Plus, if you’re both drunk you’ll understand each other, but you’d need a new setting for Siri- “Drunk US English.”
> ATT send me unhelpful warning texts to let me know this
Surely helpful?
I think it is due to Photostream, iCloud, Siri and the music in the cloud.
Remember that iCloud and many of its feature are available on the iPhone 4 as well.
I would have to say that Siri makes a big difference.
It’s all those 4S toting tools who are asking questions like, “Siri, am I a total retard for buying the 4S instead of waiting for the 5?”
I wonder how much of this is background data like, syncing with iCloud or sending bug reports to Apple. Some friends of mine are seeing strange activity in their data usage at strange hours of the day.
Inasmuch as the carriers (ATT, Verizon, Sprint, etc.) are in the business of selling data, this report seems to imply that the iPhone 4S is more valuable to carriers than other phones.
This should help Apple maintain its prices and profit margins at currently high levels.
I think its because of the lack of antennagate!