AT&T has sent email messages to iPhone customers to remind users that international data usage is not covered under your existing U.S. data plan.
Your iPhone provides access to email, Visual Voicemail, Web browsing and other applications that can use a significant amount of data. It’s no surprise that you might find yourself using more data than you thought. AT&T wants to let you know of some easy ways to help minimize data usage charges when traveling overseas.
• Turn Data Roaming “OFF”: Be sure to download and install the latest version of iPhone software from iTunes. These software updates will enable the ability to turn on/off data roaming when traveling outside the U.S. By default, this setting will be in the “OFF” position. turn data roaming “ON/OFF” tap on: Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming
• Utilize WiFi instead of GPRS/EDGE: WiFi is available in many international airports, hotels and restaurants to browse the Web or check email.
• Turn off your iPhone’s “Auto-Check” Function for Email: Data usage from email can accrue quickly. Check email manually using WiFi instead of having emails downloaded to your iPhone automatically. This way you can control the flow of data coming to your iPhone. To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on: Settings>Mail>Auto-Check and select Manual
• Learn More about AT&T’s International Data Packages: Before you travel to one of the countries AT&T covers, learn more about their international data packages to reduce the cost of data usage abroad.
• Reset the Usage Tracker to Zero: When you arrive overseas, you can track estimated data usage in Settings.
More info via AT&T’s online “Travel Tips” here.
How many complaints must they get to trigger an email program of this nature?
I would bet they get a lot of complaints as it is so easy to use the data features that they do add up quickly. It is so hard to use these features on any other phone that you just don’t use them.
The iPhone should have a “travelling abroad” setting that bundles all these changes, just like MacBooks have different setting groups for AC power or battery, rather than making you change all the settings individually.
——RM
For all the bitching people do about AT&T;, I’ve had much better customer service experience with them during the last 10 months with my iPhone then I did in 6 years with Sprint. This is another indication that they are trying to keep the iPhone users happy.
To increase one’s level of frustration (measured in Ballmers), simply use Winblows.
Despite my trying to only use wi-fi on a recent trip to Grand Cayman, I ended up with an additional $100 of “roaming” data charges… gotta be careful – some data roaming is mind-bogglingly expensive. It also took 45 days to show up on my bill. Guess that I what I get for playing with Google maps while on a boat in Singray City…
That ‘measured in Ballmers’ line is beautiful….
There’s another way for a user to cut down on data roaming: let the poor bastards who have bought an iPhone and are therefore stuck with Apple’s draconian conditions, swap out their SIM card when they are overseas and use a card issued in that country. Until Apple drops its extraordinary and unique restriction that ties every buyer to one and only one carrier in the whole friggin’ world, I will never buy an iPhone! Sales tactics like this are more the mark of assholes like Microsoft.
84 Mac Guy –
My wife and I have been with AT&T;(formerly Cingular) since August 2003. We’ve never had a problem with dropped calls, weak signals, or poor customer service. In fact, the few times we’ve had to call customer service they immediately fixed the error (we weren’t on a national plan and were on the edge of our service area and our phone call was picked up by a cell tower out of our area).
We are fortunate enough not to live in a big city, so our experience is not with using our phones in subways, buses, tall buidings, etc. but rather in rural / suburban settings.
I realize our experience may be atypical but we’ve never had any compliants with Cingular/AT&T;. (Mileage may vary.) Our Motorolla phones on the other hand…
Peace.
I just spent a couple weeks in China, and did all those things above, and got the $25 20Gig international data plan.
I turned off any of my extraneous email accounts, and turned off auto-check. The big data hog was really when I used Google Maps! But it was worth it knowing where I was. I used 19.6Gigs of data during my stay. Next time, I’ll get the 50Gig data plan and not worry about it.
@ Lordrobin,
They do have that… It’s the first one on the list of suggestions.
Just turn off data roaming, under the network menu… That kills all data.
If you then need to check email or something, just turn it back on for a minute…
@grh I’m with you on this except that I’m one of the ‘poor bastards that bought an iPhone’. Close to a year after Apple released iPhone in the US it’s still not available in the majority of European countries. As you point out we can swap our cards when we’re abroad. I can appreciate your not buying an iPhone on principle, but I take a different approach.
I want, need, and appreciate the functionality of iPhone. As long as Apple tries to restrict this highly popular device to specific carriers, there will be those who either don’t want those carriers or in my case don’t even have a chance to be stuck to a carrier. Subsequently there will be organized efforts to unlock the phone. I’m in Hungary. We should eventually have iPhones through T-mobile (via T-mobile Germany).
Ironically I follow AT&T;’s advice about turning off data roaming. The funny thing is that my company provides me AT&T;service in the US, but I choose not to swap my AT&T;with my T-mobile card. Instead I keep my T-mobile Hungary card in my iPhone and only check Email when absolutely necessary or only with Wifi. My company AT&T;SIM card rests comfortably in my little antique Motorola!
I just came back from a 9 day tour of Sicily and I used my iPhone for email, stock updates and web browsing every day using the 25 mb data package for only $25. International calls were $.95 per minute. What a great deal and great reception using Vodaphone. you need to call AT&T;before traveling abroad to set up the program.
It’s a great value.
It requires a one year contract. The 20MB can be turned on an off as needed and you can get pro-rated billing.
I guess you can do a cost benefit of paying the monthly fee vs what you would pay in data if you use a whole lot. Of course, if you are traveling a whole lot, the 50MB plan and its contract probably make sense.
I was in Amsterdam in the fall of 2007 and got the 20MB plan and used the phone almost as much as I would in the USA and for four days I used about 23.5MB. Of course there was a bit of showing it off since it wasn’t out in Europe yet.
I think if you want to use it for normal use when traveling, the 50MB plan is probably worth subscribing to for a year if you are going to be abroad for 30 days or more a year. The overage charges alone make the 50MB plan worth it for one month at least if you use even 5MB more over the 20MB plan. So, push that out over a whole month and you can see.
@50MB plan…,
Amsterdam. Never been there but that place and I would make a dangerous combination. I don’t think it wise for me to visit.
the wrinkle with AT&T;’s international data roaming plan is when you get the bill: expect to see charges for locations that don’t match your travels. I recently visited Toronto and the majority of charges on my bill were for Alberta and British Columbia — I never came close to either, but got smacked with several hundred $$ in extra charges. I was more than 2.500 miles away from one of the connection locations!
Of course, AT&T;says that it is my word against theirs….