“Most of Canada’s iPhone users seem to prefer the multimedia device for talking,” Luann Lasalle reports for The Canadian Press. “After all of the complaints about the cost of operating the new, faster iPhone, its owners don’t appear to be using the smartphone to its fullest for web surfing, sending photos, watching videos or listening to music. Rogers Wireless said Thursday that just 1.2 per cent of users of the touchscreen iPhone ate up more than one gigabyte of data in the first four weeks after it went on sale July 11.”
“One gigabyte of data would be the equivalent of about 240 songs or downloading a movie on the touchscreen phone,” Lasalle reports. “‘They’re learning how it can be used,’ spokeswoman Liz Hamilton said.”
Lasalle reports, “Rogers added that 95 per cent of its iPhone customers used less than 500 megabytes of data, the equivalent of about 110 songs, and 91 per cent of its customers used just 200 megabytes.”
Lasalle reports, “Analyst Carmi Levi said the numbers show that most users aren’t taking advantage of all of the iPhone’s features. ‘They haven’t yet tapped into the multimedia-rich capabilities of the device and for the most part they’re likely still using it for light web browsing, light email and for the most part voice use,’ said Levy, senior vice-president of strategic marketing at Toronto’s AR Communications Inc. ‘They haven’t really gotten into the guts of what this thing can do.'”
Full article here.
Just thought of it: Apple should add “Total” bytes downloaded so we can see the REAL numbers with free WiFi access included.
“91 per cent of its customers used just 200 megabytes.”
200 mg may not be a lot of songs, but it is a decent amount of web surfing and email. It is ridiculous to use songs as the measure of data downloaded since most people sync their songs from their computer.
I use my iPhone for web browsing constantly and I use about 70 mg per week.
It’s called Wi-Fi.
Smart people all over the world utilize Wi-Fi because its faster and less expensive.
In the first month of use I only used 1.4GB on Rogers, while on Wi-Fi I calculate around 4.3GB, give-or-take 20%. I seek out free Wi-Fi connects and have established a routine where I frequent these establishments.
It works for me and I suspect the same to be true for most iPhone users. It just makes sense. As apposed to the dribble some so-called reporters are writing.
Well, I used well over 3 gig in the first month on Fido – also owned by Rogers, so Im certainly into the guts of it. But I was using Netshare for the back portion so that accounts for part of it.
As I was still within my data limits there were no extra charges for that, but the bill I just received was $273. For a month. Insane, and all because I travel. Every minute outside my “home area” is billed as long distance. Even though I asked all those questions upfront – “So free incoming is for everywhere? Yes, that’s right” Apparently not. I love the US, hopefully someday we’ll have some competition here in some way equivalent to what you have there.
>”After all of the complaints about the cost of operating the new, faster iPhone, its owners don’t appear to be using the smartphone to its fullest for web surfing, sending photos, watching videos or listening to music. “
Web surfing? Home and office computers connected to broadband do it better, 22″ LCD screen is somewhat larger than iPhone’s and has somewhat better screen resolution.
Sending photos? Don’t get me started on diffrence between quality of pictures made by 7-10 megapixel camera and those sad wannabes in almost any cell phone or smartphone.
Watching videos? Two words: HD TV.
>”they’re likely still using it for light web browsing, light email and for the most part voice use”
Yes, you could use iPhone as a poor man’s substitute for all I listed above, but how many poor men could afford iPhone?
So, it is just another toy for Canadian people who are spoiled by easily available HD TV and high speed Internet.
@makemineamac
What long distance plan are you using?
@DanielM – Don’t have one at this point as most of the calls while I’m away have always been incoming.
With my old Telus plan incoming calls were free wherever I was, and I always used local numbers wherever I needed to access cheaper LD services. This won’t work with Fido.
They offered a 300 minute LD package to me for $10, but that’s equivalent to only about a weeks worth of incoming calls so it won’t work. All calls really should be local, like it is in the US, but then our cellphone companies would not be able to make any money if that were the case. Here’s hoping they will be able to offer me something better….
@makemineamac
Can’t see much difference.
From what we have been able to calculate, cell charges are quite comparable. It is just the way that companies present the data.
Here is probably the one of the best sites for comparing plans and as you can see, one takes from the other. However, at the end of the day, the actual costs basically the same as long as you are comparing apples with apples, if you can. http://www.comparecellular.com/
@ DanielIM – I’ll take a look, but if it was apples to apples – which you can’t do it appears because Fido only offers local calling in your local area, whereas with Telus or Rogers if I phone a local number while in Toronto or Red Deer it just counts against my local minutes – not minutes and LD you know? This is why since the switch, my average cell bill went up about 38%. That’s significant.