“There are many nice enhancements in iOS 6, but if you have an iPhone or cellular iPad running the updated Apple mobile OS, watch out,” Galen Gruman reports for InfoWorld. “Several new settings can quickly run up your cellular bill or exhaust your data allotment before you realize it.”
“The basic issue is that iOS 6 provides more ways for your iPhone and iPad to use cellular data, perhaps without your knowing it,” Gruman reports. “And as AT&T and Verizon Wireless — the providers accounting for the vast majority of U.S. iPhone users — continue to push users into capped data plans, that continual connectivity can get very pricey.”
Gruman reports, “For example, a new option called Wi-Fi Plus Cellular automatically lets apps switch from Wi-Fi to cellular service if they encounter Wi-Fi connection issues. That helps assure continuous data access, but it also lets apps deplete your data or incur data overage charges without your knowledge. Unless you have an unlimited data plan, you should turn this new feature off.”
More tips in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JES42” for the heads up.]
That’s why I kept my unlimited plan from ATT – Ha!
Amen.
That’s right.
Double-check however because at&t has this weird concept of unlimited being maximum 5GB, and your speed is throttle beyond that. Go figure.
You know we can still watch Netflix being throttled albeit a bit choppy it doesn’t cut in and out and but not the best picture I suspect they must have lowered the pixels or something to allow that buy its fine by me and I don’t even notice being throttled my music still plays streaming and sure web sites my take an extra second to load but I don’t really see much difference .. So throttling is not all that bad really it doesn’t cut out thankfully
The carriers are gouging users and impeding breakthrough technologies. $200 for a family plan a month? Ridiculous!
So did you forego the ridiculous $200.00 a month family plan and find something better?
Interestingly enough…. I did
I recently got my daughter a phone, the AT&T salesperson informed me that there weren’t ANY free phones anymore (was actually a bit condescending) and that I would need to buy a phone (and not cheaply considering that my daughter wanted a querty keyboard (on screen or phyisal) for texting) AND pay a $35 service fee AND “add a line to my family plan (costs $10/mo but adds no minutes) AND add for $20/mo unlimited texting. (I’m no fool I know how teens text)
After it was all said and done I was spending ~$200 for a dumbphone and adding +$30/mo to my bill (while adding no minutes to the plan, which may have been a disaster in the making)
All the salesperson could talk about was getting my wife and I off our “antiquated” unlimited data plans and onto a shared plan (for $60 more /month)
So I went down to Walmart got her a no contract “4G” T-mobile smart phone (LG, sadly android) for $200 with unlimited text and data for $30/mo (only 100 min of talk time but includes free wifi calling)
Not appearing on our iPhones. Looks like this feature didn’t make the cut.
Ours either. WTF?
Could it be that one of our knowledgeable pundits has made a negative comment about the iPhone 5 that is not based upon facts? I can’t believe that could happen!
Not on any iPhones or iPads here.
I bought a New iPad with AT&T cellular when it first came out but hadn’t used cellular until last week. I bought 5 Gb so I wouldn’t have to pay jacked up wifi charges at hotels while om vacation. First big surprise–AT&T had alternative wifi to the hotel’s pay service. I was able to use wifi at no charge while at the hotel. While driving, I got LTE or “4G” service everywhere I went. After 9 or 10 days I still haven’t used more than 300 mb of cellular even after turning on turn by turn navigation. For cell phone service, Sprint has been fine. No limits!
Not only is this inaccurate because it’s not in the release. The author claims “…those who talk little and use data moderately, as I do (about 450GB per device per month). ”
How is that moderately? And I’d say he made a typo and it was supposed MB but 450MB a month doesn’t come close to the cap and doesn’t give credence to his claim it would raise his bill to $240.
“Protect yourself from iOS 6!!!!”
What a crock of horse shit.
Wifi Plus Cellular was scrapped in the GM
So do any of you citizens with a $200 a month plan give at least that much to your church?
I see that Mr. Romney Released his 2011 Tax Returns; paid $1.9 Million on $13.7 in Income… Now to see what Mr. Biden paid…. Oh! wait.
???
Why should I encourage religion? I’ll give it straight to needy people. The pope has enough funny hats….
So how much did you hand out in the past year – as much as Joe (miser) Biden?
I’m not a rich man. Probably around $1,000 between United Way, food banks, Salvation Army and Adopt a Family Christmas type activities.
It is not April yet! Who is sending these jokes so early?
I am not seeing this ‘WiFi Plus Cellular’ setting on my AT&T 4S iPhone. Is it on a Verizon iPhone? Possibly it is on the iPhone 5? Not clear from this writer’s story where he found this feature.
Another worthless author, Not checking his facts and clearly misleading public. So much for the sites reputation of being accurate.
Good to know and very helpful article. I moved to the share everything plan, which was something I had to do anyways since I wasn’t paying full retail on my 64GB iP5 on Verizon.
Its great to have that feature on my iPhone since I’m in the office all day and can use the corp WiFi, but on my iPad I will turn it off.