ATTN AT&T Smartphone users: DATA!

[Jwrussell]

OK, so I've always been a strong supporter of the iPhone. I love the phone. And I've always pretty much ignored the attacks on AT&T because I've not had problems with them. But that's about to change.

If you have a smartphone with AT&T, especially an iPhone, check your data usage. See anything odd? Like data usage at 2 am? Something extremely fishy is going on with AT&T. I recently downgraded to the 200MB plan because I had historically barely ever gone over 100MB. Now all of the sudden, I'm getting hit with charges left and right in the middle of the night when there's no way my phone is being used. There are some possible explanations that I'm playing with. For instance, apparently the iPhone shuts off the wifi radio when it sleeps unless it is charging. So if you have your mail set to Push or whatnot and the phone checks email while in sleep, it uses non-wifi data. So I'm going to make sure the phone is plugged in for the rest of the month and see if any more strange data charges show up in the middle of the night.

Either way, data usage has most DEFINITELY increased since they killed the unlimited plans for new users. If this doesn't get straightened out, if AT&T can't explain it clearly and quickly, I sense a class-action lawsuit in the works. You should read some of the recollections of conversations with AT&T support folks. Accusing people's kids of stealing the phone in the middle of the night to use it, somehow bumping into it with their elbows and opening internet pages in the middle of the night, all kinds of whacky sh*t. Really unbelievable.

Any way, if you are with AT&T, start watching your data. Hinky stuff going on.

 

[blooz4u]

I was grandfathered in with the "unlimited" data plan for $30 a month. I think I'll stick to that, as the overage charges are insane!

 

[PLUSH]

I was grandfathered in with the "unlimited" data plan for $30 a month. I think I'll stick to that, as the overage charges are insane!

I was also, but we just added a 3rd iphone and it is not available. I even have a corporate account.

 

[Jwrussell]

I was grandfathered in with the "unlimited" data plan for $30 a month. I think I'll stick to that, as the overage charges are insane!

I was as well and considered that for a few months, but I just couldn't pass up saving $15/month based on historic usage. Like I said, something strange is going on. I'm not using my phone more than I did in the past, but data usage has definitely jumped.

 

[Jwrussell]

I was also, but we just added a 3rd iphone and it is not available. I even have a corporate account.

Dude. That avatar is just WRONG!

 

[The BurgerMeister]

disturbing.

both the AT&T news and the nipple avatar.

 

[PLUSH]

Dude. That avatar is just WRONG!

yes, I'm looking at getting that nasty mole removed!

 

[SmokeProper]

Jason,

The was a huge thread on this a year or 2 ago on a iPhone forum. If I recall correctly they found out that the 2 am timestamp was just one of a few set times a day that the billing system logs the earlier usage. It's not acutally the time the data was used.
Hope that makes sense. And I hope I recall correctly. I might try to find the thread for you later. (tougher to search from my iPhone)

 

[SmokeProper]

disturbing.

both the AT&T news and the nipple avatar.

Lol!!!

 

[SmokeProper]

I'm not using my phone more than I did in the past, but data usage has definitely jumped.

I personally believe the iP4 uses more data then other models (have the 4?)
With some apps(not all) running in the background, pics being higher quality/size when emailed/txted, and other reasons I think the iP4 or even the ios4.0 uses more data. I recommended all my peers to keep the unlimited for 3 months to see then.
I'd suggest the 2gb plan for few months, then re-evaluate. (or fight for unlimited back)

 

[Jwrussell]

Jason,

The was a huge thread on this a year or 2 ago on a iPhone forum. If I recall correctly they found out that the 2 am timestamp was just one of a few set times a day that the billing system logs the earlier usage. It's not acutally the time the data was used.
Hope that makes sense. And I hope I recall correctly. I might try to find the thread for you later. (tougher to search from my iPhone)

Let me know if you find that, because I'm having trouble buying it. My wife's phone, maybe. I would say with her new Palm that those 2am-ish logs account for 80-90% of her usage so far (still not through a full cycle since she got it). Mine on the other hand, I can pin-point other times when I know what the usage is at regular times during the day. It is also one HECK of a lot less for me than her.

I think that a big part of the problem may be that this dump, whatever the heck it is, happens so late, and if you don't have your phone plugged in charging, DING, there goes a data charge, because the wifi antenna turns off when the phone sleeps. So you could be right. Even if you are, it's a shitty way for AT&T to do this, knowing that the iPhone does this (yeah, yeah, I know the iPhone isn't their ONLY phone, but it's definitely their biggest seller).

And again, I haven't changed much other than upgrading to IOS4 (I have the 3GS) before noticing this. I can check my history going back the past couple of years and it's nothing like the past few months.

 

[Wasch_24]

Was it worth the $15 per month now? :smokingbo

 

[SmokeProper]

Let me know if you find that, because I'm having trouble buying it. My wife's phone, maybe. I would say with her new Palm that those 2am-ish logs account for 80-90% of her usage so far (still not through a full cycle since she got it). Mine on the other hand, I can pin-point other times when I know what the usage is at regular times during the day. It is also one HECK of a lot less for me than her.

I think that a big part of the problem may be that this dump, whatever the heck it is, happens so late, and if you don't have your phone plugged in charging, DING, there goes a data charge, because the wifi antenna turns off when the phone sleeps. So you could be right. Even if you are, it's a shitty way for AT&T to do this, knowing that the iPhone does this (yeah, yeah, I know the iPhone isn't their ONLY phone, but it's definitely their biggest seller).

And again, I haven't changed much other than upgrading to IOS4 (I have the 3GS) before noticing this. I can check my history going back the past couple of years and it's nothing like the past few months.

Ya, I don't think it's the phone pushing the data of data usage to Att at that time, it's just when the billing system accounts for it.
....I just need to try to find the info for you.

And ya, that's my point, in my opinion the ios4.0 will use more data then before due to it's capabilities and new features.

 

[SmokeProper]

Here's some info: http://gizmodo.com/5599621/those-nighttime-iphone-downloads-are-actually-not-downloads

 

[cvm4]

Just curious, if you upgrade phones in the future will you still be grandfathered in on the unlimited data usage?

 

[MichiganM]

I'm hesitant to make any changes with my iPhone or my plan..like buying the iPhone 4. I have the unlimited plan and still have a iPhone 3G. I know it's only $10.00 for every Gig over the 2 they allot with the upper-level plan, but I just like knowing I don't have to ever worry.

 

[SmokeProper]

Just curious, if you upgrade phones in the future will you still be grandfathered in on the unlimited data usage?

That's the assumption. I hope so.

 

[Jwrussell]

Was it worth the $15 per month now? :smokingbo

So far, yes. I haven't gone over yet. I also think that if I plug my phone in every night I won't have to worry about this, as the phone stays linked to WIFI so long as it is plugged in. We'll see. If that doesn't solve the problem there is something really skeevy going on.

 

[Jwrussell]

I'm hesitant to make any changes with my iPhone or my plan..like buying the iPhone 4. I have the unlimited plan and still have a iPhone 3G. I know it's only $10.00 for every Gig over the 2 they allot with the upper-level plan, but I just like knowing I don't have to ever worry.

If you have the unlimited plan, I believe you are grandfathered in, regardless of whether or not you buy the new phone. It's just new subscribers that can't get the Unlimited plan.

 

[Jwrussell]

Here's some info: http://gizmodo.com/5599621/those-nighttime-iphone-downloads-are-actually-not-downloads

Read that, but still don't get it. If it is supposedly just a conglomeration of recent usage, then why can I pin-point other usages? For instance, below is my usage from yesterday according to ATT's website:

08/18 05:58 PM Internet/MEdia Net Sent 1360KB
08/18 05:39 PM Internet/MEdia Net Sent 9KB
08/18 01:42 PM Internet/MEdia Net Sent 18KB
08/18 02:27 AM Internet/MEdia Net Sent 420KB


Now, yesterday was when I started messing with the phone to see if I could figure some of this out. The 2:27 AM usage makes sense because I had PUSH on the night before last and I did not have the phone plugged into the charger. So either the phone checked for email right around then or something else happened and since I wasn't on wifi, I got hit with data usage. The 1:42 PM usage...I'm not positive, but I believe I was doing something with the phone when our wireless went down in the office. The 5:39 and 5:58pm usage is from me using my phone while at the dog club between training my dog and the Basic Obedience class that I teach.

I also made sure the wife's phone was connected to WIFI last night (she had the dang thing turned off, argh). So far, no middle of the night charge for her last night either, and she was having them ALMOST every day. We'll see as we make our way through the rest of the month.