AfterDawn: News

Siri causing a huge surge in iPhone data usage

According to network firm Arieso, the voice recognition software Siri has led to a huge surge in iPhone data usage.

Because of Siri, iPhone 4S owners are using double the amount of data than their iPhone 4 counterparts.



Arieso Chief Technology Officer Michael Flanagan says voice recognition is leading consumers to "use their smartphones' functions more often." The firm advises major clients like Vodafone and Nokia Siemens on how to manage their wireless networks.

The firm "measured more than 1 million subscribers across a single European network in both urban and rural areas, without identifying the operator" to see the amount of data being used, and from what applications.

Over the past year, carriers have moved away from an unlimited data experience, instead charging customers for tiered plans, which usually top out at 10GB per month of 2G/3G/4G data and can be very expensive. The carriers claim anyone using over 2GB per month begin to put strain on their networks, which are ever expanding. The average smartphone owner uses just 750MB of data per month.

Arieso says a very small minority of owners (1%) use almost 50 percent of overall data over the course of the month.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 7 Jan 2012 17:12

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• 20 comments

• dab0ne

  I want to see this kind of technology in video games. Not the data plan stuff just the siri part.
  

  7.1.2012 18:40 #1

• nbfreak2

  So now the prices on the data plans will start to go up????
  

  7.1.2012 20:09 #2

• bobiroc

  Maybe I am not most people but I think if people actually devoted a little time to adding WiFi hotspots to their phones their data usage on cellular would decrease drastically. Having an iPhone 4s on AT&T I find that I am near a WiFi hotspot or a family or friends home with WiFi enough to make a huge cut in my data usage per month. Many restaurants, coffee shops, book stores, airports, and other public places already have Free WiFi access. I simply have added the AT&T WiFi settings and I find I can pick up WiFi even when near some of these places.
  
  As far as the comment about this technology in video games goes I too would like to see that and at this point Microsoft is in the best position to make that a reality. The Kinect already has some impressive voice recognition built into the dashboard and some apps.
  

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  7.1.2012 22:52 #3

• embo22000

  Originally posted by vlaf: I just got spammed for spamming. edited by ddp
  
  good job putting up spam

  8.1.2012 12:17 #4

• LordRuss

  Like bobiroc said, if you can use hotspots, use them... it'll cut down on the data consumption of your cellular bill like crazy. Obviously, your carrier won't tell you that, especially if you have a GB package. It's like the bank not telling you about literally cashing your paycheck so you have immediate funds in your checking account instead of waiting 72 hours for the funds to be available. Stupid, ignorant, F--ked up little insider, corporate games they like to play & even if you call them on their shit or ask them about the process, they feel like they don't have to tell you the subtleties.
  
  Obviously, some areas don't have as many hotspots, but at home you may have a wifi router. Use the thing. Most fast food chains have wifi, so that shouldn't be a prob either.
  
  All in all, I can't help but think that Apple has a 30% take in Siri's little tap on the cellular usage market. Any market gurus want to bite on that one?
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  8.1.2012 13:24 #5

• ddp

  spammer spammed
  

  8.1.2012 14:17 #6

• LordRuss

  Originally posted by ddp: spammer spammed giggle
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  8.1.2012 14:52 #7

• fairviews (unverified)

  It appears that Wifi Hotspot may not solve the problems of data usage by SIRI. Carriers (AT&T Network) does not AUTOMATICALLY allow SIRI to switch from 3G into Wifi on the spot. Therefore, when you're connected to the Wifi, Siri still pulling data from your 3G network.
  
  To resolve this problem, you would have to disable 3G data network when you're connected to Wifi. This is not efficient way of using such a great Apps. Not sure if carriers like to play cat & mouse though!

  8.1.2012 17:23 #8

• Dmite30

  I use WiFi anytime i can. I have at&t, with only a 2GB data plan. I barley even come close to 1.5GB a month. And of course, WiFi isnt everywhere, so most people, dont even realize that there is a WiFi connection unless someone points it out to them. Hell some people dont even know how to connect to one at that.
  

  Stupid questions are for google. Learn how to use it, because everyone has a stupid question every now and then.
  
  http://google.com

  8.1.2012 19:31 #9

• LordRuss

  True. Most if not all phones, Andriod as well, will not automatically switch to wifi for data. truth be known, I've never known any smart phone to really 'instinctively' up & use the wifi for data only purposes. It's always been a user defined & executed function. So unless you knowingly open the wifi port & keep it open the phone has no reason but to use the respective cell service for its data resources.
  
  I know on most Android devices there is a pretty easy to find on/off function - widget that lets you access the wifi control of your phone. As most folks know me in here I avoid Apple products, so I can't answer for the ease of operation for your iPhones. I would to assume (it pains me to use that word in relation to Apple, but yet...) that given that product they would make it easy enough so you could leave it on, thus making your hotspot finding & data usage less costly in the future (if your running into cost prohibitive problems as some of you folks have been reporting).
  
  Granted, these are educated guesses & only practiced on one particular platform. Service carriers, devices, positioning the the sun and hand stance may all give varying degrees of results.
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  9.1.2012 10:48 #10

• KillerBug

  [sarcasm]According to AT&T, iPhone users only use 200mb per month, and Verizon claims they use only 400mb per month...so doubling that really isn't an issue.[/sarcasm]
  
  

  
  

  9.1.2012 11:46 #11

• LordRuss

  [continuing sarcasm]...and Bill Gates said Windows never need over 640K to run...[end sarcasm overun]
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  9.1.2012 11:59 #12

• hearme0

  Siri.........what a farce! Limited range of like what???.........10 or 12 commands as I last saw on someone's IPhone?
  
  Are sheeple really asking their IPhones "what's my day look like today?" over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over????????

  9.1.2012 12:14 #13

• elflaco91

  Originally posted by hearme0: Siri.........what a farce! Limited range of like what???.........10 or 12 commands as I last saw on someone's IPhone?
  
  Are sheeple really asking their IPhones "what's my day look like today?" over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over???????? Get a Life dude!

  9.1.2012 15:10 #14

• hearme0

  Originally posted by elflaco91: Originally posted by hearme0: Siri.........what a farce! Limited range of like what???.........10 or 12 commands as I last saw on someone's IPhone?
  
  Are sheeple really asking their IPhones "what's my day look like today?" over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over???????? Get a Life dude!
  And why are you being a prick?
  
  Po wittle baby wikes his IPhone and the wittle Siri feature it has??

  10.1.2012 11:55 #15

• dab0ne

  *yawns* this conversation is starting to bore me. From here on lets try to make conducive contributions to the conversation.
  

  10.1.2012 14:11 #16

• LordRuss

  Originally posted by dab0ne: *yawns* this conversation is starting to bore me. From here on lets try to make conducive contributions to the conversation. Agree...
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  10.1.2012 14:19 #17

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by fairviews:
  It appears that Wifi Hotspot may not solve the problems of data usage by SIRI. Carriers (AT&T Network) does not AUTOMATICALLY allow SIRI to switch from 3G into Wifi on the spot. Therefore, when you're connected to the Wifi, Siri still pulling data from your 3G network.
  
  To resolve this problem, you would have to disable 3G data network when you're connected to Wifi. This is not efficient way of using such a great Apps. Not sure if carriers like to play cat & mouse though!
  
  Do you have any evidence to back this up. I am just curious on how Siri is always pulling from the 3G even on WiFi when other apps use WiFi when connected to it with the exception of text messaging and MMS. I think the only data that Siri uses on 3G when connected to WiFi is the GPS location data which is minimal. I believe the rest of the data does go through WiFi though.
  
  I could be wrong but that is how I thought it was supposed to work when both Cellular Data and WiFi are enabled.
  
  

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  10.1.2012 15:09 #18

• LordRuss

  As far as I know, so long as wifi is enabled, it becomes the primary & only data flow control from the device. The cellular portion becomes communication (phone calls) only. Unless you have a Vonage or Skype app making the last statement moot and/or silly.
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  10.1.2012 17:31 #19

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by LordRuss: As far as I know, so long as wifi is enabled, it becomes the primary & only data flow control from the device. The cellular portion becomes communication (phone calls) only. Unless you have a Vonage or Skype app making the last statement moot and/or silly. That is how I thought it was too. When using location services it uses the phone's GPS or Cellular Triangulation along with WiFi to pinpoint your location but when WiFi is enabled all internet based traffic goes through it (or at least it should)
  

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  10.1.2012 17:38 #20