As wireless carriers have started cracking down on data usage, users have become more conscious of their megabytes. So much so that many smartphone owners have resorted to using applications to keep track of their activity.
It looks like data-conscious users who are still contemplating snagging Apple’s latest handset may have reason to worry. A new report shows that iPhone 4S owners use about double the data of that of iPhone 4 owners…
Reuters passes along a recent study from Arieso, a network management firm. The company’s findings show that iPhone 4S users transfer more than three times more data than iPhone 3G users, and about double that of iPhone 4 owners.
Arieso suggests that the major increase in data usage is the result of Siri’s popularity. The iPhone 4S-exclusive, cloud-based digital assistant has been grabbing headlines left and right since Apple introduced it last October.
While Siri is obviously a factor, The Next Web points out several other components that could be considered liable for the increase in data usage. For starters, Apple recently introduced several iCloud-based services, including PhotoStream, iTunes Match, iMessage, and more. It’s also worth noting that the iPhone 4S has a higher resolution camera than the iPhone 4, thus making picture upload files substantially bigger.
Regardless of what’s causing it, the fact is that the iPhone 4S more than likely uses a considerable amount of data given its available features. Of course if you’re one of the lucky few that have managed to hold on to an unlimited wireless data plan, you have nothing to worry about. But for everyone else, it’s something to keep in mind.
Has your data usage gone up since purchasing the iPhone 4S?