Learn how to configure the Spotify app on your iPhone so you can use it to your liking without blowing through all of your cellular data.
How to optimize the Spotify app to use less cellular data
Cellular
Apple SIM partner AlwaysOnline Wireless unveils new UK plans, expands in 29 countries
Apple SIM is available in 140+ countries via GigSky, but now customers traveling abroad have additional choices when it comes to buying short-term data plans on the go, directly from their cellular-enabled iPad, thanks to a company called AlwaysOnline Wireless which today announced that its 4G LTE roaming network is now available via Apple SIM in the United States and 28 additional countries.
The company also launched new data plans in the United Kingdom via a partnership with British wireless carrier Three: an hourly plan with 100MB of 4G LTE for $0.49 (£0.37), a daily plan with 500MB of 4G LTE for $5.99 (£4.50), a 1GB plan for $10.99 (£8.26), a 3GB plan for $18.99 (£14.28) and a 5GB plan for $29.99 (£22.55).
Tip: use Messages low quality image mode to conserve precious cellular data
Apple's Messages app provides an optional iOS-only mode which cuts down your cellular data consumption to a bare minimum when sending image attachments. I don't know about you, but I worry about sharing high-resolution images when cellular data is on. In my experience, most normals are oblivious to the fact that sending a single shot-on-iPhone photograph through iMessage burns through one to five megabytes of data, sometimes even more.
In low quality mode, Messages uses only 100KB per image attachment. Another way to think about it: you can send 30 to 50 images for the same amount of data required to share a full-resolution attachment in Messages. In this brief tutorial, we'll teach you how to tell Messages to send lower quality images in order to optimize your cellular data consumption and prevent unwanted overage fees.
New low quality mode in iOS 10 Messages uses circa 100KB per sent image
As you know, iMessage overcomes many of the limitations of standard MMS. Every time you attach an image taken on your iPhone and iPad to an iMessage, it's delivered in its original size and resolution. Some downscaling may occur, but only for very high resolution images: those taken with an iOS device are always delivered in their original form without any resizing taking place.
And herein lies a problem for those of you who send a lot of images via a cellular data connection.
Knowing a typical photo taken on an iPhone 6s weighs in at between three to five megabytes (or even more), it does add up pretty quickly. If you're concerned about cellular data consumption (as you should be), pay attention as Messages on iOS 10 offers a brand new low quality mode.
We've determined it downscales images sent through iMessage to circa 100 kilobytes each. In other words, for the amount of data you'd normally spend to shoot someone a single photo via iMessage you get to send 30 to 50 images in low quality mode.
iOS 10 gains convenient cellular data shortcut with a little help from 3D Touch
iOS 10 takes 3D Touch, a pressure sensing technology which debuted a year ago on the iPhone 6s, to plenty new places throughout the operating system. With 3D Touch, you can clear all notifications in one fell swoop, rename folders quickly, prioritize downloads, interact with notifications and more.
You also get useful 3D Touch shortcuts upon pressing app icons in Control Center (sadly, 3D-touching Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles does nothing).
Worse, Control Center continues to inexplicably lack a dedicated cellular data toggle. But worry not, as Apple has found a way to slip in that sought-after cellular data shortcut with a little help from 3D Touch.
CellularMonitor helps you keep track of your cellular data usage
With many modern data plans from various cellular providers, you're capped on the amount of data you're allowed to use each month before your carrier starts charging you extra or throttling your speeds.
With a new free jailbreak tweak called CellularMonitor, you can rest assured you won't be going over your data caps ever again.
This tweak lets you keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on when you toggle Airplane Mode
With a new jailbreak tweak released by the name of Keep On Airplane Mode, you can now use the feature to toggle only your cellular radios off while keeping your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios active.
Battery concerns reportedly delay cellular-enabled Apple Watch 2
Bloomberg just shot down The Wall Street Journal's claim of a cellular-enabled Apple Watch 2, saying it's been delayed over battery concerns and technological limitations. Instead, Apple Watch 2 models, which Bloomberg's well-informed Mark Gurman says are coming this fall, will improve health tracking with an on-board GPS chip.
Sprint reveals its own unlimited data plan
Joining a chorus of carrier updates, U.S. wireless carrier Sprint today revealed an unlimited plan of its own. Called Unlimited Freedom and available starting at $60 per month, it offers unlimited 4G LTE data, talk and text, with the ability to add a second line for an extra $40 per month, or up to eight lines for an additional $30 per month each.
Additionally, Sprint's prepaid subsidiary Boost Mobile revealed a similar plan of its own. Both plans are available for new and existing customers starting tomorrow.
AT&T unveils modest data upgrades at reduced costs ahead of iPhone 7 release
Conveniently timed weeks ahead of the expected iPhone 7 launch next month, U.S. carrier AT&T on Wednesday unveiled modest data upgrades at reduced prices while dropping overage charges for exceeding monthly cellular data caps. The new data plans, available beginning August 21, include the 1GB/$30, 3GB/$40, 6GB/$60, 10GB/$80, 16GB/$90, 25GB/$110 and 30GB/$135 tiers.
Overage charges will become a thing of the past as the carrier will no longer slap you with a $15 per 1GB charge after using rollover data. Instead, your data speeds will decrease to the sluggish 2G (128 kbps) after all of the cellular data in your monthly bucket has been used up.
You can now stream Apple Music videos via T-Mobile’s Binge On
T-Mobile customers can now stream any video content available on Apple Music through the carrier's cellular network without using up any data available in their monthly data bucket. The carrier announced today that Binge On now supports video content from Apple Music and fifteen other streaming video providers, including the sign language channel D-PAN.TV, Dish Anywhere, NAT GEO TV, various ABC, Disney and FOX apps and other providers. Binge On streamed 765 million hours of video data-free since its inception 8 months ago.
T-Mobile treats 2016 Summer Olympics attendees to unlimited 4G LTE data and calling
Deutsche Telekom-owned wireless carrier T-Mobile USA today announced that all Simple Choice postpaid customers traveling to Brazil for 2016 Summer Olympics will be treated to unlimited high-speed 4G LTE data within the country during August.
In unleashing Brazil this summer, T-Mobile's CEO John Legere noted that not only will Rio de Janeiro visitors enjoy the Summer Olympics without worrying about roaming charges, but also free calls within Brazil and to U.S. during the month of August.