How much is 8GB of data and do I need more than that?

Contents list Introduction What can I do with 8GB of data? How can I track my Data Use? Can I reduce my data use? Should You Have More than 8GB of Data?

Introduction

When you’re searching for the ideal new phone plan, one of the most important things you’ll need to think about is your data usage.

The more data you consume per month, the more you’re likely to pay for a contract or SIM-only plan. 8GB of data might seem like the perfect option to begin with, but how much browsing, calling and video time will this much data really get you?

Knowing exactly how much data you’re likely to use could save you a lot of money paying for plan features you don’t really need. After all, most of today’s plans already include unlimited texts and calls as standard, so your price will typically depend heavily on data consumption. 

How Long Does 8GB of Data Last?

How many hours will 4GB last?
Internet browsing	96 hours+
Music Listening	54 – 600+ hours depending on quality
Watching video	3 hours and 20 minutes to 48 hours depending on quality
Browsing social media	88 hours scrolling
Using Facetime, Skype or WhatsApp	24-32 hours

The number of hours you’ll get out of 8GB of data will vary depending on how you choose to use your smartphone.

If you’re struggling to decide how much mobile data is right for you, it can be helpful to get an insight into the average data usage throughout the UK. Notably, the estimations of average data usage from different phone companies can vary widely. Three believes its customers use an average of around 19GB per month, while Ericsson says the average user only consumes about 10GB per month.

If we split the difference, it’s fair to say most people will probably use around 15GB of data each month, depending on how they like to use their phone.

If you spend a lot of time watching high-quality videos and streaming audio content, you may find that 8GB is just short of what you really need. If you’re only scrolling through social media and occasionally browsing the internet, you may be able to make that 8GB stretch a little further.

Internet Browsing

Normal Internet Browsing
8GB of Data	Around 96 hours (4,800 web pages)

8GB of data is around 8,000MB, or just under a terabyte. On average, each web page online consists of around 3MB of data, meaning you can use up to 60MB per hour on browsing alone. Typically, 4GB of data should give you enough power to view around 4,800 webpages, or search the internet for approximately 96 hours over the course of a month.

Audio Data

Songs streamed on Spotify
8GB of data	Around 1100+ songs

One of the most popular ways to use smartphone data is to listen to music. If you’re streaming songs from Spotify to your smartphone, the average data size of a song will depend on both audio quality and length. For instance, if you’re streaming a 320Kbps song (the highest quality), you’ll consume around 2.4MB of data per minute, or 144MB per hour.

With a full 8GB of data, you should be able to listen to around 1104 3-minute songs. However, if you reduce the quality of your audio, you’ll be able to consumer a higher number of songs. For instance, at 96Kbps, 8GB will allow you to access over 3700 songs (up to 3 minutes each).

Video Data

Netflix Video Streaming (On Phone)
8GB of data	24+ Netflix films

Video content consumes a little more data than audio because your phone needs to process audio and visual information simultaneously. The streaming service you choose, the quality of your content, and even the length of your video will contribute to your data usage.

According to Netflix, you can watch about 4 hours of content at “Automatic” quality with 1GB of data. This means you can access anywhere up to 32 hours of content with the same quality stream using 8GB of data. However, if you switch to “Data save” mode, you can increase your capacity.

On Data Save mode, you’ll be able to leverage anywhere up to 48 hours of video content for 8GB of data. If you switch to the highest possible video resolution, you’ll only be able to consume around 2 hours and 40 minutes of video content. Choose your quality wisely!

YouTube is a little different. 1080p videos will eat up around 1.56GB per hour of data, while 4k videos need around 2.7GB per hour. This means you’ll only be able to watch about 3 hours of content using the 4K setting on YouTube.

Social Media Data

Social Media Use Examples for 4GB of Data
Social media browsing	Around 88 hours
WhatsApp video calls	24 hours of chat time
Skype Video calls	32 hours of chat time
Apple FaceTime video calls	32 hours of chat time
Photos on WhatsApp	Approximately 8000 photos

If, like most smartphone users, you enjoy scrolling through social media on your device, the amount of data you use will depend on how you access your social channels. You can spend up to 88 hours just scrolling through social channels with 8GB of data.

However, if you want to connect with other users through video calls, you’ll end up using a lot more data. On WhatsApp, a video call will consume about 25MB of data for every five minutes you spend chatting. This means you can usually get up to 24 hours of video time.

Skype and Apple FaceTime only use around 240MB of data per hour, so you can usually increase your talking time to about 32 hours per month. If you’re sending photos through social media channels like WhatsApp, your data consumption will depend on the size of each file.

WhatsApp usually keeps all visual files to around 1MB at a maximum when you’re on “Data Saver” mode, so you could send anywhere up to 8000 pictures through the app.

How can I see my data use?

Since the average data use for most people is so variable, it’s usually more helpful to get a behind-the-scenes look at your own data consumption before you choose a plan. Fortunately, you can check your data usage on most Android and iOS devices.

For an iOS (iPhone), go to the Settings page, followed by “Cellular” or “Mobile Data”. This should show you how much data you’ve used in your previous month or billing period. For an Android phone, go to “Settings”, then “More Network Settings”. There should be a “Data Usage” section on this page to highlight your previous use.

On most phones, you’ll be able to set a data limit based on your plan restrictions, which will send you alerts automatically when you’re about to run out of data. If you can’t find your data usage in your phone settings for any reason, you may be able to access your mobile network’s app or online profile for more information.

Can I save on data use?

If you find yourself constantly running out of data before your monthly plan renews, you may benefit from looking for ways to cut down on your usage. Start by checking your average data consumption regularly, and pinpoint areas where you use the most data.

A good way to cut down on your usage is to stick to Wi-Fi networks where possible, so you can avoid tapping into your data plan. You can even download content to your phone when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, and access it in “offline mode” later.

Another good option is to go into the settings for each of the apps you typically use, and adjust the data consumption settings. Choosing a “Data saver” mode for most apps can save you a lot of money. You can also consider adjusting the audio and video quality for your streaming apps. The lower the quality, the less data you’ll use.

Some apps even give you the option to automatically switch to a lower quality when you’re using your mobile data. You can then switch back to high-quality streams when you’re linked to Wi-Fi.

Should I have more than 8GB of data?

8GB of data is likely to offer you a decent amount of functionality and options if you don’t use your phone for heavily streaming video and audio quality. You may be able to make this limit stretch to suit your needs if you tend to just occasionally check the internet and browse social media.

However, if you use your phone to listen to podcasts, watch videos, engage in video calls and experiment with a range of other data-heavy activities, you’re probably going to need a little more data. It’s worth looking for a deal which allows you to adjust your data plan according to your needs each month or even an unlimited data sim plan.