It’s closing time at the all-you-can-eat mobile data buffet

July 27, 2011 · by Espen André Øverdahl

That's right folks... More and more operators are moving away from unlimited data plans towards tiered pricing with hard caps on data available for you to use. Outrageous, some might say, but we have a secret tool at hand to help you get more out of your data plan. We call it smarter browsing:

Our tips to maximize data plans

Open the full email only if necessary. Open email attachments sparingly, if at all.
Manage your apps’ hunger for mobile data. Disable push notifications.
Consider using a smart mini browser, like Opera Mini. These keep you from downloading too much data to your phone.
Spotify is awesome, but use your locally-stored playlist when on the go. Sync only over WiFi - never go roaming.
Update and download apps over WiFi.
Consider using mobile-friendly webpages. Our research shows they shave off a significant amount of data that otherwise would count against your cap.
Turn off images when nearing your cap. Most browsers make it easy. In Opera Mini, just click Settings » Load Images.
Avoid HD video on YouTube when browsing on a mobile connection. Just 10 minutes of HD video per day fills a standard 2GB plan.

Readers' comments 30

Left under the original article, as archived.

TamilWednesday, July 27, 2011 9:22:16 AM
My Opera is missing in the list.
Parminder SinghWednesday, July 27, 2011 9:29:05 AM
nice tips
Enoch 'Robot Boy' Appiah JuniorWednesday, July 27, 2011 10:09:40 AM
now thats what i'm talking about..
Докучаев КонстантинWednesday, July 27, 2011 10:31:50 AM
Fortunately, I have unlimited plan, so I don't care
HenryWednesday, July 27, 2011 11:43:27 AM
post! $ </Saved>
capitalismnowWednesday, July 27, 2011 11:59:39 AM
I have only 50MB for free per month. Without Opera Mini I would not browse Internet in my phone.
Bimal ThapaWednesday, July 27, 2011 12:17:25 PM
this is very useful tips.i like it.
SiddharthaWednesday, July 27, 2011 12:18:57 PM
When do we get Opera for Windows Phone 7?
Bimal ThapaWednesday, July 27, 2011 12:21:04 PM
i am using data plan with rate 1kb/1 paisa
(100 paisa =1 NRs.)
so i like these tips again....
Tiales silvaWednesday, July 27, 2011 12:22:38 PM
My opera <3
ouzowtfWednesday, July 27, 2011 12:27:14 PM
A 2GB plan is not standard
NecromanWednesday, July 27, 2011 12:34:22 PM
That's great, but still no Opera Mini for Windows Phone 7? Come on
Charles SchlossWednesday, July 27, 2011 1:30:45 PM
d4rkn1ghtWednesday, July 27, 2011 5:52:40 PM
Mohau Ben SeokoloWednesday, July 27, 2011 6:26:12 PM
50MB a month wat!!!!!!!!?
IronWednesday, July 27, 2011 8:09:36 PM
Not a problem for me right now. I just have to load credit to my pre-paid SIM card, say twenty pesos. When I want to browse the web I enter, one peso is charged from my existing credit and I get unlimited browsing until midnight (in my country one peso equals US $0.25 or €0.20). I can use any other mobile browser, but none of them are as fast, comfortable to use as Opera Mini, which also allows me to browse most of the web, not just wap
JulianThursday, July 28, 2011 3:34:18 AM
Thanks for the tips and of course for Opera
Dark FurieThursday, July 28, 2011 6:08:42 AM
More and more operators are moving away from unlimited data plans towards tiered pricing with hard caps on data available for you to use.
They're fools for trying to do things on a service by service payment scheme in the first place. Who in their right mind is going to pay anything extra for an e-mail service when you can get it usig your current web connection that you're paying for.

The smarter operators will move towards a speed payment plan, where the fastest speeds are one price, the slower set are another and the slower than that are a third price. That third one should be a set rate and the higher speeds a premium on top of that if they want to make money without alienating users.
fabian frankThursday, July 28, 2011 6:25:07 AM
Without opera i can browse, is a free browsing i love it.
g2spotThursday, July 28, 2011 11:48:50 AM
Without Opera Turbo there would be much more month left after my 100MB are used...

/g..
Nikki ApplingFriday, July 29, 2011 1:19:26 PM
I'm always interested in saving money! Thanks.
praetor87Friday, July 29, 2011 1:44:52 PM
Yeah nice, but the new mini recently wanted to dl the site twice in a pop-up in the 6.1.
I have warned them. I hope they change things in the upcoming versions to allow non-touchscreenphone users to use this without any madness (kinetic scroll for 2 and 8 button).
IronFriday, July 29, 2011 11:33:30 PM
Originally posted by Furie:

The smarter operators will move towards a speed payment plan, where the fastest speeds are one price, the slower set are another and the slower than that are a third price.

I agree. In my country ZTE USB modems are the broad band provided by mobile operators. The monthly fee for using Internet through a USB modem from mobile service providers is usually expensive and is limited to around 500MB. Browsing directly from mobile is usually cheaper but slow - 56kbps at most. There is just one provider offering unlimited browsing from mobile phones, the others have one-day packs ranging from 6 hours to one week and from 10MB to 1GB. Before the one-peso-per-day Internet, my current provider offered 2GB packs with pricing according to time, for example a two-day pack was cheaper ($9) than a seven-day pack ($19), but both had a 2GB limit.

Originally posted by g2spot:

Without Opera Turbo there would be much more month left after my 100MB are used...

Well, I'm in a 56kbps connection by using my mobile through its computer software on Windows XP. Some time ago I took the following screenshot after about two hours of browsing with Opera Turbo on. Can you see how much MB were saved?:

http://files.myopera.com/u1k70r/files/capture_05112011_102535.jpg -

When I showed the screenshot to my brother, he decided to try Opera for the first time. He has a ZTE modem and his provider sets a 500MB limit.

Originally posted by praetor87:

Yeah nice, but the new mini recently wanted to dl the site twice in a pop-up in the 6.1.
I have warned them. I hope they change things in the upcoming versions to allow non-touchscreenphone users to use this without any madness

Opera Mini 4.3 is the version for non-smartphones (i.e. having keyboards instead of touchscreens, like mine). Opera Mini 5 and newer is only for touchscreen devices.
ムしキムSaturday, July 30, 2011 5:13:39 AM
what can I say..
cintaku01Sunday, July 31, 2011 7:44:30 AM
ty..
Petrus tello sibekoWednesday, August 3, 2011 6:32:13 AM
Cool thing to happen to my phone!!!!
pilatesABSThursday, August 4, 2011 3:53:21 AM
Opera is great, modern look and so on, just is loading slowly when lunched on mobile phone.
aras68Thursday, August 4, 2011 8:17:34 PM
I'm fighting on blackberry with Opera mini. It's not sinchronize bookmarks from PC.
Petrus tello sibekoSunday, August 7, 2011 11:25:13 AM
For me its fine.
aras68Sunday, August 21, 2011 6:26:48 PM
on all my devices. i"m using Opera. Today firstly try loving browser on android. And I can say only one : oh my god! It's so quickly for me.