Introduction
Vacation is a time when we want to enjoy and not think about technological details. Well, nowadays it is important to know how much data we will need on the road and how to choose the right data SIM card or data eSIM? Read on!
What are Megabytes (MB) and Gigabytes (GB)?
If you want to know how much data you need to travel, you must first understand these two terms: Megabytes and Gigabytes. Megabytes (MB) and Gigabytes (GB) are units of digital information commonly used to measure the size of files or the amount of data used to browse the Internet or use applications on mobile devices. One gigabyte is equivalent to 1000 megabytes.
This section will introduce you to these two terms (GB and MB), so it is important to know what they mean and the difference between them. Most data plans you order will usually be measured in GB or MB.
How to monitor data consumption on your phone while traveling abroad?
Monitoring the amount of data your phone is using will help you see which apps are consuming your data. With this information, you can choose to turn off your internet connection for non-essential apps that might be consuming more data than you expect. It also facilitates the process of determining the necessary data for the rest of your stay.
The good news is that both iOS and Android have built-in data trackers that you can use to see how much data different apps are using at any given time. Here's how you can check your data usage on iOS and Android.
Check data usage on iPhone
If you're using an iPhone with a new iOS version, here's how you can check your data usage.
- Open [Settings] on your iPhone
- Tap [Mobile Data]
- Scroll down to the section labeled "Mobile data usage" In this section you will see how much data (total usage) you have used in the current billing cycle
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For a complete breakdown of data usage by app, scroll down further to see all the apps that have used your mobile data. The number next to each app shows how much data it has used.
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To reset your data usage statistics, scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap "Reset Statistics". We recommend resetting your stats as soon as you start traveling, as this will make it easier to see how much data you've used during your trip.
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Data usage control on Android
If you're using a Samsung, Google Pixel, or other Android device, here's how you can check your data usage.
How much data do I need to send emails, browse the web or search for places on Google Maps?
Emails: Sending and receiving emails without attachments requires approximately 10KB to 50KB per email, depending on the number of words included. If you add an attachment, the required data will increase depending on the size of the attachment.
Browsing the web: Browsing the web for one hour requires approximately 20MB to 100MB, depending on the amount of multimedia content on the page. If you browse simple text websites, you will need less data than someone who browses websites with a lot of images or videos.
Searching on Google Maps: The amount of data you need to search on Google Maps is approximately 50MB to 200MB. If you enable street view or 3D view, the required data can increase to more than 150MB.
How much data do I need to stream music/video?
Audio: Streaming music on Apple Music or Spotify requires around 50MB to 100MB per hour for standard quality.
Video: Streaming videos on YouTube requires approximately 250MB per hour for standard definition (SD) videos and 1.5GB per hour for high definition (HD) videos.
How much data do I need for social media and photo uploads?
Using social media applications, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., requires approximately 30MB to 150MB per hour, depending on the amount of multimedia content in the application. Uploading images can increase your data usage by 1-2MB per image. Scrolling Instagram can consume up to 1GB per hour, so we recommend keeping this activity on a WiFi connection.
How much data do I need for video calls?
The amount of data you need for video calls is around 500MB per hour for SD video calls (standard for most video calling apps) and over 1.5GB per hour for HD video calls.
The amount of data travelers need can vary depending on the tasks they perform and the length of their trip. For most travelers, 500MB to 1GB per day is sufficient for basic tasks. It should be noted that travelers usually use their data for essential tasks, unlike home users who may want to do much more on the Internet because they have a lot of time.
But before you choose which plan to sign up for, first decide which apps you intend to use.
Final thoughts
I hope this guide will help you determine the amount of data you need and purchase the most suitable eSIM data. As we mentioned earlier, different users have different data needs. So start by prioritizing your requirements and then choose the data plan that best suits your needs.
If you're still not sure which data plan to sign up for, don't hesitate to contact TripSIM Support in the lower right corner for more accurate recommendations.