Should I live with no data?
Wifi only?
Very good question. To be honest, there are alot of pros and cons to either method. It gets so annoying actually, that i have started to use THREE different connection methods just to make sure I am never without internet, but it gets expensive, and I really wish there was a surefire way to just combine the benefits of all three methods, without all the drawbacks of each. So I'll try and explain the pros and cons for each of the three methods I use, so you can asses for yourself which of them you feel would work better for you in your situation.
Method 1 (Connecting to Broadband WiFi) :
PROs:This is by far the fastest, cheapest, and most unlimited data method of using the internet, hands down. If you want o use audio and video on your device via the internet, this is the on;y method that won't just chew up all your data and leave you without an internet connection for the rest of the month. You'd be surprised how quickly watching just a few videos on youtube can completely kill all the data you have left (and sometimes even just email or iCloud syncing can do that without you even realizing until it is too late). Biut having unlimited WIFi solves this problem, and is the safest way to go.
CONs: You won't have internet everywhere. (only at home, and when you're lucky enough to be at some place where they offer free WiFi, like a cafe, restaurant, hotel, etc.)
Method 2 (Cellular Data via the sim in your iPhone):
PROs: Internet just about anywhere you want. The easiest way to have internet on the go without having to carry yet another device with you. Also, if you're worried about data accidentally being guzzled. you can set which apps are allowed to use Cellular Data, so that you can turn off all the guzzlers, and just stick to important stuff like checking mails and browsing pages. I would strongly recommend you do this, if you use this method, as it is not set this way by default.
CONS: Data is much more limited. It can run out quickly, and internet speed is not as fast. Even if you're in a place that can pick up 4G, it's a bit better, but you'll still notice the difference between using this compared to WiFi to some degree. It's expensive to ever have enough data, and you'll have to be EXTREMELY sparing over how often you do things that require lots of data. High guzzlers like anything with video or audio will kill your data in no time flat, and can leave you stranded without internet if you're not careful. If you go this route, one tipo is to make sure your provider allows you to top up your data on the go if ever this happens. (some do, some do not, and others require you to have an internet connection to top this up, which kinda means you're stuck because your internet is now dead. (Tip: Methods that allow you to top up by phone is safest).
Method 3 (Portable WiFi Hotspot Devices):
PROs: Similar to using cellular data, on;y it receives the cellular data and converts it to WiFi, so you get faster speeds, and data plans can also be better for similar prices. Also, these devices often allow you to connect multiple internet devices to it, so you can even hook up stuff like for example your laptop or tablet etc to it, so you have alot more flexibility here. These devices are also very small and fit in your pocket, so not too clunky to carry around. Can be useful when you're not getting good internet signal from either of the other too methods. Has saved my life countless times in that respect.
CONs: Similar problems with using cellular data, as it does after all use a SIM that has Celular Data capability. Plus, this is an additional expense to your phonebill, as it is a separate sim. Whikle these are small, you'll want to carry around something to charge it with (like a portable battery like a Power Bank / Juice Pack / etc, plus a cable to charge it with,a s you tend not to get that much battery life out of these things. That said, it's a good idea to have portable batteries with you anyway, as let's face it, even your iPhone can run out of power when you're out and about at the wrong moment, so backup power can be a lifesaver. (However, the irony here is that what once was such a convenient portable way to have internet with you has now meant you have to carry multiple devices with you in order to ensure you're not without). Even though each device is quite small on its own, I won't lie when I say that by the time you have all those plus charging cables for each, etc, that you quickly start to feel like you're not quite as portable as you started. lol.
Hopefully one day some clever provider will enable unlimited mobile data at WiFi (or greater) speeds all from your phone SIM, and everyone will start using that company instead, and ditch all the other parasites that we have at the moment. But for now, it does mean having to weigh up the above Pros and Cons, as no one solution is perfect. But I hope this helped you get an informed decision of what the current options are, and allows you to choose the most appropriate method for you based on your own personal needs and usage requirements, etc.
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