Megabytes or Gigabytes per hour

I have a Mac mini & a MacBook Pro.

I'm thinking about getting an iPad. I can't decide between the Mini2 or the Air(2). The only difference between the Mini2 & the Mini3 is that the Mini3 has a fingerprint sensor & I don't want to spend $100 for a fingerprint sensor. I'd rather spend the $100 on accessories.

I also can't decide between the Air or the Air2.

I primarily want to use an iPad as a GPS. But I will also use it as an alternative to my laptop.

Anyway, I hope that you can answer the following question. Since I primarily want to use it as a GPS when I travel, it will be on most of the time that I'm driving. I have to pay for a data plan in gigabytes. Would you be able to tell me how many megabytes or gigabytes per hour I'd have to pay for? For example, I live in Richmond, Virginia. A friend of mine & I want to visit Tangier Island which is about 2 hours east of Richmond. If you are able to tell me, I'd like to know how many megabytes or gigabytes per hour I'd have to pay for. I wouldn't pay per hour of course. It would be gigabytes per month. It is expensive if I go over the limit. So, if the iPad would download 2 gigabytes of data for a 2 hour drive, that's 1 gigabyte per hour. I have to pay enough per month for a data plan so that I wouldn't go over & pay an arm & leg for excess data.

What does your title have to do with your post?

If you don't want the fingerprint sensor and don't want to spend the money, you've already answered your question?

No one can tell you definitively how much data you will consume while using GPS and traveling. You're certainly not going to be using "gigabytes per hour" but will be consuming data since the GPS will be continually communicating with the SAT. You didn't mention which carrier you have your data plan with but most plans for the iPad are on a pay as you go month to month basis. Check with your carrier.

Don't forget that if you do buy an iPad Mini or whatever, you will need to get the model that also does cellular otherwise you can not use GPS on the road.

OK, now your title makes sense..

The GPS itself doesn't use any of your bandwidth since the GPS chip in the iPad is receiving the satellite information for free..

Where you are going to to pay for data is laying those GPS coordinates onto a map. Its hard to figure out exact amounts, but there will be some data used to download the initial map, and then an incremental data download for the new section of the map as you are traveling.

I imagine for a 2hr trip, you're looking at less than 50MB of data usage..

dcs.79c said:

I don't want to spend $100 for a fingerprint sensor.

Click to expand...

Actually, you do.

I'm not going to convince you in a text message, but suffice to say that Touch ID is probably the single most compelling feature added to the iPad since its creation. It makes using the iPad incredibly much easier, not just for unlocking it 50 times a day but for programs that can take advantage of the technology, like PayPal or Priceline.

Since this isn't an iPhone we're talking about, Touch ID is a bit less of a life-changer than it is on a phone, particularly if you have a card that works with Apple Pay. Nonetheless, it is a huge boon on an iPad and makes a big difference.

You didn't mention which carrier you have your data plan with but most plans for the iPad are on a pay as you go month to month basis. Check with your carrier.

I have Verizon for landline phone, smartphone, TV & internet. The minimum amout for a data plan is 1 GB per month.

Don't forget that if you do buy an iPad Mini or whatever, you will need to get the model that also does cellular otherwise you can not use GPS on the road.

That's my plan.


I imagine for a 2hr trip, you're looking at less than 50MB of data usage.

Would I be able to get a more precise value if I talked to tech support at Verizon or asked someone at an Apple store?

OK, a related question. I researched iPad Air2 on the internet because I wondered what is meant by a laminated display. I found out that it means that the glass & the LCD display are laminated together. So, does that mean that if the glass is cracked, both the glass & the display must be replaced together? I assume that the glass & the display cannot be separated so that both the glass & the display must be replaced together, right? But if the glass is cracked in the iPad Air, the glass can be replaced without replacing the display as well, I assume.

Apple Tech support is not going to be able to get you this precise data, neither is Verizon. About the ONLY way you will get this information is to do a very specific test where on the first day of your month when your data usage is at 0MB, use the iPad as GPS for 2 hours and then (assuming Verizon precisely tracked the data usage) check how much you used.

So start with a decent plan and then track your data usage and adjust your plan accordingly..

dcs.79c said:

Would I be able to get a more precise value if I talked to tech support at Verizon or asked someone at an Apple store?

Click to expand...

Here'a a monthly data estimator I found for AT&T. Give it a try…and see if it helps:

AT&T Data Calculator from AT&T

But of course then do what "Raz0rEdge" recommends. Which is tracking your monthly usage (and adjusting) once you start a plan.

- Nick

I'm not an iOS user so I cannot say for certain but isn't Nokia HERE Maps available for iOS? Google leads me to believe it is. If that is the case then you can just download a map of whatever country or state your are in while on WiFi and then you don't even need a data plan to use the GPS.

pigoo3 said:

Here'a a monthly data estimator I found for AT&T. Give it a try…and see if it helps:

AT&T Data Calculator from AT&T

But of course then do what "Raz0rEdge" recommends. Which is tracking your monthly usage (and adjusting) once you start a plan.

- Nick

Click to expand...

Verizon has a data calculator on its website. I tried different amounts. The highest amount for navigation is 60 hours per month. The estimate is that it would use 300 MB for 60 hours in a month or 5 MB per hour. I think that the minimum data plan is 1 GB per month. Very interesting! I expected it to be more than 5 MB per hour.

danipoak said:

I'm not an iOS user so I cannot say for certain but isn't Nokia HERE Maps available for iOS? Google leads me to believe it is. If that is the case then you can just download a map of whatever country or state your are in while on WiFi and then you don't even need a data plan to use the GPS.

Click to expand...

Brilliant idea, that would work. Nokia Here is available here (I couldn't resist.. )

dcs.79c said:

Very interesting! I expected it to be more than 5 MB per hour.

Click to expand...

Maybe GPS data is not very complex. Not like streaming music or video....which would be a good thing.

I think that the deal with GPS data is...if your device is constantly turned on & communicating with the network to get the GPS data...then the data use adds up due to the constant connection. But like you said/estimated...it sounds like the amount of connection time you estimate/month for your GPS needs is acceptable.

You could do the same thing my wife does. Sign up for the 1gig /month plan...then as much as possible use your device on WiFi networks when available. Saving as much of that 1gig/month for when you are on the road.

If you exceed the 1gig/month...then you simply buy more data for that month. Then when you feel you have a good idea (after 2-3 months) of how much data you REALLY need/month. If that amount of data exceeds the 1gig/month plan...then you explore if the "larger data plans" are worth it or not.

- Nick

To add to what has already been said... shop around. An iPad Air or 2 is an unlocked device and can be used on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. All you need is to purchase a SIM card and data plan from the carrier of your choice. I used Verizon with my iPad for 6 months and paid for their 1 GB data plan until I found out it was less expensive to use T-Mobile. I paid $10 for a T-Mobile SIM card and get 300 MB of free data every month.

Since I have a good data plan for my iPhone and my wife's iPhone, I no longer need a lot of data for the iPad.

I use a dedicated GPS connected by Bluetooth for all my Travels. Here in Australia, there is a lot of places without a cell tower, and using my Bad Elf GPS I never use ANY data what so ever. . . Something else to consider . .