How much is 2GB of data?
In 2022, 2GB isn’t really considered to be that much data.
This amount of data was quite popular just a few years ago in 2019. Now, people are going for data plans that are at least double, according to Ofcom’s 2021 report.
2GB of data per month is best suited to minimal phone users. So if you don’t often rely on your mobile data whilst out and about, or you find yourself only needing to access the internet very occasionally each month, this could be the most affordable plan for you.
How long does 2GB of data last?
To gain a better idea of how long 2GB of data will last each month, you need to know how much mobile data each activity on your phone uses.
Check out our table below to see how many megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB) each task uses (on average) in an hour.
|
Activity |
Data consumption |
|
Browsing the internet |
|
|
Listening to music |
Spotify 10.8MB per hour (24kbps) 43.2MB per hour (96kbps) 72MB per hour (160kbps) 144MB per hour (320kbps) |
|
Watching Netflix |
1GB per hour (standard definition) 3GB per hour (HD) |
|
Watching YouTube videos |
1.56GB per hour (1080p) 2.7GB per hour (4K) |
|
Browsing social media |
90MB per hour (scrolling) 156MB per hour (interacting) |
|
Using Skype / FaceTime |
Skype
FaceTime |
As you can see, streaming high quality video content, like YouTube and Netflix, could use up one to three GB of data in a single hour! So if you only had 2GB of data, it wouldn’t last very long at all if you wanted to watch TV. You could always download videos and music over Wi-Fi ahead of time, but this requires planning and coordination.
You could stick to the less data-intensive tasks, but even these could rapidly eat into your allowance. For example, you would be able to Skype a friend or loved one for around seven hours before running out completely.
How many hours will 2GB of data last for?
|
Activity |
Time duration with 2GB* |
|
Browsing the internet |
33 hours |
|
Listening to music |
Spotify 185 hours (24kbps) 46 hours (96kbps) 27 hours (160kbps) 13 hours (320kbps) |
|
Watching Netflix |
2 hours (standard definition) 0.66 hours (HD) / 39 minutes (HD) |
|
Watching YouTube videos |
1.3 hours (1080p) 0.74 hours (4K) / 44 minutes (4K) |
|
Browsing social media |
22 hours (scrolling) 12 hours (interacting) |
|
Using Skype / FaceTime |
Skype 7 hours
FaceTime 11 hours |
*Calculated based on data consumption values in previous table - 2000MB or 2GB / XXMB or XXGB
As the table shows, you won’t get much time doing certain activities. You could use up your entire 2GB allowance on a 44 minute YouTube splurge, but you’d then be out of data for the rest of the month! Even a single episode on Netflix would take a serious chunk out of your allowance.
Browsing the net with 2GB will last for around 33 hours. So you could browse for around one hour per day before reaching your limit. Similarly, you could use social media for less than an hour each day.
Is 2GB of data enough for me?
If you rarely need mobile data, but still want the security of knowing you have a GB or two for backup, a 2GB plan could be the most cost-appropriate bundle for your needs.
Or, if you know you’ll only need to turn on mobile data for a couple of hours of browsing per month, you could consider a 1GB or 2GB plan.
If you love streaming videos on the go, you shouldn’t opt for a bundle plan of this size. Similarly, if you video call your loved ones a lot, you should consider a bigger bundle (or even go unlimited).
SIM plans to suit youIf you're looking for a great value SIM plan with no contract, look no further than Asda mobile! For just £5 a month you could get 3GB of data, as well as unlimited minutes and texts. You can also take advantage of 4G, Wi-Fi Calling, roam like you're home, and much more!
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