- How much is 10GB of data?
- What can you do with 10GB of data?
- How long does 10GB of data last?
- Is 10GB of data enough for me?
How much is 10GB of data?
According to Ofcom, the average person uses around 2.9GB of data per month, a statistic which is rising each year with the evolution of technology. That means 10GB is most likely more than enough for the average phone user. However, it entirely depends on how you personally use your phone. For example, if you like to stream films and play online games, you’ll need to look at bigger data allowances.
10GB is a fairly large chunk of data that shouldn’t disappear too quickly (as long as you’re being careful). To find out exactly how much data activities consume, and how long 10GB of data can last for each task, check out our handy tables below.
What can you do with 10GB of data?
We use our phones for a variety of things: browsing the internet, listening to music, watching films and videos, communicating via social media, and talking to friends and family. You'd be surprised by how much uses up data on your phone!
When offline (not attached to Wi-Fi), all of these tasks will require data. Here’s how much each activity consumes per hour. Remember: MB is smaller than GB, and 1000MB is equal to 1GB.
|
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, video-related content like watching Netflix or YouTube uses up the largest amounts of data. If you don’t tend to watch or listen to much on your phone, and prefer to use it for internet browsing and social media, then 10GB will be more than enough to last your whole month.
However, if you’re a video fanatic, you may want to try and figure out just how much content you watch each month to see if 10GB will sustain your usage. For a general overview of how much time you can spend on these activities with 10GB, check out the table below.
How long does 10GB of data last?
See how long 10GB can last with the following activities.
|
Activity |
Time duration with 10GB* |
|
Browsing the internet |
166 hours |
|
Listening to music |
Spotify 925 hours (24kbps) 231 hours (96kbps) 138 hours (160kbps) 69 hours (320kbps) |
|
Watching Netflix |
10 hours (standard definition) 3 hours (HD) |
|
Watching YouTube videos |
6 hours (1080p) 3 hours (4K) |
|
Browsing social media |
111 hours (scrolling) 64 hours (interacting) |
|
Using Skype / FaceTime |
Skype 37 hours FaceTime 55 hours |
*Calculated based on data consumption values in previous table - 10000 (10GB) / XXMB or XXGB
For the average user, as stated by Ofcom, 10GB is plenty of data to play with for the month, perfect for keeping yourself entertained and occupied while commuting.
Most likely, your phone battery will run out before your data does, so find out how to prolong it to keep using your data whenever you need it.
Is 10GB enough for me?
To figure out if 10GB of data is enough for you, you should consider what type of data user you are. Remember that this isn’t what you do whilst connected to the internet, but the types of tasks you ask of your smartphone whilst out and about.
Uswitch suggest the following criteria to figure out the right amount of data for you:
Low data user
- Looks at webpages and checks emails
- Checks social media reasonably often
- Doesn’t play many games or activate many apps
- Doesn’t download music directly onto phone (perhaps listens through the radio instead)
- Occasionally chats online
- Occasionally watches a video
- Uses the internet for around one to two hours per day
If this sounds like you, your best bet is a data plan between 1GB and 5GB.
Medium data user
- Checks emails daily
- Spends a fair amount of time browsing the internet
- Spends a fair amount of time playing games
- Often watches YouTube
- Downloads a few songs every month
If this more closely reflects your phone usage, 10GB (and above) is the most suitable deal for you.
High data user
- Sends and receives emails frequently
- Watches a lot of videos
- Downloads many applications, as well as games and music
- Watches Netflix frequently
- Communicates online for several hours per day
If this is you, then you most likely need a data plan of 15GB+, or even an unlimited data plan.
Use the tables and this criteria to help you decide if 10GB is enough for your type of usage. Do you watch movies and videos often? Do you stream loads of music? Or do you simply like to scroll through social media while waiting to arrive at your destination?
If you find that you tick most of the boxes for a medium user, then 10GB could be right for you.
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 £10 a month you could get 12GB of data, as well as unlimited minutes and texts. You can also take advantage of 5G, Wi-Fi Calling, roam like you're home, and much more!
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If 10GB isn't right for you, check out our other data guides to find the right plan for you:
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