AT&T iPhone 2GB DataPro Cap.. would I go over it? Do you?

Question

I'm planning to get the iPhone 4 on AT&T soon, but am just hesitant about this 2GB limited cap. I currently have a T-Mobile Sidekick (3G), and only use about 70MB a month. However, I know with iPhones the data is used differently.
I will be using Instant Messaging (meebo app), e-mail, web browsing, maps (GPS), social networking apps, and this free text messaging app that is always kept on a LOT on the 3G network, daily. Occasionally when I am bored I might check out a couple YouTube videos or Skype. When I did an estimate on ATT.com's data calculator, I was looking at using about 5GB of data a month. This must be a mistake!
I can't afford to tack on an extra Gigabyte a month for $10 simply because AT&T refuses to let consumers have a new unlimited data plan like other carriers do. Also, Wi-Fi is out of the question where I live.
So based on what I will be using daily with this iPhone, am I vulnerable to exceeding the 2GB data limit? What has been your experiences as an iPhone user?

Answer 1

cpham wrote:
And you are sure about this? I'm planning to have several apps running constantly such as IM+ or Meebo, or Facebook and that TextFree app that Pinger offers. I will have email connected as well.
"Text" based activities will not likely put you over the cap. You'd have to be texting continuously for the whole month...and I mean literally 24 hours a day. My Windows Mobile smartphone with several hundred texts per month, Twitter, Facebook and email never gets me past 1GB.
What does eat up data is "streaming" activities. I started listening to a local radio station's web stream because my new office has bad reception for them on FM. I listen "just a few hours" per day, but I'll hit just under 2GB per month. Of course, that's just radio. If it were streaming video (e.g.: Netflix) then you'll likely go more than that. (One movie might not, but I'd guess more than 3 or 4 Netflix movies in a month.)
...I actually sold and activated an iPhone (I work at a cell phone retailer), and watched as the customer played on the internet setting up an AT&T account through his phone. He was surfing for 20 minutes, and had already racked up 1,712 KB (about 1.7 MB). This is JUST surfing through Safari alone. How would it be after 30 days, and having multiple applications connect through the 3G network where Wifi is not available?
What webpage? As I said above, it's usually streaming that will eat up data. So if that customer went to CNN and watched a few video news stories, then yes, you can rack up that much data in a short time. Me personally, I read the text-only CNN webpage during my lunch hour each day. That's around 20-25 hours per month of surfing and I would only use up 150-200MB per month. (I actually looked at my detailed bill to see if I could figure out what my lunch hour activities used up.)
Don't stream anything over 3G. Then 2GB/mo is adequate for most people. (Not everyone, but most people.)