Better to use G-Mail for mail when roaming??

Question

Hi - if i go abroad (from the UK) with the iPhone - given the charges per megabyte of data - am I better off having emails from my normal ISP mail accounts forwarded to Gmail (or similar) and then use Safari to go to Gmail to check my emails (rather than accessing my 'regular' Mail accounts on the phone) - i am guessing this method means you are downloading a lot less (in my case I receive LOADS of spam i would rather not be paying to download into my iPhone mailbox)

Answer 1

this link might help.
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/iphone-travel-tips.jsp
"You can travel the world with your iPhone
AT&T knows that the mobile internet on your iPhone is indispensable to you. That's why we want to remind you that international data usage is not covered under your existing U.S. data plan. Any voice or data usage outside the domestic coverage area is considered as an International Roaming charge.
International roaming and data usage is not covered under your existing data plan.
With iPhone's many internet-based applications, it's natural for users to use more data on their iPhone than they would using other handsets or PDA devices.
International data roaming can get expensive quickly.
For example, opening an email with a 5 megapixel picture in it, or downloading a 3 minute video on YouTube, each takes about 2MB of data. The cost would be almost $40, based on pay-per-use international data rates of $.0195/KB.
What can you do to minimize your international data charges?
Turn Data Roaming "OFF": Be sure to download and install the latest version of iPhone software (version 2.0) from iTunes. By default, this setting for international data roaming will be in the "OFF" position.
To turn data roaming "ON/OFF" tap on: Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming
Utilize Wi-Fi instead of GPRS/EDGE: Wi-Fi is available in many international airports, hotels and restaurants to browse the web or check email.
Turn Off Your Phone's "Auto-Check" Function for Email: Data usage from email can accrue quickly. Check email manually using Wi-Fi instead of having email downloaded automatically to your iPhone. This way you can control the flow of data coming to your iPhone.
To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on: Settings>Fetch New Data and select manually
Consider Purchasing an International Data Package: Purchasing an international data package can significantly reduce the cost of using data abroad. AT&T now offers two discount international data packages.
$24.99 per month - 20 MB Data Global Plan (20 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)
$59.99 per month - 50 MB Data Global Plan (50 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)
*for a list of countries visit att.com/dataconnectglobal for current information
Reset the Usage Tracker to Zero: When you arrive overseas access the usage tracker in the general settings menu & select reset statistics. This will enable you to track your estimated data usage.
Why does iPhone use more data than other devices?
Full HTML email: All data associated with emails are downloaded to iPhone, including full attachments and associated graphics
Automatic check for email: Customers who set their device to automatically check for email in 15, 30, or 60 minute intervals are incurring international data charges, even if no email is downloaded.
Enhanced Internet experience: The Safari browser supports full HTML browsing for a more enhanced experience, which uses significantly more data than a WAP browser on a standard handset or PDA.
Feature-rich applications: iPhone applications like Google Maps, YouTube, and others, depending on frequency of usage, can use a large amount of data
Certain restrictions apply. Rates subject to change. ©2008 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved.
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