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Some Users Seeing 'Phantom Data Use' on WP7

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News Posted: Sun, Jan 9 2011 6:57 PM
Windows Phone 7 users are complaining over what they call "phantom data usage." The nascent smartphone platform is, according to some accounts, using as much as multiple megabytes per hour of cellular data, and that's even when connected to wi-fi.

Indeed, you read that correctly; even when connected to wi-fi, Windows Phone 7 seems to be defaulting to cellular connectivity when there's a wi-fi network that the users's phone is connected to. In one report, a user stated that his bill showed:

[...] on November 21-24 it sent between 30 and 50 MB of data at 10:41pm each day and Dec 1-4 it sent between 30 and 50 MB of data at 9:41am each day. On December 23rd I turned on airplane mode so my phone could no longer send data. I turned airplane mode off briefly on December 23rd and the phone sent 400 MB of data.
This user saw 2 - 5 MB used per hour. That would be about 1.4GB a month, with the phone just sitting on a table (assuming the 2MB figure).

This is probably a bug that will be fix with Microsoft's first big Windows Phone 7 update that should be coming very soon. Until then, WP7 users are seeing what happens sometimes to early adopters.
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3vi1 replied on Sun, Jan 9 2011 8:04 PM

It's probably phoning home with debug crash info. Seriously.

What part of "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" don't you understand?

++++++++++++[>++++>+++++++++>+++>+<<<<-]>+++.>++++++++++.-------------.+++.>---.>--.

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Inspector replied on Sun, Jan 9 2011 11:44 PM

LOL, wow, if u get a low data plan... No need for that plan any more xD

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TMitchell replied on Mon, Jan 10 2011 10:59 AM

I don't think this is a widespread problem by any means... I'm 19 days into my billing cycle and I've used 86MB. That's with relatively frequent social network and internet usage.

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RAlexander replied on Mon, Jan 10 2011 1:12 PM

This guy probably has Facebook, Twitter, and other auto-updating apps all set to update daily at 941 AM. At least on Android he'd be able to see the log of which as is accessing the network.

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3vi1 replied on Mon, Jan 10 2011 2:48 PM

I agree with TMitchell. Given the limited number of complaints, this is probably some bug specific to a handset/carrier that only occurs under very specific circumstances.

But, it is kind of fun to kick Microsoft when they're down... now that their market share has fallen to single digits (9%) and Android (26%) has passed Apple (25%). So, I'm going to pretend this bug affects all WinPho7 handsets.

What part of "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" don't you understand?

++++++++++++[>++++>+++++++++>+++>+<<<<-]>+++.>++++++++++.-------------.+++.>---.>--.

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realneil replied on Mon, Jan 10 2011 9:21 PM

He needs the Sledge-Hammer App.

Set it on an unforgiving surface and use a Sledge Hammer on it. Woola! no more data usage!

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

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