Data Guzzling Apps, Get Educated

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire -05/22/12)- Telestial.com -- We think we'll change our data-hogging habits when we travel abroad with our smartphones, but "they're called habits for a reason," says Ken Grunski of Telestial.com, an international SIM card provider. "About 70% of our customers use more data than they anticipate when traveling in another country."

Some apps use a 'store and forward' process that bypasses the exorbitant costs of using data overseas, but not necessarily the ones you might think. We asked Ken to give us typical data use and costs for some of the most popular apps among smartphone users today:

Click to see the biggest Data Guzzlers compared side-by-side

Photo Sharing: Instagram

"With smartphone cameras so high in resolution these days, it's going to cost you to send a picture, no matter what. Rising megapixels have outpaced falling data costs," says Grunski. Considering how easy Instagram makes it to share beautiful snapshots of your stay in Bora Bora, chances are you won't stop at just one photo upload.

Streaming Music: Spotify

Grunski warns, "Just don't stream. Load up your music library before you leave. It's free and won't drain your battery as quickly." But if you must stream, he suggests Spotify over other apps like Pandora and IHeartRadio because the music plays live so there's no need to wait for downloads, hence no big dent in your hard drive.

Gaming: Words With Friends

"Generally, one-person games are the best way to go," says Grunski. Games like Fruit Ninja and Solitaire usually don't require data to work, but games Angry Birds (which run ads) can burn significant data. However, if you must maintain your high-score status while abroad, keep in mind what a few rounds of Words With Friends will cost you.

News: Google Currents

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Data Guzzling Apps, Get Educated

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