Straight Talk: Just How Much Data is 3GB?

In our first article, Do Affordable Phone Plans Work, we introduced Straight Talk and their 3 main no-contract monthly plans.  As a Straight Talk Tester*, I have been enjoying testing out my Straight Talk iPhone around town here in Southern California and seeing which parts of my city have 3 circles (bars on other mobile plans) or more.  Later this week, I head out to Oklahoma to watch my nephew graduate high school.  I still remember when we was a cute little inquisitive toddler, now he’s off to college.  I will be traveling to several other states soon too, I’ll keep you updated on Straight Talk’s service span across the US.

How Much Data is 3GB?

As I mentioned in our previous article on Straight Talk, we are testing out the $45/mo unlimited phone, text, and data plan.  The unlimited data is unlimited, however you receive the fastest data speed until you consume 3GB of data, then the speed is reduced for the remainder of the 30-day cycle.  We can’t help but to ask the question, just how much data is 3GB?

Believe it or not, 3GB of data should be plenty of data streaming for most people.  The only way you’ll be in jeopardy of extending beyond this number is if you stream high definition (HD) video.  What happens if you do?  After 3 GB, you will not be able to stream HD video anymore.  Not bad if you prefer your children limit their mobile video watching.  Worried still?  I was.  As a proficient mom tech, I’m always using my mobile data service.  After doing some investigation, however, I am more at ease.

You can see from this graphic, that if you are like most mobile consumers, even a power mobile consumer, 3GB should last you just fine throughout the month.  Most likely you don’t send 33,000 emails or post over 8,500 Instagram pictures.  Even I don’t conduct 200 hours of web browsing.  If you’re a heavy Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube user, you should definitely watch while using WiFi, or watch on your tablet.  Standard video streaming should be fine.  The tricky part is if you’re watching high definition videos.

Curious to see how much data on Straight Talk you’ve already used this month?  Just text “USAGE” to 611611 and within 20 seconds you will receive your total data expended.  So far for the month, I have used only360.7 MB, a far cry from my 3GB allotment.

This free Data Manager app tells you how much data you are using…via WiFi and cellular.

For a more visual way to see how much data you have used, there is a great free app you can download called Data Manager (iPhone, Android) which tracks your data usage for you.  You can set your total allowed usage and it will alarm you if you’re getting close to your 3GB for the month.  And even more interesting, it breaks down how much data you are using via cellular versus WiFi.  You know when you use your phone sometimes and you’re not sure if you’re actually using your WiFi or cellular?  Now you can check.  So go ahead, watch that movie on your phone!

Straight Talk $25 Walmart Gift Card Offer

Now through the end of  May, Straight Talk is also offering a $25 Walmart gift card with the purchase of a Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy Centura.  Based on Android 4.0, the Samsung Galaxy Centura smartphone is perfect for your children or even your parents.  It has a 3.5″ touchscreen and talk time up to 7.22 hours.  It’s main drawback is that it has a 3MP camera, but truthfully, if your children are like mine, they take a lot of pictures…pictures that fill up our hard drives fast, so 3 MP for my kids is OK in my book!

You automatically receive the $25 Walmart gift card once you purchase the Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy Centura phone…either in-store or online at Walmart.com.  The price of the phone is $99.

Mobile Service

Even though the Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy Centura smartphone is called  “prepaid,” there won’t be any service attached to it until you buy a Straight Talk service plan.  So far, we are most happy with the Straight Talk plan at $45 for a 30-day unlimited plan with gives you unlimited voice, text, and data.

If you’re looking for service with a less expensive monthly plan, Straight Talk now offers a $30/month plan which includes 1,500 of talk, unlimited texting, and 100MB of data, available on some smartphones.  This is a great plan for tweens, teenagers, your parents, even you if you’re not a big mobile user.

Want a Little Fun?

Want to have a little fun and perhaps win a cool cash in the process?  Straight Talk is having a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words contest.  The prize?  $1,000 of course!  Entering is easy.  Just go to Instagram and upload a picture of where your current US cell service has you covered.  It could be at the mall, in the forest, at the salon, the places are endless!

Here’s How to Get in the Competition:

• Follow @MyStraightTalk on Instagram
• Upload a picture to Instagram before June 2, 2014
• Tag your photo with #StraightTalkHere and @MyStraightTalk

And guess what?  Straight Talk is awarding a total of $4,000 during the contest period.  There will be one winner each week of the contest.  And not only do you receive your cool thousand bucks, but a new Straight Talk device too to get you started.

Follow @MyStraightTalk on Instagram

One of these pics is my entry…showing I get service at the salon…guess which one it is??? 😉

Interested in knowing more about Straight Talk?  Straight Talk is making it even easier to understand their simple, no strings attached mobile plans by making themselves available on Saturdays throughout May at participating Walmart wireless centers to answer questions.  Straight Talk is always available at Walmart, but having the ability to talk to someone further in-store is an added benefit.

*  As a Straight Talk Tester, I have been given monthly service and a phone to use throughout the remainder of the year.  All opinions are my own.