iPhone 6 Plus Owners Use Twice as Much Data as iPhone 6 Owners

There's a new mobile analytics report out from Citrix [PDF] and it's filled with interesting data on mobile usage, including a tidbit that suggests iPhone 6 Plus owners use far more data than other iPhone owners.

People who own the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus consume twice as much data as people who own the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus data usage is 10 times higher than data usage on the 3.5-inch iPhone 3GS. That last statistic isn't surprising -- along with a small screen, the iPhone 3GS is much slower with hardware that's almost six years old.

iphone6data
Citrix suggests that the higher iPhone 6 Plus data usage is due to its users treating it like a tablet, consuming more media like streaming movies on the device.

iPhone 6 Plus subscribers generate the most data volume, double that of an iPhone 6. This increase impacts subscribers when choosing a new device -- be careful to select a data plan that matches your super-sized screen.

Clearly the phablet sized iPhone 6 Plus shows data usage patterns more akin to tablet usage. For mobile operators, this increase provides an opportunity to shift subscriber Wi-Fi usage towards mobile networks.

Other details covering all smartphone usage (not just iOS) suggest that interest in mobile health apps is on the rise, with 78 percent of mobile health app users using fitness apps. Sports video watching on mobile devices is up from 21% in Q3 2014 to 50% in Q1 2015.

The report also has an enterprise section, which confirms that iOS is still the dominant mobile platform. iOS devices are responsible for 64 percent of devices managed in the enterprise, compared to 27 percent for Android and 9 percent for Windows Mobile.

Popular Stories

top stories 2025 12 20

Top Stories: iOS 26.3 Beta, Major Apple Leaks, and More

Saturday December 20, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd think things would be slowing down heading into the holidays, but this week saw a whirlwind of Apple leaks and rumors while Apple started its next cycle of betas following last week's release of iOS 26.2 and related updates. This week also saw the release of a new Apple Music integration with ChatGPT, so read on below for all the details on this week's biggest stories! Top Stories i...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
ios 18 security update

Don't Want to Upgrade to iOS 26? Here's How to Stay on iOS 18 [Update: Now Unavailable]

Friday December 19, 2025 10:37 am PST by
Since the beginning of December, Apple has been pushing iPhone users who opted to stay on iOS 18 to install iOS 26 instead. Apple started by making the iOS 18 upgrades less visible, and has now transitioned to making new iOS 18 updates unavailable on any device capable of running iOS 26. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, Apple is no longer offering new versions of iOS 18, even though there...
airpods pro 3 new blue

AirPods Pro 3's Static and Noise Issues Haven't Been Resolved

Thursday December 18, 2025 3:44 pm PST by
Since the AirPods Pro 3 launched, there have been complaints from users who have noticed a static-like sound or a crackling issue when using the earbuds, particularly when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing. Users have also run into strange high-pitched whistling sounds that happen intermittently. We shared the issues back in late October, and despite two subsequent...
apple music chatgpt

ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live

Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by
There's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists. Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes. ChatGPT can be used to...
samsung exynos 2600 2nm%402x

Samsung Announces World's First 2nm Mobile Chip Ahead of Apple

Friday December 19, 2025 3:59 am PST by
Samsung has officially unveiled the Exynos 2600, the world's first 2 nanometer mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC), built on the company's Gate-All-Around (GAA) process. The 10-core ARM-based design aims to deliver improved performance and efficiency for flagship devices like the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. The chip uses Arm's latest cores and supports new instructions for improved CPU speed and...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple's 2026 and 2027 Product Roadmap: Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, M5 Macs, and More

Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by
There has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond. We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...
iOS 26 Maps Glass

Apple Quietly Discontinued Flyover City Tours in Apple Maps

Thursday December 18, 2025 1:31 pm PST by
Apple Maps no longer offers a Flyover feature that provides users with automated tours of notable landmarks in major cities. The Flyover option appears to have been nixed around when iOS 26 launched, but its removal went largely unnoticed. Flyover city tours were introduced in 2014 with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, using Flyover imagery to generate an aerial tour. Most cities with Flyover...

Top Rated Comments

EricMR Avatar
142 months ago
cause and effect

It may be that heavy data users are more likely to want a larger iPhone. In other words, they're not using more data because they have a larger phone, they're buying a larger phone because they use more data (watching videos, etc.).
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
advancewarsbest Avatar
142 months ago
So the better it is for using the more it gets used, got it!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canesalato Avatar
142 months ago
Safari + 1gb of RAM + 1080p display (downscaled from a much higher resolution) = more tab reloading :p
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tooloud10 Avatar
142 months ago
I call bullocks. I've consistently used the same amount of data (3-4 GB a month) on my 6+ as I have with my iPhone 5 (4, 3G, and 2G as well). I can't be in the minority on this one either.

Why can't you be in the minority?

FWIW, I definitely use more data on my 6+ than I did on my previous iPhone 5.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lordofthereef Avatar
142 months ago
It's because of the rampant page reloads in safari!

huehuehuehuehue
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paulsdenton Avatar
142 months ago
This rings true for me; the screen is so much more readable I don't reach for the iPad anywhere near as much. I just stay on the 6 plus.

In this I am sure I am not unusual.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)