iPhone 5s Owners Using 20% More Cellular Data Than Last Year's iPhone 5 Owners

Owners of the iPhone 5s, Apple's latest flagship smartphone, are using significantly more data than iPhone 5 owners consumed last year -- twenty percent more, according to a new research report from JDSU (via TechCrunch), in what the writer of the study called an "unprecedented increase" in uplink and downlink data demands.

The report examined data usage in both developed and developing markets, across more than a million mobile device users. iPhone 5s and fourth-generation iPad owners used the most data, with the Android-based HTC Sensation and the Sony Xperia SP coming up closely behind.

Users of the latest iPhone 5s consume more downlink data than any other smartphone users in both markets under study, consuming almost seven times and twenty times as much as the benchmark iPhone 3G users. This is consistent with the trend seen over the past three years where users of the flagship iPhone devices were the most data-hungry smartphone users. As in past years, we are not in a position to directly identify the root causes of this data consumption.

Developedmarkets
The study also found that iPhone 5c and iPad mini owners used less data than owners of Apple's more expensive devices -- though no easily-determined causal link can be drawn to those findings.

It noted that the top 1 percent of cellular users consume more than half of all downloaded data, with the top 10 percent of users consuming 90 percent of downloaded data. The company notes that this is broadly consistent with trends from the past two years. In addition, LTE data users, unsurprisingly, consume more data than users on slower data networks.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Foldable Thumb

First Foldable iPhone Design Details Revealed

Monday February 2, 2026 7:19 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature relocated volume buttons, an all-black camera plateau, a smaller Dynamic Island, and more, according to design leaks from a known Weibo leaker. The user known as "Instant Digital" today claimed to share several key details about the design of the foldable iPhone: The volume buttons will be located on the top edge of the device, aligned to the...

Top Rated Comments

taphil Avatar
157 months ago
Incessant tab reloading.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arian19 Avatar
157 months ago
I like how this entire chart is based off the iPhone 3g
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
elmizzt Avatar
157 months ago
Just confirms what I have been feeling for a while. iOS seems to use more data for no reason a lot of the time.

actually no the data doesn't confirm anything remotely close to that at all.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mejsric Avatar
157 months ago
50GB cap? My god that's low. You download a blu-ray movie and that's it. :eek:

Thank god i have 1Gbps down and no limit as i download a lot of stuff. Last month i've downloaded almost 1.5TB: mostly bluray movies (over 30GB each) and lots of tvshows and lossless music. :)

And you think piracy is cool???
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
emon878 Avatar
157 months ago
Yeah, what a great, um, baseline?

Or maybe subjective is the word I’m looking for here...

How is it subjective? The baseline doesn't matter all. We still get to compare data usage between phones.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dampfnudel Avatar
157 months ago
You know what that means. Apple is sending your fingerprint data to NSA every time you unlock.:p

You beat me to it.:D
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)