The term megabyte will come up a lot when you're searching for a new cell phone or cell phone plan. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how many MB of data you'll need or how many MB of storage your phone should have. In this article, I'll explain what a MB is, how they related to phones and data plans, and how they compare to gigabytes!
What Is A Megabyte?
MB stands for megabyte, and it's a unit for measuring data. There are a total of one million bytes in a megabyte. The prefix “mega” comes from the Greek word megas, which means “great.”
Wireless carriers typically use megabytes or gigabytes to refer to the data transferred between your phone and their network. For example, when you stream a song using a service like Apple Music or Spotify, you'll use about 2 MB of cellular data if you're not connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Is There Anything Larger Than A MB?
Yes, gigabytes (GB) are larger than megabytes. There are 1000 MB in one GB. Since they're so much larger, gigabytes are used far more often when it comes to storage space on phones and cellular data on plans.
How Many MB Of Data Do I Need?
Most cell phone plans have one or more GB of cellular data, but there are a handful plans with 100 – 750 MB of data. It's not much, but it's nice safety net in case you need to access the internet when no Wi-Fi is available.
If you frequently stream music and videos or surf the web when you aren't connected to Wi-Fi, you'll want a cell phone plan with at least one gigabyte of data. These days, there are plenty of affordable cell phone plans that include a little bit of data, like the Verizon Prepaid Plan.
How Many MB Of Storage Space Do I Need On My Phone?
This is a bit of a trick question, since virtually every phone these days has multiple GB of storage space. It's a good thing they do! You'd have a hard time saving all your photos, videos, music, and contacts if you only had a few hundred MB to spare.
Ultimately, the amount of storage you'll need your phone to have depends on what you do with your phone. If you don't take a lot of photos and don't have many apps, a phone with less than 10 GB of storage is probably enough for you.
However, if you take a lot of photos and videos and use a lot of different apps, you'll want a phone with at least 16 GB of storage space. Most smartphones these days have at least 32 GB of storage space, which is more than enough for most people.
Megabytes Explained!
I hope this article cleared up any confusion you had about megabytes. When your friend asks you what a MB is, you'll know exactly what to tell them. Make sure to use our comparison tools to find the perfect phone and perfect plan for you!
Thanks for reading,
David L.
