Microsoft investigates 'phantom' Windows Phone 7 data

[Subject Delta]

Microsoft has told BBC News that it is investigating why some handsets running its Windows Phone 7 software are sending and receiving "phantom data".

Several net forums detail complaints from people that say their phones are automatically eating into their monthly data plans without their knowledge.

Some have complained that their phone sends "between 30 and 50MB of data" every day; an amount that would eat into a 1GB allowance in 20 days.

Most complainants are based in the US.

"I received an e-mail from AT&T saying that I was close to my 2GB data limit which truly shocked me as I feel I do not use data that much," a phone owner called Julie told Paul Thurrott's supersite for Windows.

"I went and looked at my AT&T account online and noticed that my phone was sending huge chunks of data seemingly in patterns."

Another said that they had noticed that the phone's "idle data usage is around 2-5MB per hour".

"This seems quite excessive to me - what exactly is being transferred? This even happens at night when I'm not getting any e-mails at all," they wrote on Howard Forums.

Some have speculated the problem may be related to the phones sending "feedback" to Microsoft about the software's performance or that the phones are using a 3G connection even when wi-fi is available.

"We are investigating this issue to determine the root cause and will update with information and guidance as it becomes available," said a Microsoft spokesperson.

Windows Phone 7 was launched in October 2010 to acclaim by manufacturers and users.

It is considered the company's first credible challenge to rival operating systems from Apple, Google, Research in Motion and Nokia.

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer said that the firm would soon release "a series of platform improvements" in response to users' feedback.

These will include copy and paste capabilities and performance improvements when loading or switching between applications.

Source: BBC News

[BoredBozirini]

Wow, this is a serious fail on Microsofts part. Windows Phone 7 was not ready for prime time, they rushed it.

At least we've got two good phone OS remaining, Android and iOS.

[amon91]

Wow, this is a serious fail on Microsofts part. Windows Phone 7 was not ready for prime time, they rushed it.

At least we've got two good phone OS remaining, Android and iOS.

Apple has made quite a few monumental mistakes as well. That said this can't happen. I hope MS and AT&T are ready to refund all customers affected.

[neufuse Veteran]

are we sure its not a 3rd party app yet? that much data being send / recieved from a core OS seems outragious.. I can see some push updates / notifications but thats about it!

[Singh400]

I swear this was already reported...

[Arkos Reed]

There have been a few reports about similar occurrences with iPhones on AT&T's network a few months ago... see the common denominator?

[thealexweb]

Wow that's rubbish, so non-techy users could be been charged extra by their network and they'll have no idea why, fail WP7.

[-=Outlaw=-]

here is my usage on the phone starting two days ago. nothing seems to be out of place on my network (t-mobile)

DATE--TIME--USAGE IN MB

01/10/11 07:46 AM 0.0253

01/10/11 05:46 AM 0.0195

01/10/11 03:46 AM 0.0146

01/10/11 01:46 AM 0.0234

01/09/11 11:46 PM 0.0722

01/09/11 09:46 PM 1.3056

01/09/11 09:04 PM 1.2783

01/09/11 07:04 PM 0.6308

01/09/11 05:04 PM 0.6845

01/09/11 03:51 PM 0.4111

01/09/11 02:38 PM 0.4775

01/09/11 02:16 PM 0.0996

01/09/11 12:29 PM 1.3525

01/09/11 11:34 AM 1.4843

01/09/11 09:45 AM 3.2314

01/09/11 08:42 AM 0.1855

01/09/11 07:24 AM 0.1484

01/09/11 05:24 AM 0.1259

01/09/11 03:24 AM 0.1025

01/09/11 01:24 AM 0.1269

01/08/11 11:24 PM 0.5166

01/08/11 09:36 PM 0.3144

01/08/11 07:36 PM 0.6796

01/08/11 05:45 PM 0.2773

01/08/11 04:41 PM 5.8603

01/08/11 02:41 PM 0.5

01/08/11 01:18 PM 0.4345

01/08/11 12:06 PM 1.54

01/08/11 10:51 AM 2.7148

01/08/11 10:38 AM 0.7324

01/08/11 08:38 AM 0.4169

01/08/11 06:38 AM 0.1093

01/08/11 04:38 AM 0.0166

01/08/11 02:38 AM 0.0107

01/08/11 12:38 AM 0.0253

[amon91]

There have been a few reports about similar occurrences with iPhones on AT&T's network a few months ago... see the common denominator?

here is my usage on the phone starting two days ago. nothing seems to be out of place on my network (t-mobile)

Now that's interesting... Maybe MS isn't to blame after all? But how can they force data onto a device?

[Frylock86]

here is my usage on the phone starting two days ago. nothing seems to be out of place on my network (t-mobile)

DATE--TIME--USAGE IN MB

01/10/11 07:46 AM 0.0253

01/10/11 05:46 AM 0.0195

01/10/11 03:46 AM 0.0146

01/10/11 01:46 AM 0.0234

01/09/11 11:46 PM 0.0722

01/09/11 09:46 PM 1.3056

01/09/11 09:04 PM 1.2783

01/09/11 07:04 PM 0.6308

01/09/11 05:04 PM 0.6845

01/09/11 03:51 PM 0.4111

01/09/11 02:38 PM 0.4775

01/09/11 02:16 PM 0.0996

01/09/11 12:29 PM 1.3525

01/09/11 11:34 AM 1.4843

01/09/11 09:45 AM 3.2314

01/09/11 08:42 AM 0.1855

01/09/11 07:24 AM 0.1484

01/09/11 05:24 AM 0.1259

01/09/11 03:24 AM 0.1025

01/09/11 01:24 AM 0.1269

01/08/11 11:24 PM 0.5166

01/08/11 09:36 PM 0.3144

01/08/11 07:36 PM 0.6796

01/08/11 05:45 PM 0.2773

01/08/11 04:41 PM 5.8603

01/08/11 02:41 PM 0.5

01/08/11 01:18 PM 0.4345

01/08/11 12:06 PM 1.54

01/08/11 10:51 AM 2.7148

01/08/11 10:38 AM 0.7324

01/08/11 08:38 AM 0.4169

01/08/11 06:38 AM 0.1093

01/08/11 04:38 AM 0.0166

01/08/11 02:38 AM 0.0107

01/08/11 12:38 AM 0.0253

Are you using WP7? I wonder if this is an AT&T thing then?

[spudtrooper]

Wow, this is a serious fail on Microsofts part. Windows Phone 7 was not ready for prime time, they rushed it.

At least we've got two good phone OS remaining, Android and iOS.

Windows phone 7 here and no "ghost" data.. and i wouldn't touch a droid with a 10 foot pole and our house is glad to be free of iOS forever.

[jakem1]

I swear this was already reported...

It was but all the Android fans like Subject Delta and alexweb obviously wanted another opportunity to troll.

[zombieChan]

My girlfriend and I have the HTC Surround with AT&T, neither of use are seeing any "ghost" data. I wonder if it is a third party app doing this.

[~Johnny]

If it is only happening on devices on AT&T, it could be whatever software they preloaded making content updates to itself in the background? <img>

[-=Outlaw=-]

Are you using WP7? I wonder if this is an AT&T thing then?

I sure am, I'm using the HTC HD7

[nowimnothing]

My WP7 data usage is lower than my iPhone 4 data usage was... and i have downloaded more apps for WP7 than i did for the iPhone 4 (thanks to almost everything having a trial version on WP7).

[thealexweb]

It was but all the Android fans like Subject Delta and alexweb obviously wanted another opportunity to troll.

Ha ha funny that -.- But at least get my username right next time okay? :p Back to the topic, don't how this could be a network thing, I mean there's no AT&T software in the phones.

[ObiWanToby]

Ha ha funny that -.- But at least get my username right next time okay? :p Back to the topic, don't how this could be a network thing, I mean there's no AT&T software in the phones.

AT&T doesn't provide any crapware with WP7?

[~Johnny]

Ha ha funny that -.- But at least get my username right next time okay? :p Back to the topic, don't how this could be a network thing, I mean there's no AT&T software in the phones.

AT&T Windows Phone 7 devices come loaded with AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T myWireless, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio, and AT&T U-verse Mobile :p Whether any of those apps update in the background I have no idea, never seen them in action. Butt so far all the reports seem to be from AT&T users

<img>

[Subject Delta]

are we sure its not a 3rd party app yet? that much data being send / recieved from a core OS seems outragious.. I can see some push updates / notifications but thats about it!

Hard to say what the cause could be, ut if Microsoft are investigating it, that means that it's an issue

I swear this was already reported...

I looked, and couldn't find any other topics about this

It was but all the Android fans like Subject Delta and alexweb obviously wanted another opportunity to troll.

Yep, because we all know the BBC are prone to posting unverified and false news stories (Y)

Sorry if this kind of thing spoils your Microsoft love in, but it is real news.

[jakem1]

Nobody questioned whether it was real news or not, just why it is being reposted ;) Besides that , it's difficult to understand why the BBC would waste their time reporting on an issue that only effects users on a single American mobile network.

[spenser.d]

I've seen none of that with my Samsung Focus on AT&T. My guess is a third party app updating itself a little too often. None of AT&T's apps have any reason to update themselves in the background and its too limited to too few people to really be anything other than some random app.

[norseman]

I have yet to encounter this problem and I consider myself a power user on my Samsung Focus with Rogers... 3x email accounts setup, downloading apps daily, taking pictures which get uploaded to windows live and facebook using my data plan... It all seems to be fine!

[Woelfel]

None of the ATT apps do this. I do the most logical thing, when I'm in wifi-range, turn off 3G, it's a nice little feature.

[~Johnny]

when I'm in wifi-range, turn off 3G, it's a nice little feature.

Unfortunately looking at the reports, even if 3G is off, the data waits until 3G turns back on to be sent, so it won't help anything :[

<img>