Vodafone offers smartphone punters data test drive

Vodafone has unveiled a new scheme for those who aren’t sure what type of data package they need to cover their surfing.

The Data Test Drive is basically a free license to use the Internet as much as you want for the first three months of a new smartphone package.

Vodafone then measures the amount of data you’ve got through, and if your current package covers that, nothing need be done. Should you have used more data than your contract covers, Voda will of course recommend upgrading to a suitable plan.

It’s a nice idea to see how much data you’ll use if you haven’t got a clue, although of course monthly usage can vary considerably, particularly when it comes to the likes of streaming video.

And we’re betting there’ll be a few folks who just use the test drive period to burn rubber and download as much as they can in the first quarter of the contract, before throttling back to normal usage. If you want to treat the first three months as a data-free-for-all, then that’s your prerogative.

Equally, there will likely be punters not out to exploit the offer, but who with the relaxed lack of data cap will end up downloading a lot more stuff, and in the end sign up to a more expensive plan.

The test drive can’t be taken by those on sim-only contracts, mobile broadband only plans, or those whose prospective phone contract doesn’t offer any data usage in the first place.