Data caps force app developers to be efficient

Tiered pricing for wireless plans could mean mobile apps are going to get squeezed down to size by their developers.

As unlimited mobile data plans become a thing of the past for many wireless smartphone subscribers, developers will have to think more carefully about how efficiently their apps use network resources. For the past couple of years app developers haven't had to worry too much about whether their applications consumed a lot of data resources on wireless networks. Cell phone carriers, such as AT&T and others around the world like O2 in the U.K., offered smartphone users, especially iPhone customers, unlimited data plans.

But just as the most data-hungry version of the iPhone is about to hit store shelves, wireless operators are pulling the plug on all-you-can-eat data plans. Earlier this month, AT&T announced it would eliminate its unlimited data plan. Instead it will offer new smartphone subscribers a choice of two plans: a $15 a month plan for 200 megabytes of data per month or a $25 a month plan offering 2 gigabytes of data per month.

For more on this story, read Data caps force app developers to be efficient on CNET News.