I’ve already written about using as much data as possible, but the iPhone’s built in tracking system can be cumbersome. Forget to clear it? Max it out? Yeah, it can be a bit of a hassle. Why not get a usage tracker that collects all your usage and quotas from dozens of services and keeps it in one place? Add an attractive smooth interface as a topping and you’ve got Consume.

Consume is described as

“… a powerful and versatile usage monitor for your mobile phone, broadband, tolls, deliveries, rewards cards and more. Keep track of all your account balances and quotas to ensure you don’t incur any additional costs.”

…and it’s exactly that. Developed by Bjango, the team that brought you the popular iStat for the Mac, Consume is designed to be a one-stop app for tracking. Over one-hundred services from fifteen countries are supported (see the full list). Consume’s benefit will lie solely in what services you subscribe to and the rules associated with them.

For example, I have one AT&T account and nothing else. The data I get is fairly paltry, just a minutes counter and data usage. Since both text messages and data are unlimited, Consume is not very exciting. However, let’s assume that I had three kids, each with a pay as you go phone. I could track all three’s remaining minutes/texts and overages. Even getting into specifics like weekday vs nights and weekends.

Then again, I don’t have kids with pay as you go phones. Just AT&T. To make matters worse, AT&T has their own application (free) that does all of this, albeit slowly (the application gets data from AT&T like molasses). So to me, Consume is extremely pretty and undeniably quicker than AT&T’s official application, but not very useful. Not all iPhone-toting networks have their own application though.

My recommendation is particular. If you’re using a cellular service minute/data/text caps (even AT&T), tracking multiple services, or use a service that doesn’t have it’s own app, then absolutely spend the $1.99. If you’re me and exclusively use AT&T, with unlimited texting and data, then get AT&T’s myWireless application and move on.

Consume, by Bjango

Disclosure: This application was provided by Bjango with a promo code.