Right....depending on the phone and network...uploads of pics and vids and data can occur with just a data connection....4G for example....it doesn't necessarily have to have Wi-Fi or be plugged in..or both...can be just a data connection only depending on phone and network.JMO
I have been trying to read about how devices like smart cell phones can use external data storage and its pretty amazing and complicated. I am new to use of smart phones so take this with a grain of salt.
I believe external storage of different types of data depends on many things. It depends on
*the type of phone someone has---what make and model
*which cell phone service provider one is using
*the type of application someone has downloaded to use
*whether the phone has a signal to a tower
*whether the person is logged into an application
*whether there is a wi-fi network available
It really depends on many things and depending on all these things then a cell phone can and will transmit data to an external data storage. This sometimes happens automatically in a lot of situations.
This link below shows one example of how one type of phone does some of this external storage and notice it says or a "data network". Which to me means some companys data network that will store the data if you happen to be connected to that network and/or application you are running on your phone. I may be wrong but I think the cell phone tower may be all that is needed to get to certain types of networks and to transmit certain types of data.
So in a nutshell the way I think of this is if a person is using some phone application and the phone has a "connection" then the data from the phone can end up on some external data storage somewhere.
And the really crazy thing is I have read where if a phone does not have a "connection" then some applications on the phone keep the data on the phone until a connection is reestablished and then the data is transmitted.
So the bottom line is it depends on many things but the point is that data can end up going to external storage places.
And from reading the very fine print when I setup my new phone for certain settings I think a lot of times the company's service or application someone is using can do external storage of someones data without them ever having to do anything at all.
Its not like I have to push a button or click SEND for my phone to have data end up going to an external data storage device. Certain phones and applications grab the data and get it. They do this for many reasons too. Marketing research is one good reason they do it. So they can figure out how people are using their phones so they can tailor products and services for the masses. To make more money in the future from us.
Below is just one example for one type of phone
"With photo syncing activated, recently snapped photos will be uploaded and shared across connected devices, as long as the device is connected to Wi-Fi or a data network."
https://news.samsung.com/global/sam...o-upgrade-back-up-and-sync-your-galaxy-device
This link shows the complexity involved and different ways data can go other places.
http://www.tech-faq.com/how-do-cell-phones-work.html
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