Is it a common belief in the tech world that when it comes to mobile data usage, iPhone users are king.  However, a recent report from Validas has proven that that's simply not the case.  After analyzing 20,000 bills of wireless customers between January and May 2010, Validas found that Verizon users consumed 421 MB per month on average, compared to the 338 MB average of AT&T iPhone users.  Keep in mind that Verizon's number doesn't include data used by BlackBerry devices, which Validas excluded due to the way they compress data and the fact that they "do not follow similar data consumption patterns to those of iPhones and other Smartphones."

When it comes to heavier data users, Verizon also came out on top.  About 11 percent of Big Red customers use between 500 MB and 1 GB of data per month, compared to 5.6 percent of iPhone users that consume a similar amount.  Finally, the report found that although many people complained about AT&T's new 2 GB data plan, only 1.6 percent of iPhone owners actually use that much data, compared to 4 percent of Verizon customers.

Another interesting statistic included in the Validas report is that the total number of smartphone owners in the U.S. that are signed up for a data package grew to 53 percent, up from 42 percent one year ago.  This news isn't terribly surprising considering the rising popularity in devices like the iPhone and the DROID line of devices on Verizon.  More people than ever are switching to smartphones as they become cheaper and easier to use than ever before.  So, how many of you out there have a smartphone?  How much data do you use per month?

Via Ars Technica