Does using email, contacts, calendar on a smart phone draw on my data?

I know one is supposed to get unlimited talk and text, and that they do not draw upon your data, but what about email, and specifically what about email and calendar and contacts, maybe even notes and tasks, thru say my gmail account or outlook.com? I use desktop Outlook software, and would like to sync regularly, but some have suggested I drop that and just use a Gmail or Outlook.com or something like that for it all instead.

My old BB Bold finally died and I never used data on that old 3G phone. Now as I get a new phone, likely the BB Motion, though I am considering the new Galaxy choices, I am trying to learn some important basics. Any and all input on the above issue or others would be so very welcome. Thank you.

You always used data, but you had an unlimited "BIS Plan" as part of your phone bundle on your old phone. Your data when through BIS and then traveled on BB's network instead of the phone company's.

Anyway, you are now a "normal" phone user, and, yes, all data will go against your data plan. So, standard phone calls and SMS won't use data, but MMS (texting with pictures or video), emails, web browsing, app data, and even IP phone calls (such as Google Voice, if you use it) will use your cellular data whenever you aren't on WiFi.

You could set up desktop Outlook to pull from outlook.com, no? Then syncing would be much easier.