Wi-Fi now a Smartphone Must-have Feature

Nowadays, the use of Wi-Fi on cell phones is becoming pervasive and consumers are demanding the technology to be a standard feature of smartphones. According to ABI Research, Wi-Fi enabled handset shipments are set to double in the next two years.

In a recent press release, ABI Research confirmed its earlier prediction for rapid growth of Wi-Fi handsets in the coming years. The company believes shipments of these dual-mode cell phones will reach 144 million units by the end of 2009, with forecasts for 2011 at just over 300 million units. Meanwhile, ABI’s market data also shows that Wi-Fi chipset shipments used in smartphones will total over 100 million this year.

"Wi-Fi's penetration into handsets has more momentum than the bad economy," said analyst Michael Morgan in the ABI release. "It has become a must-have item much as Bluetooth did earlier."

In fact, the Wi-Fi technology has quickly become one of the hottest features across nearly all smartphones, not just high-end models. Based on the data released by Ovum Research, 77 smartphone models were released in the second quarter of 2009. Of these, 49 models are equipped with Wi-Fi ability, making up a majority of all new handsets in the quarter.

Undoubtedly, the popularity of Wi-Fi can be largely attributed to Apple’s iPhone, which has led people to use Wi-Fi to an unprecedented extent. However, other than iPhone, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry devices, including the Pearl 8120, 8820 and Storm 9530, as well as the Nokia N95 and the Palm Pre, are also popular with consumers using Wi-Fi via their cell phones. Together, they represent the fastest growing segment in the handset market.

In the meantime, mobile operators are also starting to realize the merits Wi-Fi can bring to them. At first they feared that the technology would cause a drop in revenue, but now they have noticed its advantages too. For instance, to AT&T, Wi-Fi shares a load off AT&T’s cellular network and increase its available network capacity. As for wireless carriers who do not own any landline assets, like T-Mobile, Wi-Fi can extend their reach to in-home service that they could not reach before.

With support from consumers, handset makers and carriers, it is very likely that an increasing number of smartphones will embrace the Wi-Fi feature in the near future. If unfortunately, your handset is not Wi-Fi-equipped, a Wi-Fi USB adapter will be very useful for wireless connection while you are on the go.

Tags: 2-in-1 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Dongle USB Adapter, Apple iPhone 3G S Accessories, BlackBerry Pearl 8120 Accessories, BlackBerry 8820 Accessories, BlackBerry Storm 9530 Accessories, Nokia N95 Accessories, Palm Pre Accessories