Mobile broadband access through Wi-Fi has become extremely important for gadget-loving Brits with smartphones, it has been claimed.

It was recently revealed by In-Stat that wireless internet features are seriously taking off on mobile phones.

As a result, the firm stated it believes some 180 million handsets with Wi-Fi capability are going to be shipped over the course of the year, with the percentage of mobiles embedded with Wi-Fi to almost triple from 2009's levels in three years time.

What's more, wireless internet will be a feature of 25 per cent of all phones bought by 2012, it predicted.

Commenting on the research, Frank Dickson, analyst at the company, said Wi-Fi is used on mobile phones primarily in three zones - the office, the home and on the go.

And Natasha Stokes, editor of Mobile Choice, recently explained she's not too surprised that it's becoming this popular.

"It is an extremely useful feature that would allow you to, for example, browse the net, check email, make VoIP calls and download apps without using the 3G network, therefore not incurring data charges," she asserted.

She went on to say: "Also, Wi-Fi is generally much faster than 3G, so would be preferable for music/video streaming applications such as Spotify and YouTube, as well as VoIP calls and downloads."

Which is a good point - it is faster.

But does that spell the end of 3G?

Or will it simply become a secondary way of accessing mobile broadband while on the move, when there are no Wi-Fi hotspots in the vicinity?

Categories: Wireless Broadband

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