What Are the Benefits of WiFi on a Blackberry?

As the smartphone industry evolves and changes, one of the most in-demand features is WiFi support. This support has been a long time coming for the BlackBerry brand of smartphones, and although BlackBerry carriers do not all support WiFi completely, the advantages consumers have on the networks that do, are significant.

Faster Internet Browsing

The most immediate benefit of a BlackBerry with WiFi capabilities is faster Internet browsing. Although cellular networks are constantly updating and improving speed, those networks have a pretty low cap on how much data they can handle at one time. Even 3G networks can suffer under tremendous usage strain and slow down during peak usage. However, WiFi-enabled BlackBerry phones can be switched to WiFi mode, which will allow Internet Browser to run independently of the network, resulting in faster speeds.

Less Congestion During Peak Talk Hours

WiFi mode can also be used to make Voice over IP calls (VoIP) when the BlackBerry phone is in range of a WiFi signal. These calls feature the same quality as those made on the phone's network, but since they use a WiFi signal, they do not add to the congestion that networks feel during peak call hours, and can be made more reliably.

Reception in "Dead Zones"

In any countrywide network, there are areas where there is low or no reception. If you have a WiFi-enabled BlackBerry, however, you can still make reliable calls in these areas, as long as there is a WiFi network nearby that the phone can use. This eliminates dreaded "dead zones" and allows you to make and receive calls as if you were still in an area with good coverage.

Faster App Downloads

The BlackBerry App world is a great service that allows you to download applications like games and utilities. However, if you try to download apps from this service over the regular phone network, you may have to wait a long time for the app to download, especially if the network is congested. If your Blackberry is WiFi-enabled, you will be able to use the wireless network to download the app, which will result in much faster download speeds.

Access Point Identification

If you are traveling or in an otherwise unfamiliar location and need to know where the nearest wireless network is, you can use a WiFi-enabled BlackBerry to find nearby WiFi signals. Although this isn't a feature tied directly to BlackBerry use, it will help you identify wireless hotspots you can use for other devices, as well as for the BlackBerry.

References

• BlackBerry WiFi White Paper