Why Do You Need Wi-Fi in a Phone?
Modern smart phones such as the Apple iPhone and Google Android devices have the ability to perform data-intensive Internet tasks such as browsing the Web, video conferencing and downloading files. Although today's high-speed cellular networks are capable of supplying the bandwidth needed to make these tasks possible, many mobile phones have Wi-Fi as well. Using this feature, a smart phone can connect to the Internet through a wireless access point rather than using the cellular network. A smart phone with Wi-Fi connectivity can save you money and time, making Wi-Fi a compelling feature to look for.
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Cost
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Unlimited data plans are expensive, and some mobile phone providers do not offer them at all. If you are on a limited data plan and go over your limit, you will incur overage charges that can quickly inflate your mobile phone bill. If you switch your phone to the Wi-Fi connection when within range of an access point, you can avoid these overage charges, and perhaps save additional money by downgrading an unlimited data plan to a limited one.
Speed
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Mobile phones can achieve their top possible speeds only in areas where the network has been upgraded and the signal is strong. Under less-than-optimal conditions, file downloads can be slow, and some applications such as video conferencing become impossible. When you need consistent speed, you can generally expect superior performance over a Wi-Fi connection than over the mobile phone network.
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Connection Sharing
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Some mobile phones with internal Wi-Fi adapters have the ability to share an Internet connection with other devices by acting as a "mobile hotspot." Using this feature, the phone connects to the Internet over the cellular network, and other devices connect to the phone's Wi-Fi adapter. This allows a mobile phone to act as a fallback Internet connection for a laptop computer in areas where there are no wireless access points.
Fallback Option
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In some rural areas where cellular signal is poor or nonexistent, you may be unable to use the Internet on your mobile phone at all unless you connect it to a wireless access point. In this way, a Wi-Fi adapter can become a fallback Internet connection for the phone. This is also true while flying; some airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi for a fee. You can take advantage of this service if your phone has Wi-Fi.
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