Will there ever be a cell phone that allows 802.11 connection? I realize the carriers want to make $ off of their network, but I think it'd be sweet to have the ability to use internet whenever a 802.11 signal is present.

 

Get a palm phone that takes the SD cards and then get a 802.11 SD card. boom there you go.

 

In a cellphone, an 802.11 internet connection is not that much faster than the 3G connection from Sprint, Verizon, and ATT.

With the newest high speed connectivity from some carriers today and in the near future, the wireless connection in a handset will be just as fast as 802.11, especially for a smaller screen with less pictures, etc.

Today, there just aren't enough 802.11 locations where you would be better off with 802.11 in your phone rather than in a PDA or laptop. In the event 802.11 is in your phone, it won't be free so carriers will still make money.

 

802.11b = 11mbps max, average 5mbps
1xRTT = 153kbps max, 70-80k average



But your right, accessability will be no better with 802.11:

 

I know what the numbers say. But when I hold my phone up next to my Pocket PC using Wi-Fi, I can still probably get today's weather and temperature faster on my phone. So I'm not talking about the speed down the pipe, just the user experience. Plus EV-DO and EV-DV will be even faster. So yes accessability.....

 

I don't see me personally using a phone for internet enough to warrent changing my current package to accomodate internet. I have seen Wi-Fi available at enough locations around me that I would be able to take advantage of it. I'm talking about grabbing a cup of coffee or a sandwhich and check my email while i'm waiting in line.

That card is pretty cool, but do you think it's durable enough to keep plugged in all the time and put up with the daily abuse a phone goes though?

 

yeah I feel the same way about the card. keep thinking it's going to break and i don't even use it frequently. wi-fi comes built-in these days, that's the route i go next time. in the meantime, i check yahoo! email on my phone almost everyday and it's pretty fast, enough to read one or two in a medium length line.

i wish there was more wi-fi here it kansas.

 

so there are phone that have wi-fi built in? and of these sprint phones?

 

no sorry i meant built-in in pdas. soon the pda phones probably will, too.