Wi-fi ready mobile phones

Which mobile phones are best for wireless internet access using wi-fi?

By James Sherwood - 20/07/2010 print

You probably already access the internet over a wireless connection (wi-fi) at home, perhaps using a laptop?

So why not upgrade to a mobile phone that can wirelessly surf the internet using a wi-fi connection.

Wi-fi ready mobile phones

Before buying a wi-fi mobile phone it’s worth understanding: 1) how quickly your chosen phone will load the internet and 2) where you’ll be able to use wireless internet on your mobile phone.

So let’s tackle the first point.

Wi-fi ready mobile phones connect wirelessly to your home’s router*, just like your laptop does. They offer near-broadband connection speeds (click here to check your broadband speed).

Galaxy S3(blue) £0.00	300 min Unlimited texts	£32.00
Galaxy S2(black) £0.00	100 min Unlimited texts	£18.50
Galaxy S3(white) £0.00	300 min Unlimited texts	£32.00
iPhone 4S (16GB)(black) £0.00	Unlimited min Unlimited texts	£36.00

How quickly your phone will download webpages or play videos over wi-fi will depend upon the speed of your home broadband connection. Uploading information to the web, such as pictures onto Facebook, always takes longer.

The second point (where you’ll be able to use wireless internet) depends on both your router and which phone you buy. Wi-fi signals come in various strengths, known as bands, which determine how far from your router the phone can go before it loses connection.

Wi-fi ready mobile phones will be described as “802.11n” or “802.11b/g” compatible. The number is simply a technical term for wi-fi. The letter describes which wi-fi bands your phone supports.

Bands b and g will both let your phone download webpages and play videos wirelessly at good speeds, provided you’re not too far away from the router - up to several rooms away, perhaps.

Band n offers the best connection speeds and furthest range, meaning your phone could connect to your router while you’re at the bottom of the garden.

Wi-fi phones can also connect to wireless hotspots, often found in coffee shops, which provide broadband speed wireless internet away from home. Read our wireless hotspot guide.

Which wi-fi phone?

Mobile phones that support wi-fi are a must these days and phone manufacturers have already designed hundreds of models that do.

The Apple iPhone 4 (read our iPhone 4 review) is a fantastic phone for wi-fi internet. Webpages load very quickly and are easy to navigate. However, the phone won’t always display videos embedded into webpages.

Galaxy S2(black) £0.00	100 min Unlimited texts	£20.50
Galaxy S3(blue) £0.00	400 min Unlimited texts	£31.00
One X(black) £0.00	600 min Unlimited texts	£28.50
XPERIA S(black) £0.00	100 min Unlimited texts	£20.50

Desire from HTC (read our Desire review) is a very similar wi-fi phone because it also loads easy-to-navigate webpages quickly. The phone has the added benefit of supporting webpage videos.

Samsung’s Genio Slide (read our Genio Slide review) and LG’s Optimus (read our LG Optimus review) also both support wi-fi. Webpages load quickly on the phone but aren’t as easy to navigate as on the iPhone or Desire.

If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful wi-fi mobile phone, consider the T-Mobile Pulse Mini (read our Pulse Mini review) because it costs under £100.

*Mobile phones connected to your home broadband connection will affect your broadband package’s monthly download limit.