What Is Wi-Fi on Cell Phones?
- Most mobile phones, such as the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 smartphone, support text, photo, video and voice messages. These messages are sent through the carrier's wireless networks, such as 2G and 3G, and can be sent to any email address or 10-digit mobile phone number. Many current cellphones also support wireless mobile email through connections to a POP3 or IMAP4 server. Push email is another wireless feature that comes with many mobile phones. Push email delivers incoming email directly to the phone and does not require the recipient to log in and manually check for new messages. If within range of a Wi-Fi router, you can utilize a cellphone's mobile email features using its Wi-Fi feature.
- Many mobile phones come with Bluetooth wireless technology that allows you to perform a variety of tasks, such as sharing files and placing calls. The LG EVO 4G, for instance, is equipped with hands-free and headset Bluetooth profiles, or modes. The hands-free profile, or HFP, gives you the option of placing and receiving calls through the phone's speakerphone. The headset profile, or HSP, allows you to do the same thing, but through a wireless headset instead.
- Other cellphones, such as the Samsung Vibrant, while equipped with the Bluetooth HSP and HFP, also feature object push and file transfer profiles. The object of push profile, or OPP, enables you to share files with other mobile devices that are equipped with the same profile. The file transfer profile, or FTP, not only allows you to share files with another mobile device, it also lets you see the files on the other device before you transfer them. Other phones, such as the Motorola Droid 2, also feature the dial-up networking profile, which allows the phone to connect to the Internet through another device's established connection. The DUNP is similar to Wi-Fi, but does not use the phone's Wi-Fi capability to connect to the Web.
- Some phones on the market, such as the T-Mobile Garminfone, come with a built-in assisted-GPS application, which uses a combination of cellular tower and satellite signals to provide navigational functionality. GPS features on a cellphone, including Wi-Fi, operate wirelessly. The Garminfone's A-GPS feature also a location-based services feature that gives you contact information for nearby emergency and commercial services, such as hospitals, restaurants and gas stations.