WiFi phones save costly minutes.
A new cell phone making the rounds is the WiFi cell phone, which enables users to make calls using a WiFi network instead of via their service provider.
Features
Wireless fidelity--"WiFi" for short--is the industry standard for connecting to a network, without wires. In other words, WiFi is a wireless network.
Function
A WiFi phone is a cellular phone that can connect to a local area WiFi network and then switch back to the cellular provider's network once the WiFi network is out of range.
Considerations
While on a WiFi connection, the phone doesn't consume minutes from the user's plan. A caller can continue a conversation while commuting to work, as the phone switches from WiFi at home to cell provider in the car and back to WiFi in the office.
History
Early WiFi phone batteries drained quickly and the switch from WiFi to network had to be made manually. In early 2010, new phones are making appearances with slightly longer battery lives and seamless transfers between networks.
Benefits
The Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype makes Skype calls possible without the user being on a computer. Users can connect to other Skype contacts using their WiFi Skype phone, essentially making phone calls for free and avoiding altogether the need for a cell phone provider.
Tags: WiFi network, cell phone, from WiFi, WiFi phone