Abstract
Could a Wi-Fi-Only phone ever REPLACE your cellular phone? NO or MAYBE was the
lukewarm response from survey respondents that participated in an In-Stat Web
survey around Wi-Fi phones and communication devices. Although the majority of
respondents expressed at least an overall lukewarm interest in Wi-Fi-Only
phones, nearly twenty-five percent expressed absolutely no interest.
Respondents cited Wi-Fi' s limited range and possible Quality-of-Service (QoS)
issues as major obstacles to Wi-Fi' s use as a voice communication technology,
over cellular. Also, survey results indicated that current pricing for
Wi-Fi-Only phones is significantly higher than what respondents are willing to
pay for the devices.
The majority of respondents had never heard of the Sony mylo, a pioneering
personal communication device that supports Wi-Fi and VoIP. Results from
In-Stat' s TAP survey around Wi-Fi Phones reinforce the sluggishness of the
Wi-Fi-Only phone market. Although Wi-Fi-Only phones have been out on the
market since 2000-starting in the business segment and moving to the consumer
space-this market has never managed to ramp up or attract much consumer
interest.
Overall survey results, however, indicated that Wi-Fi is a desirable buddy
technology to cellular; the majority of respondents were interested in having
a Wi-Fi communication device together with their cellular phones, albeit only
if the Wi-Fi phone or communicator device is cheap.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- The Wi-Fi Phone Landscape
- Dual-Mode Wi-Fi/Cellular Handsets
- Enterprise Wi-Fi-Only Handsets
- Consumer Wi-Fi Handsets
- SIP Wi-Fi-Only Handsets
- Skype Wi-Fi-Only Handsets
- Wi-Fi Personal Communication Devices
- Survey Results
- Key Findings of the Survey
- General Interest in Wi-Fi Phones
- Optimal Pricing
- Cellular Handset Replacement
- Wi-Fi Personal Communication Devices
- Conclusions
- Methodology
- Technology Adoption Panel
List of Tables
- Table 1. Sample Current Pricing of Wi-Fi-Only Phones
- Table 2. Current Sample Pricing of Wi-Fi Communication Devices
List of Figures
- Figure 1. Panasonic' s Travel Kit with Skype Wi-Fi-Only Handset and Travel
Router
- Figure 2. Linksys' WIP330 Wireless-G IP Phone
- Figure 3. Sony mylo
- Figure 4. Nokia N800
- Figure 5. Interest in Wi-Fi-Only Phones
- Figure 6. Amount Respondents Willing to Pay for Wi-Fi-Only Phones
- Figure 7. Top Reasons for Replacing Cellular Phone with a Wi-Fi-Only Phone
- Figure 8. Level of Interest in Sony mylo
- Figure 9. Willingness to Pay for Sony mylo
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