07 May 09 3G or Wi-Fi For Your Cell Phone?

I’m trying to weigh the options for the pro’s and con’s of using a 3G network on your phone, versus using Wi-Fi. Both offer you the ability to connect to the internet, and both allow you to download music, movies, tv shows, games, email, etc on the run. But both function on your cell phone in very different ways, which is where my inner debate over which feature is more important is waged.

Take 3G for example, yes it’s fantastic and remarkably convenient to have on your cell phone, but not it’s all positive. 3G offers much faster download and upload speeds than Wi-Fi, as 3G can achieve speeds of 14 megabytes per second for downloads, and 5 megabytes per second with uploads, making it remarkably fast for any of your internet needs. 3G also offers more crisp and clear voice communication, as well as the ability to stream live video back and forth.

But then there are the problems. 3G functionality turned on drains your phone’s batter much, much faster than the battery would normally drain. 3G is also run directly through your cell phone provider, so let’s not forget it’s available everywhere you can get a cell signal, but also in most cases there is a limit to how much data you can transfer until you are forced to pay harsh penalties for going over that limit. And even if you have an ‘unlimited’ data transfer plan with a 3G network, chances are there’s something in that contract that’s deceptive to con you into accidentally having to pay data transfer penalties. A huge downside to the better functionality and faster downloads.

Wi-Fi offers much slower download speeds, when compared with 3G’s mammoth transfer speeds, but still definitely provides enough to download anything quickly whilst you’re on the go. And another big bonus is that Wi-Fi is a completely free feature on your phone, and so there aren’t any penalties from your cell phone company for downloading as much content as your heart desires, no matter your phone plan. Although Wi-Fi does have it’s own problems, namely the fact that you have to be in a hot spot to use the feature, as Wi-Fi connections aren’t readily available everywhere. Which is a massive problem in itself, as there’s little point in the convenience of having the internet on your cell phone if you’re never around a hot spot to make use of it.

So it’s really up to your preferences and income. I prefer Wi-Fi so that I don’t incur any penalty fees from overusing my 3G limits, and so that my battery life lasts longer. That and I don’t seem to have trouble locating Wi-Fi hotspots so that I can make use of my internet connectivity.

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: 3g Network, 3g Phone, Bonus, Cell Phone Company, Cell Phone Provider, Different Ways, Download Speeds, Downside, Drains, Faster Downloads, Free Feature, Harsh Penalties, Heart, Inner Debate, Megabytes, Transfer Speeds, Tv Shows, Uploads, Voice Communication, Wi Fi

Filed in Uncategorized

07 May 09 3G or Wi-Fi For Your Cell Phone?

Leave a Comment

Translator

Recent Posts

Blogroll

Categories

Gossimer Press Releases

Gossimer News