Survey: Stand-alone Wi-Fi doesn’t match cellular

Wi-Fi-only phones probably won’t replace cellular phones anytime soon, according to a new survey from research firm In-Stat.
While stand-alone Wi-Fi phones theoretically could replace cellphones for some users, most respondents were lukewarm on the idea, with the majority of those responding expressing at least marginal interest, but nearly one-quarter saying they had no interest at all.
“Overall survey results indicated that Wi-Fi is a desirable buddy technology to cellular,” said Gemma Tedesco, In-Stat analyst. “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.”
Recent research from the company found current pricing for stand-alone Wi-Fi phones is much higher than consumers are willing to pay, and respondents were generally satisfied with their mobile handsets for mobile voice communication.