Can your mobile phone meet your mobile internet needs?

Tuesday 12 May 2009   |  2 Comments  |  

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Why should I give a dongle about mobile broadband, I've got my phone”? In theory it sounds like a pretty good point: why would you need mobile broadband when you can surf the net and check emails from the comfort of you handy handset?

The popularity of the ultra-sophisticated iPhone and business-like BlackBerry phones continues to soar, allowing better internet accessibility via mobile, but it hasn't stopped the rise and rise of mobile broadband dongles in the UK. Although the sale of mobile phones still dwarfs mobile broadband (for example, Orange told us it currently has 16 million mobile phone subscribers but just 180,000 for mobile broadband), industry insiders predict dongle sales look set to rise 15 per cent year-on-year in 2009. That's a lot of dongles – something like 26 million will be in circulation worldwide by the end of the year.

So what's all the fuss about? Simple - a much better user experience. The mobile broadband internet you get on your handset through your mobile phone contract is a completely different animal than the one you get through a more sophisticated piece of kit with a dongle attached.

Whilst both make use of 3G, comparing the two would be like comparing a Rolls-Royce to a Reliant Robin. Sure, the three-wheeler should get you there, but that's about it. It's the same when comparing 'proper' mobile broadband and your mobile phone: there are more limitations to what you can do with the internet on your mobile. Don't get me wrong – being able to access the internet on your mobile phone is brilliant. It's just that it depends on what you need the web for.

Screen and keyboard size

The first and arguably most important difference is screen size. Mobile broadband holds a distinct advantage in this department, due to the fact that you'll probably be using your dongle with a laptop of some kind; the screen of which (in case you hadn't noticed) is gigantic in relation to it's tiny mobile phone counterpart. Using mobile broadband means you don't have to waste ages trawling through that huge page of Wikipedia information on your tiny BlackBerry screen as you're sat on the train, desperately trying to write that piece for tomorrow morning. And don't even start on the keypad...

Of course, you might argue that lugging a hefty laptop around might not be ideal, but that's where netbooks come in. For example, Asus's Eee PC range has screens from seven to ten inches – widescreen, with full keyboards and standard web and email browsers – and can weigh less than a bag of sugar. These 'mini laptops' are in fact designed specifically for web browsing and emailing.

Overall experience

While more and more websites are going mobile, offering stripped down versions of their sites, why settle for the 'lite' version when you don't have to? Mobile broadband via a dongle/laptop combo gives you the same range of options you get on your home PC, so the whole world really is your oyster.

For example, the likes of Facebook, YouTube and the BBC's iPlayer are on call, as well as new music phenomenon Spotify. That said, you shouldn't get too excited: I wouldn't advise playing World of Warcraft on the beach or in the pub, as you'll soon run up a massive bill due to the huge amount of data you'll soak up.

The case for handsets

And therein lies the rub: all of that extra data costs money. It's another bill to pay, another gadget to buy and all for something you could probably do when you got home anyway. Your iPhone – or even your battered old Nokia – will probably be enough for sending that “I'll do it when I get to the office” message, or checking the footy scores.

The iPhone set the bench pretty high with its three-inch by two-inch screen, and its rivals have been fast to copy it within an inch of its life, with their own mobile phones – often on much better deals. So if you can't stretch to a fancy new laptop, or a mobile broadband dongle, perhaps its time to upgrade your handset to best meet your internet needs. http://www.buymobilephones.net is a good place to start, click here to visit the website.

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