The 802.11n Wi-Fi technology is expected to feature in at least 87% of Wi-Fi capable smartphones in 2014, although it was found in less than 1% of Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones last year, according to a report released by ABI Research.
Michael Morgan, industry analyst at ABI Research, said: “Driven by chip-makers more than by handset vendors, 802.11n is making its official debut in higher-end smartphones in 2010. 802.11n is arriving in the handset just at the right time.
“We had to wait for consumers to switch over to 802.11n access points, and we’re just now reaching that tipping point. Something like 50% of the Wi-Fi access points on offer are now 11n. Consumers are becoming aware of what it can do.”
The firm said that the integration of 802.11n alongside with the current b and g protocols in handsets will not wipe the older technologies, as the headsets will need to work in the widest possible range of the connectivity environments. 802.11n works in the 5GHz band, while b and g are restricted to 2.4GHz.
Mr Morgan, added: “At first, 802.11n-enabled handsets will not offer MIMO or some of 11n’s more advanced enhancements. So users won’t see the same degree of improvement that they would with a laptop or netbook. While 802.11n will start to penetrate mid- and lower-end smartphones from about 2012 on, the full power of the protocol won’t be available in most handsets until 2014 or later.”
“It‘s important for vendors to continue offering all these protocols and if possible selectable frequency capabilities for some time to come.”
