Wi-fi mobiles flying high

Mobile phones with wi-fi are shaping up to be the hottest segment of the handset market.

Dual-mode wi-fi/VoIP handsets are the fastest growing area of the mobile market, with a compound annual growth rate of 198 per cent between 2006 and 2010 predicted.

Sales of wi-fi phones topped $535m in 2006, a 327 per cent increase from 2005's figures, according to analyst house Infonetics Research.

And shipments of mobile phones with wi-fi capability are predicted to soar by nearly 1,300 per cent between 2007 and 2010.

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Richard Webb, directing analyst for wireless at Infonetics Research, said the appeal of converging mobile, wireless LAN and VoIP services into one device is driving wi-fi phone adoption, especially for dual-mode handsets.

Worldwide mobile phone sales of every type hit $115.5bn in 2006, up 13 per cent from 2005.