Although 802.11n Wi-Fi technology was found in less than 1% of Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones last year, in 2014 at least 87% of Wi-Fi-capable smartphones will feature this latest of the 802.11 protocols. However, users of these phones shouldn�t expect laptop-like performance, at least not initially.
�Driven by chip-makers more than by handset vendors, 802.11n is making its official debut in higher-end smartphones in 2010,� says ABI Research industry analyst Michael Morgan. �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.�
However, warns Morgan, �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 costs manufacturers virtually no more to include 802.11n in handsets alongside the current �b� and �g� protocols. And those older technologies won�t be going away, because handsets will need to work in the widest possible range of connectivity environments. The same applies to frequencies: 802.11n works best in the 5 GHz band, while b and g are restricted to 2.4 GHz. So, says Morgan, �It�s important for vendors to continue offering all these protocols and if possible selectable frequency capabilities for some time to come.
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