Wi-Fi vs. Unlimited data

[Jager44]

What is the advantage of having Wi-Fi on a phone if you have an unlimited data package? Is it faster to download or stream? Sorry, I don't have Wi-Fi on my BB so I'm kind of confused.

 

[anon(12496)]

Well, not everyone is lucky enough to have an unlimited data plan, for us, Wi-Fi is a life and bandwidth-usage saver! I, for example, have to do with a 100 MB plan for now. Luckily, I'll be able to upgrade to a better plan once my contract is up - I bought my Hero 13 month into my two year contract, I had no data before, so it costs extra, this was the most reasonable and cost efficient option until I can switch to a data included plan - until then I rely on Wi-Fi for heavy data moving.

But it has other benefits, too. I have a decent cable internet connection at home, so downloading apps, podcasts, etc... is a breeze. I set up an FTP server on my PC, and a client app on my phone to copy files without having to bother with a USB cable and mounting the SD card. Heck, I can wake my PC with a single click from my phone, and I can use it as a frickin' remote control!!! How cool is that?!? There is Wi-Fi network coverage on my campus, and if I connect to it, I can reach the internal network of my university without having to type in passwords. That's just what I use it for, I'm sure there are many other things you can do with it, besides the obvious "conserving-my-data-usage".

 

[dtboos]

WiFi is much faster. Thats the main thing if you are on unlimited data plan. If you aren't on unlimited (many aren't), it wont use your network data. It also gives you the option of having a connection when there is no network signal, but you are near an open WiFi connection - this is great for your home for instance. Alot of folks have poor reception in their house, but wifi makes that a moot point as you just use your phone through your router when at home.

Plus if you are on a CDMA network (Verizon / Sprint) WiFi enables you to use data at the same time a voice call is in progress - you can't otherwise do this because cdma uses data streams instead of small packet breakups like GSM, which allows GSM networks to split them up. So say you are downloading something and a call comes in, it would typically pause the transfer till the call is over. Or you can be actively using Google Maps while on the phone which is nice. Not a big deal in reality, but can be useful none the less.

 

[Jager44]

Thanks to you both, I understand now.