Not surprisingly, dual mode handsets are predicted to be very popular by 2011, according to ABI Research. The interesting thing might be the mix of products.
ABI expects shipments of cellular/Wi-Fi handsets will exceed 300 million worldwide. Handsets based on the 802.11n protocol will outnumber those of other protocols because that’s the standard most enthusiastically backed and promoted by cellular handset vendors.
Many mobile operators are looking to base their services on unlicensed mobile access (UMA) technology, but telcos and cable companies are showing a preference for SIP-based (session Internet protocol) telephony.
An element of uncertainty is introduced, however, by the development of femtocell technology. New femtocell base stations may make it possible to improve cellular network performance, making it unnecessary to integrate relatively expensive Wi-Fi into handsets.