Poll: does the HTC Touch Dual need WiFi?

MoDaCo reports that the Touch Duals at HTC's launch event were WiFi equipped, despite word straight from the horse's mouth to the contrary. It's conceivable that some carriers will opt to disable the hardware in the hope of boosting data revenue -- or like the Trinity's GPS receiver, it could be left dormant at launch with the hope of a future firmware update that flips the switch. Anyway, we were gettin' to wondering: how do readers feel about it? The addition of HSDPA over the original Touch helps, sure, but nothing beats good, old fashioned WiFi when you're near a hotspot. Sound off!

Should HTC be including WiFi in the Touch Dual?

Nah, 3G makes up for it.Would've been nice, but I'm still buying one.No WiFi, no deal!Wake me up when you have a poll about the iPhone, k?Vote

[Enils @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:01AM]

Cellular data is good enough for most smartphone applications, but it goes without saying that unlimited bandwidth and good 3G coverage is crucial. Real unlimited, not "1400 internet pages" like the BS O2 is trying to pull in UK.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn't have 3G coverage where they live and/or work. Also, I've used cellular data (GPRS, EDGE, 3G) for 4-5 years already and I've found reliability to be sketchy at best. Just last night my phone wouldn't conect. Seems like most carriers still don't take cellular data seriously, even after all this time.

I don't really rely on my phone that way, and most of the times I really need cellular data anyway is when I'm in a place with no other kind of connection. If I depended on my phone for business communication I'd want wifi for sure.

[Waxed @ Oct 17th 2007 4:57AM]

Got a response from HTC South Africa yesterday re whether wifi will be included on the Touch or not:

"We are expecting release of the HTC Touch Dual at the beginning of next yr through the networks (...) The device will be shipped with the WiFi connectivity option.

We will keep you updated as to when and through which channels it will be available"

[Ondra Soukup @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:12AM]

I had Samsung i600 and...I didn't ever turn the WiFi on...unlimited data and awesome HSDPA coverage in my city - only thing you might want is a VPN to your network, but that's it. WiFi eated up the battery in 2 hours, watching TV from my little streaming server at home. HSDPA did that in 6 hours :)

[Duncan @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:22AM]

Wifi is all very well but certainly over here in the UK you end up paying a small fortune to the hotspot operators, until they sort this out it's not a great loss although I am still surprised that they left it out.

[Chrisphillers @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:43AM]

If you lived in Europe and were on an unlimited 3g pland such as Tmobile in the UK (Ok up to 3-10gb download limit, but thats plenty for a mobile) then that poll would certainly not be like it is now (No Wifi, No Deal) I have an N95 with the option of Wifi and 3g/HSDPA and I can safely say I never ever use Wifi. HSDPA is plently fast enough, its available pretty much everywhere, Wifi is available only in some parts, and you would have to look around for a hotspot, even then you may have to pay for that. HTC go it totally right by skipping on the Wifi for the Touch, in Europe anyway (However for the US I'd say it needs Wifi)

[yobosensei @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:48AM]

I never really used wifi in the city. I live in San Francisco. You can get almost 3G or HSDPA in the cit except new SOMA or higher high ground area. On the other hand, when i get a chance to travel abroad. Wifi comes really handy especially at airpots or coffee shops.

[tnkgrl @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:15AM]

All modern smartphones should have WiFi... And UMA, too!

[Mac Dub @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:45AM]

Everything should have WiFi. I think I'm gonna install it on my dog.

[Radar @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:53AM]

WiFido.

[Enter name here @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:32AM]

In Finland the 3G and other cellular data is pricey that there is no real reason why anyone should use it. At least this is the case with the TeliaSonera operator. They charge almost 1,5€ per MB download, that is means that when watching a video stream costs more than the device you are watching it on. Some operators have unlimited data plans but they have cut the bandwidth so that it's almost as slow as on gprs and this is when you are in the coverage area which is really small.

[lassi @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:57AM]

get off from teliasonera RIGHT NOW. don't bitch about 3g pricing if you stick with the worst offer on market.

you can get 10e/month 384kbit/s UNLMITED flatfee from elisa/saunalahti, and dna has a similar offering too.

finland has pretty much the best deals on 3g at the moment.. because it's really unlimited and not just 1-5gbyte/month like almost everywhere elsewhere.

[Chip @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:55AM]

Got the Sprint Mogul in the US on 3G unlimited plan. I really don't have a need for WiFi. Ya, sometimes it goes down to 1xRTT, but it sure beats the constant popups and hassles of finding WiFi hotspots.

VOIP on a cellphone just seems like too much hassle for free minutes. I never use up my existing minutes and I'm on the move, not sitting at a hotspot yapping.

[Homeboy @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:13AM]

It's funny that when an Apple product has a special feature ALL the products on the makret must have it or less they are worthless.

WiFi would have been nice but unlike some I don't feel the need to be online of facebook 24/7. The Dual Touch has a bunch of other nifty features which I care about like the ability to share content over WiFi, 3rd party software support, Java support and that it's unlocked off course.

With that being said there are much more important features than WiFi. To be it's just a bonus.

[Jared @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:34AM]

Ya, I totally agree. I find the fact that you can actually tether (use as a modem) this phone (unlike the iPhone) to a laptop so much more valuable than having built in WiFi.

[MTM @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:45AM]

"Some of the countries will receive shipments of a particular version of the device that supports Wi-Fi"

http://www.smape.com/en/reviews/htc/HTC_Touch_Dual-rev.html

[floc @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:53AM]

here in italy we doesn't have a REAL data flat and price are crazy for hsdpa or edge connections. So wifi is CRUCIAL for us, without wifi they will not sell any of this device. I suspect secret agreements with carrire to remove wifi in hope to charge us with extra traffic on their network... Shame on htc the lack of wifi

[Fernando @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:26AM]

I personally love connecting to the AT&T hot spots with my N95 (euro-spec), even better since my home internet username works for wifi, it's great!

So yes, it needs wifi.

[Jared @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:31AM]

If I need the "real" internet, I just wip out the laptop. I'd love to see more 3G coverage in the states. Though, I'm just not using my phone for anything more than communication and looking up directions or movie times.

Also, I don't know about where everyone else lives, but around here free/open wifi is becoming less and less common. Those APs that you can find are typically overloaded and slower than dialup anyway.

I just want more 3G coverage and ubiquitous access though my cell provider.

[Chris @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:37AM]

WiFi isn't just about hotspots and saving cost on your data plan, it's also about accessing network resources that are not available on the internet directly. I use the wifi on my Nokia 770 quite often at work when working on stuff out in the plant accessing internal wiki's and embedded system web interfaces, I can't do that with only 3G, even if 3G worked well here.

A smartphone without wifi is just second rate.

[Jared @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:18AM]

Thats a good point Chris. Though I question how many people who buy a phone like this would use it for that sort of thing. In your example your using the Nokia 770 which is a perfect fit for that situation.

[ZSX @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:54AM]

I travel back and forth between the U.S. and the U.K, quite frequently, and while I am guaranteed WiFi access at either end, I am not guaranteed 3.5G cellular access because of the ridiculous difference in what should be standards.

WiFi allows me to download my email from all my email accounts, IM through MSN or Skype, and VoIP over Skype on either side of the Atlantic. And for free, rather than pay ridiculous roaming data charges.

I totally agree that a smart phone without the WiFi is anything but.

[RaptorCK @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:18PM]

A smartphone without wifi can still be a smartphone, but it needs to have a free Cisco-compatible VPN client, or some other method to simulate internal WAN access. Even the Blackberry has the Mobile Data Service browser, which lets me check internal resources from anywhere.

That said, I would happily *welcome* WiFi on any smartphone, since it's certainly a useful addition.

[Ken Love @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:38AM]

Hardly ever use the wifi in my Dash, even with unlimited T-mobile Hotspot access. I think I would use it more if mobile IE wasn't the suck.

With that said, it irks me a bit when manufacturers disables features simply because they don't see the utility in them. I tend to shy away from those products.

[sean @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:54PM]

I also have T-mobile and they force you to get the wifi hotspot coverage with their current edge network service. Since they don't currently offer HSDPA here (bay area), I don't see how they can continue forcing their wifi service if they don't support it in this phone.

[Sandra @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:24AM]

Could care less about Wi-Fi, sure it's faster, but I'm almost never an near an open Wi-Fi point when I check with my UMPC, I am however pretty much always in a 3G coverage area.

[ZSX @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:00AM]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. Do you mean that you couldn't care less about WiFi?

In fact I couldn't care less about HSDPA while I could care less about WiFi, but only because my situtation is quite the reverse of yours. Once you are out of a metropolitain center the 3G coverage is spotty at best, but most places I visit have a WiFi network I can tap into.

[jilie @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:14PM]

the HTC touch is not a apple product, yuou can put a wifi card in the memory slot and voilà, you got a HTC TOUCH DUAL with WIFI

[jilie @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:16PM]

OMG Engadget. you can put a wifi card in the memory slot... this isn't an apple product..

[Janos @ Oct 29th 2007 4:51AM]

is there any microSD card, incudes WIFI AND MEMORY? moreover is it small enough to let me close the door???

[Hybrid66 @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:52PM]

I think that a lot of people play the numbers game: the more features, the better. Tech-heads especially like to flaunt the flexibility of a product that has more features. But the reality is in the day-to-day usage. HSDPA -- and even EDGE, in some cases -- is good for what most people use wireless data plans for -- quick news items, sports scores, e-mail. I'm in an area where 3G is emerging, and with an unlimited data plan, it's still a lot easier to use than hunting for -- and paying for -- a WiFi hotspot.

[cathy @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:34PM]

I have terrible cell phone reception at my house for all carriers (We live in a rural area.) We do have great Wi Fi service at the house though. (N-router) No WiFi on a phone is a deal breaker for me.

[William C Bonner @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:41PM]

It should have WiFi, but it should be able to share it's data connection over wifi, not the other way around. So i can use the phone to get my data connection from whatever plan I'm using, and then connect to my laptop over wifi!

[kerunt @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:48PM]

Many PDA/Smartphone users (like myself) do not subscribe to a data connection. I rely on WiFi 100% of the time. This looks like a great product, but without WiFi it's useless.

I'll take WiFi over 3G+GPRS+EDGE any day.

[ice @ Oct 18th 2007 5:46AM]

wifi is also important for me, In the Philippines I rely a lot in free Wifi since majority of Malls have it for free (just look for a shop or a fast food that offers it, like Burger King). 3G is good but sometimes not reliable. Here in Singapore my office phone does not have data capabilities so the more I have to use wifi specially when using skype while on the go.

I was really looking forward for Touch II, but I think Its better to look for other WM6 PDA's since this one has no wifi.

[Janos @ Oct 29th 2007 5:02AM]

if you travel to abroad, you should forget 3G because of EXPENSIVE! there is no flat plan roaming... But you could connect to the Hotel WLAN (I use to bring a cheap wlan router to my trips, connect it to the hotelroom lan, so could use my laptop AND my wifi smartphone together)
MOREOVER, you can use VOIP on your smartphone if it has wifi... especially good value if stay on abroad...