Surfing the web on your mobile

Although mobile phones have been able to access the internet for some time now, the experience still falls far short of that which is available on desktop and laptop computers. Currently, there are four types of mobile connection to the internet: GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and HDSPA.

GPRS(General Packet Radio Service) is the slowest type of web connection available to mobile phone users, at a rate of 128kbps, which is the equivalent of dial up. The next step up is EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution), which at 236kbps is almost double the speed of GPRS.

Hyped upon its release as the mobile version of Broadband, the 3G mobile standard was the one that finally made surfing the web possible on mobile phones, albeit at speeds which were more akin to those of dial up connections than the speedy broadband connections consumers had become accustomed to.

Finally, there is HDSPA, a variant on the standard 3G connection that is theoretically capable of speeds of up to 14.4Mbps, although in practice, they rarely even reach the maximum stated speed of 3G connections, unless you are standing next to a transmitter in an area with no other mobile phones for miles around, in which case you might make it a little nearer the claimed average speed of 3.6Mbps, but not by much.

Another option for mobile phones that has come to light in recent years is the established standard for wireless laptops and PDAs, Wi-Fi. This protocol can offer far more reliable and speedy internet access than any of the current mobile internet standards, and is available to most smartphones, such as the Blackberry and the Nokia N97.

Although Wi-Fi is only available in certain places, and you usually have to buy something in those places to be allowed to use it, it at least has the advantage of being a reliable, fast connection, which is more than can be said about mobile internet at present.

It is important to remember that the majority of websites have been designed for use with a computer, although there are some websites that have special slimmed down versions for mobiles, such as eBay and Facebook. Most mobile phones have a screen that is really too small to be able to view standard web pages on, and lack the controls necessary for proper navigation.

Some of the newer smart-phones, for example the T Mobile G1 and the Nokia N series, feature larger screens and navigating tools such as tracker balls and touch sensitive screens, that solve many of the problems of navigating the internet on mobile phones.

However, most mobile phones, even the larger ones, still have trouble coping with multiple windows, and certain websites, such as the popular video site Youtube, cannot currently be viewed on mobiles at all.

The mobile internet may have a bright future ahead of it, but it cannot be said to be quite there yet, although things are improving steadily.

About the Author:
Vodafone offer a huge range of phones and price plans. If you like smart phones, you will love the Samsung Jet with its fast internet for express browsing and downloads.