VoIP enabled cell phones - Myth or reality?

The cell phone that helps us stay in touch with friends and family from practically anywhere are prone to weak reception resulting in call losses. Cell phones with the capability to make calls over VoIP may prove to be a solution but are such phones a reality?

The Features:
The first glimpses of a VoIP cellular phone are now being seen. Nokia and Samsung and Motorola and HP all have a prototype or two in their stables that work like cell phones using VoIP. The Cellular WiFi phones will let people make connections using a local wireless Internet access point and seamlessly switch over to a cell phone network whenever necessary. The net result is greater flexibility in mobile communications as well as cost savings gained by shifting call minutes onto the Internet thereby avoiding payment against a cell phone plan. Additionally this will make use of the benefits of both the technologies involved - high speed of the cellular technology and greater bandwidth of the Internet LAN. It is believed that the new designs from Motorola will use a single chip with automatic switching between cellular networks and LAN depending on signal strengths. This will also be achieved without dropping the call.

The Grey Patches:
A few kinks however require to be ironed out before prototypes can be sold in large numbers. · The fact that increase in VoIP calls made over WiFi would mean less calls made over the cellular network. Naturally, convincing cellular operators for support is not going to be easy. · Infrastructure to manage this on a large scale is another reason for them not being deployed as yet. · The other discouraging factor is definitely going to be the price of the handset itself. "These phones are not in the consumer end of the business" Motorola's director of business development, Chris White said

Conclusion:
Although the VoIP phone will initially target the business community and it will be sometime before it becomes affordable for the common man, the VoIP phone is closer now to reality than ever before.