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Wi-Fi phone

A cellular telephone that's capable of connecting to the Internet through a Wi-Fi network or hotspot is frequently referred to as a Wi-Fi phone. Wi-Fi mobile phones enable a person to make calls, send and receive text messages, receive voicemail and access the Internet when connected to a Wi-Fi network.

A second category of Wi-Fi phones lacks cellular telephone capabilities and essentially operates as VoIP over a Wi-Fi network, utilizing Voice over Wi-Fi, or Voice over WLAN, technology to make voice calls.

See "The Difference Between VoIP and PSTN Systems" in the Did You Know... section of Webopedia.
Also see the VoIP Meets Wi-Fi article in the Did You Know? section of Webopedia.



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