From the Wall Street Journal, via NewsScan:
A new line of wireless handsets designed to work on Wi-Fi networks will be
available in the next 12 months. The phones will be capable of handling
everything from surfing the Web to downloading music, video or large data
files such as PowerPoint presentations, and users can make voice calls to
boot. When the phones are outside of Wi-Fi coverage, users can switch over
to traditional cellular networks. Prices have not yet been set, but are
expected to cost about the same as high-end phones or PDAs, which typically
start around $500. The Wi-Fi phones likely will be bigger and heavier than
today’s diminutive wireless handsets, in order to accommodate larger
screens and possibly bigger batteries. Analysts say the advent of the new
Wi-Fi phones shows just how much plans for high-speed mobile communications
have changed over the past several years. Just a couple of years ago, the
wireless industry was touting the grand rollout of “third-generation”
wireless networks, but 3G is now late and has proven a commercial flop
where available.