Using your mobile phone Browsing the web on your mobile phone
Browsing the web on mobile phones is becoming more and more common.
Mobile phones usually connect to the internet via two different methods: Over a mobile phone operator's network, such as EDGE or HDSPA, or over local wi-fi (wireless internet), like the wireless internet connection you may have at home.
Which? has tested hundreds of mobile phones in our labs and given them ratings for different activities. See the phones that received the best scores for browsing the web.
Connecting via mobile networks
When it comes to mobile networks, there are different speeds available. GPRS (128kb/s) is the slowest, and EDGE (236kb/s) is the next step up.
3G (third generation) refers to a collection of different networks, which offer even faster speeds (384kb/s), letting you download a 3MB file (one song) in about a minute.
HSDPA (sometimes dubbed '3.5G') is even quicker - up to 14.4Mb/s - though networks tend to offer 3.6Mbps, which can download a song in 8.3 seconds.
Some mobile operators are already talking about 4G connection speeds, a term which often includes WiMax and LTE networks. LTE networks are currently being tested across the UK, with speeds reportedly reaching 150mb/s, but none are commercially accessible yet.
Connecting your mobile phone via wi-fi
Another option is to use wi-fi. If you have a wireless modem at home, and your phone is wi-fi capable, you can access your home internet connection. Just search on your phone for its connection settings. You should find an option to detect wireless networks. Once you find and select your network, you may then be asked to input the password.
Using your home internet connection is beneficial in many ways. It's usually much faster than connecting over mobile networks. Also, you won’t be using up any data allowance you may have on your mobile contract.
If you are tied to a limited data plan then a good tip is to perform any intensive downloading - i.e. music, videos, applications - on your home connection to save on your data allowance.
Mobile phone web browsers
Older mobile phone handsets are more likely to suffer from poor navigation and slower speeds than the latest models. However, if you can't afford to upgrade, one solution is to download and use a different web browser.
These third-party browsers can sometimes work better than the default browser on your mobile phone. The most popular of these third-party options is Opera Mini.
For many people, using Opera Mini means that pages load quicker and you can scroll round pages with ease. And best of all, it's free to download.
Simply point your mobile phone's existing browser to m.opera.com and select the relevant download for your model, or search for Opera Browser on your app store if there's one available to you. The download takes just a few seconds, then you can install it either to your phone's built-in memory or to a memory card.
Mobile phone display and navigation
Mobile phones are designed to be portable, so they have to be small. However, this means they have little space to include displays large enough for easy web browsing.
Things are getting better. Mobile phone displays are now sharper, while new touch technology has allowed manufacturers to maximise sizes - for example, the HTC Desire HD packs an incredibly large and sharp 4.3-inch screen.
Even so, the displays on mobile phones can't compare to a proper computer monitor. This is especially true if you intend to watch films online, so it's important to have realistic expectations when using your mobile phone to access the internet.
It can also be tricky to navigate around web pages, though again things are improving. Many new mobile phones have miniature joysticks and scroll wheels, while touchscreen devices such as the iPhone, and other smartphones, allow you to manipulate the display using your fingers.
Another limitation of internet-capable mobile phones is that, unlike computers, very few allow you to open more than one window. And some mobile phones can't access all types of pages, particularly video-based websites such as YouTube.
Mobile Phone App Stores
As well as surfing the web, internet-enabled phones can also download software applications or apps.
Apple popularised the idea by launching the App Store, an online software store for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch, in July 2008. By March 2010 more than 3 billion apps had been downloaded.
To download an app, you tap the App Store icon, browse categories that you're interested in, then download the application wirelessly to your handset. You can read user reviews of an application and view screen shots before making your choice.
The huge popularity of the App Store inspired other companies to follow Apple's lead. Google has developed a version it calls the Android Market, where you can buy apps for phones that use the Android operating system - such as the HTC Desire.
Costs
As with calls and texts on your mobile phone, you can choose to pay for internet and email access either on a usage basis or included in a monthly bundle.
Most mobile phone operators charge per megabyte (MB) of data, though some also charge by the day. O2 estimates that 1MB of data is equivalent to eight normal web pages or 200 emails without attachments. This may sound quite a lot, but simply downloading a few emails with typical Office attachments can quickly use up your allowance.
A better solution for heavy internet users is to sign up for a package.
Read our advice guide for more information on the costs of accessing the internet on your mobile.
Using the internet on your mobile abroad
Be warned that data costs are far higher if you use your mobile phone outside the UK and you're unlikely to be able to use any data bundle that you may have bought.
Instead, if you really need to access the internet from your mobile phone while overseas, you should consider buying a special international data package.
An even better solution is to connect to the internet via wi-fi, as long as your mobile phone handset has this feature.
Head over to our using your mobile phone abroad advice guide for more information.
