ABI Research has announced that it has found shipments of Wi-Fi enabled phones are doubling every two years. Wi-Fi is an important feature today even in phones that offer 3G connectivity. This is thanks to the fact that many 3G networks are notoriously sketchy when it comes to coverage.

ABI reports that the shipments are expected to double between 2008 and 2010. Forecasts for 2011 expect to see over 300 million Wi-Fi enabled phones ship. One major reason for Wi-Fi capability in mobile devices is that Wi-Fi takes some of the load off the carrier's network.

For this reason, more and more phones in multiple price ranges are shipping with Wi-Fi today. Wi-Fi’s penetration into handsets has more momentum than the bad economy,” says industry analyst Michael Morgan. “It has become a must-have item much as Bluetooth did earlier. However, just having Wi-Fi in the handset isn’t enough. You have to have a reason for customers to use it. Until now it has been predominantly for data use, with voice struggling to find its niche."