The mobile web is coming. The most popular example right now is the iPhone's mobile version of Safari. In my limited experience with it, I've found it to be very good. Apple is not the only one out there with a browser though. I briefly mentioned Opera Mini in my most recent review of the iPhone vs. Blackberry decision. There is also SkyFire. And, Mozilla is rumored to be working on a mobile Firefox (you know how I feel about the full version).
My experience with Opera Mini has been fantastic. It really does render pages like they would be on my computer. It works similarly to mobile Safari by browsing around the page using either the keypad (2, 4, 6, 8) or trackball to move around the page and 5 or a ball-click to zoom in. It's not quite as slick as Safari and it's finger gesture navigation, but it gets the job done. Plus, with Opera Mini, you can save pages for later viewing, which I love to use for rides on the subway. I only wish there were a way for me to download unread RSS feeds to my blackberry and have it sync when I get back in range, automatically. (Aside: if you've heard of an app like that, please let me know).
You may be concerned with the speeds I'm getting on the EDGE network with AT&T. I have no problems with it. And, from what I've been reading about the iPhone 3G, it isn't as good as advertised.
The one thing that both Opera Mini and mobile Safari lack is Flash. Skyfire has flash. That is HUGE. There are so many websites that do not work without Flash. Youtube and Hulu are the most obvious, but there are tons of others (and, yes I know that youtube is on the iPhone, but they had to build a specific program for it, it's not the standard flash site). To me, getting mobile flash right first give Skyfire a huge, first-mover advantage.
However, all of these mobile web browsers have a problem of availability. Opera Mini is available on most mobile phones. I have it on my blackberry with AT&T, but you can also use it on windows mobile (e.g., Blackjack and others), Palms and Nokia's Symbia OS. For some reason, on Verizon, only customers with a blackberry can get it. Skyfire is available only on Windows Mobile (and probably has the same issue with Verizon, but I haven't verified that). And obviously, Apple, being the selfish bastards that they are, have kept safari only on the iPhone and prohibited anyone from installing a 3rd party web browser.
All in all. Get yourself a data plan and download one of these mobile browsers. It'll be much cheaper than getting an iPhone and will help you wait until Apple fixes some of the issues it's been having, or at least gets mobile flash working.
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