Internet connectivity of the i phone

Internet access is available when the iPhone is connected to a local area Wi-Fi or a wide area GSM or EDGE network, both second-generation (2G) wireless data standards. The iPhone 3G also supports third-generation UMTS and HSDPA 3.6,[67] but not HSDPA 7.2 or HSUPA networks. AT&T introduced 3G in July 2004,[68] but as late as 2007 Steve Jobs felt that it was still not widespread enough, and the chipsets not energy efficient enough, to be included in the iPhone.[30][69] The iPhone 3G has a maximum download rate of 1.4 Mbp/s.[70] Support for 802.1X, an authentication system commonly used by university and corporate Wi-Fi networks, was added in the 2.0 version update.[71]

By default, the iPhone will ask to join newly discovered Wi-Fi networks and prompt for the password when required. Alternatively, it can join closed Wi-Fi networks manually.[72] The iPhone will automatically choose the strongest network, connecting to Wi-Fi instead of EDGE when it is available.[73] Similarly, the iPhone 3G prefers 3G to 2G, and Wi-Fi to either.[74] Users can disable all wireless connections by activating Airplane Mode.

Safari is the iPhone's native web browser, and it displays pages similar to its Mac OS X counterpart. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and supports automatic zooming by pinching together or spreading apart fingertips on the screen, or by double-tapping text or images.[75][76] The iPhone supports neither Flash[77] nor Java.[78] Consequently, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority banned an advertisement claiming the iPhone could access "all parts of the Internet" on grounds of false advertising.[79] The iPhone supports SVG, CSS, HTML Canvas, and Bonjour.[80][81]

The maps application can access Google Maps in map, satellite, or hybrid form. It can also generate directions between two locations, while providing optional real-time traffic information. Support for walking directions, public transit, and street view was added in the version 2.2 software update.[58] During the iPhone's announcement, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby Starbucks locations and then placing a prank call to one with a single tap.[13][82] Apple also developed a separate application to view YouTube videos on the iPhone, which streams videos over Wi-Fi, 2G, or 3G after encoding them using the open H.264 codec. Simple weather and stock quotes also tap in to the Internet.

iPhone users can and do access the internet frequently, and in a variety of places. According to Google, the iPhone generates 50 times more search requests than any other mobile handset.[83] According to Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann, "The average Internet usage for an iPhone customer is more than 100 megabytes. This is 30 times the use for our average contract-based consumer customers."[84]