WiFi phone for Skype

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:43:45 GMT

As more and more WiFi hotspots appear all over the world it was only a question of when for the WiFi phone to be available. Now Netgear introduces the Netgear Skype WiFi Phone. You can use it to call anyone on Skype without a PC and via Skype-out regular phone number. It displays the contact list in the same way the Skype client on Windows or Mac OS X does. You can see who is online and select the contact to make the call.

It can be pre-ordered at the Skype store or Amazon. Here is the press release from Netgear.

That's quite an interesting move. It might be a very useful device for frequent travelers and be a blow to cell phone companies that bill horrendous roaming charges. This phone has now gotten on my watch list. Currently I use Vonage's softphone on my laptop and the Vonage service with a VoIP phone adapter in the office and at home. Calls between all the numbers in my account are free - just as Skype is free as well.

The only drawback, and it's a big one, is that this phone is not usable at hotspots that require you to visit a website first in order to use the hotspot. Unfortunately a lot of hotspots at hotels and airports are implemented that way.

Stephan Schwab - telecom tag

WiFi phone for Skype