Philips VOIP841 PC-Free DECT 6.0 Wireless IP Phone
by Philips Accessories
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Our Price: $499.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $115.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Philips VOIP841 PC-Free DECT 6.0 Wireless IP Phone
Customer Review: An Excellent Phone for Skype Users
Summary: 4 Stars
If you hate paying the phone company a ton of money for calls you probably aren't going to make, Skype is a great service. You can make unlimited phone calls within the U.S. and Canada for just under $30. Out of country calls are extremely cheap. For example, I can call the U.K. for a bit over 2 cents per minute.
So having a telephone you can count on to make reasonably good calls is critical. The Philips VOIP841 is not a perfect solution. The sound quality is somewhere between a cell phone and a land line. It's a bit better than the former and not nearly as good as the latter.
But for making and receiving calls from family and friends, it's great. And it will pay for itself quickly and save you a ton of money on your phone bill.
I even use mine for business calls overseas and many times within the U.S.
With Skype, you can make conference calls. So business users will find this of interest.
Although the phone allows you to make Skype or land line calls, the land line is no better or worse than the Skype line. In fact, I believe the Skype calls may be somewhat better on this phone.
I do find there is a small amount of static on my Skype to land line calls at times. Not enough to make the calls bad. But you'll notice it. And it's not always there. Calls are dependent on your connection and the traffic.
In addition, the phone is not especially comfortable in your hand. At least I don't think so. It's too small and not shaped well. You have to hold it a certain way to hear well.
The speaker works quite well. I can hear the other person very well on the speaker. The other person says it's not as good on their end. But it's a good feature to have. The mute feature is also good to have.
So if you're looking for a true land line replacement, this is not it. Of course, Skype will tell you that you can't make 911 calls. So most people want this for a second line anyway.
I like to watch my costs. And one place you can spend way too much money is with the phone company. So I cut my land line service to the bare bones (I like having 911 and the option to have clear calls) and I have a good cell phone plan. Added to that this phone and Skype and I save a ton of money. I signed up with Total International for long distance on my land line. So for me, that combination works great.
The phone is feature rich. It does have some bugs. And I found that customer service doesn't know much more about the phone than I do. They're of very little help. And the documentation is poor. They do have a decent FAQ on their Web site and you can find some answers. Plus, Skype has an active forum with lots of folks who use this phone. So there's help there too.
But having said all that, I recommend this phone for people who use or plan to use Skype for a lot of long distance or PC to PC calls. I expect within a few years someone will come out with a phone that is a true solution. Until then, I'm glad I bought this phone and I really enjoy the savings it provides me with.
I doubt you'll find a better Skype phone at this time and this one enjoys high ratings from most reviewers who review for a living.
Update: July 21, 2007
After using this phone for several weeks, I can tell you I'm glad I made the purchase. It's worry-free and very dependable. Making Skypeout calls are quite clear, regardless of where you call. The landline, however, is not too good. So I don't use it for a landline at all.
I've never had any dropped calls or any problems and I've used the phone a lot. I pay Skype less than $30 per year for unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada and keep a little in my account for overseas calls. I talked to London for five or six minutes and it only cost me a nickel.
I ordered a Skype desk phone for my office to use along with this one. But it's not portable. I also read in The Wall Street Journal that there is a new type of VOIP calling coming out in September, called Ooma, which may prove to be a better deal. I'll be checking into that and buying the unit.
So, in summary, I've been very happy with this phone and it's worth the price. I continue to highly recommend it.
Customer Review: Good, But Do A Little Homework Before Purchasing
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this phone a little over two months ago. Overall I'm quite happy with it, though I do wish I had waited until the price dropped and saved some $$! I've read many of the reviews and agree with many of the good ones, and can empathize with many of the not-so-good ones.
First of all, I think everyone assumes someone looking to purchase this phone already knows about Skype, which I'm sure is usually true, BUT if you're unfamiliar with Skype, be sure you visit www.skype.com first to find out exactly what it is, and what it is going to cost you (if anything) to join and use the system. Different plans are offered such as talking to only other people on Skype. . . . Making calls to people on "regular" phones (fee based, but really cheap). . . . and if you want to have your own phone number so that anyone can call you (fees involved). After reading a lot of reviews, I didn't see where anyone mentioned about what Skype actually is, so I wanted to get that out of the way. This phone works with Skype, but you still have to sign-up and select what plan you would like, and that's where there could be fees. Also, you must have high-speed internet access to use this phone. . . BUT you can use the phone without your computer being turned on, which is one of the main reasons for purchasing this phone. Now for the review. . . .
When I first got this phone, I had both a land line and Skype. I have since dropped the land line because I'm more than happy with the Skype service, especially due to how much $$ it's saving me (a ton, by the way). As Skype will tell you, they recommend you keep a land line, because Skype does not work with 911. I have a cell phone which works with 911, so I'm less worried about that and I live in a condo with lots of people around me. If 911 service is of a concern, then you might want to keep the land line. When you place a call the phone will ask you if you want it to go through the land line or Skype. FYI, someone wrote that they were still asked that even though they didn't have a land line, but I was able to change the settings and now the phone always uses Skype.
I agree with someone else who said that they thought that Skype was not as good as a land line, but better than a cell phone. Sometimes the quality is better than others with Skype, but again, I can live with that because of the cost savings.
I have Skype on my computer as well, and it's great that the phone will update when you add new contacts to your computer and vice-versa. You can load all of the phone numbers from Outlook into Skype, and then it will load onto your phone. Really great feature.
As for the phone itself. . . well. . . yes, it is sleek, modern, etc. . . but I agree with someone else who said that it's kind of a pain because it's not like a "regular" phone receiver where you can hold it against your shoulder and ear. Yes, you can use a headset, and yes there is a speakerphone which I find works quite well. But if you're not using either of those, it can be a bit of a pain holding the phone all the time. FYI, there is no volume control, and I really hate that. If you're the slightest bit hard-of-hearing, I would not recommend this phone. Though it's not difficult to use, it is more like using a cell phone. If you have Skype voice mail (fee-based feature) there is an icon on the phone to let you know that you have a message so that you can listen to it. The phone keeps a detailed log of all of the calls which came in, and also that you made. Someone mentioned that the phone does not have the best ring tone options, which I would agree with, but surely you can find one that you'll be satisfied with. Oh. . . I don't know if this is still the case, but my phone came only with a disc with the instructions. There wasn't a printed manual. I found one at the Philips website though. I HIGHLY recommend that you go to the Philips website and take a look at the owners manual before you purchase, just so you know all of the details and what features this phone offers, which are quite a few. Once you get to the Philips website, just do a search for VOIP8411B/37.
Customer Review: Wonderful except a few Skype glitches
Summary: 4 Stars
This phone is a dual cordless phone meaning you can use it as a regular landline phone or a skype phone parellelly, but no conferencing between these two.
To use it as landline phone you obviously need a phone service from your local provider. (The phone does not have any special features for landline use anyway).
To use it as skype phone, you need internet connection and a skype account (*no need for a computer* or for it to be on). To call other landline phones using skype you need to purchase 'skype pro' or 'skype out credits' (see www.skype.com). To receive calls from landline phones to your skype account, you need to purchase 'skype in'.
To make skype to skype calls it's free! You dont need to purchase anything from skype.
Look and feel:
It is a sleek looking phone comparable to recent models of landline phones. It has a nice informative lcd display. It's very light, but doesn't feel like cheap plastic. The phone even comes with a belt clip - dont know how many people would carry a home phone around with them.
Setup:
Setup is a real snap with this phone. You need to charge the batteries for 14h prior to first use. If you dont like to wait, simply have two fully charged NimH AAA batteries in hand - that's what this phone uses. Once you pop them in, the phone will be ready to use. Setup took just 5 min for me: Plug-in the base unit to my router and power it up and then enter language, country code, area code and the login info in the handset (If your login has numbers and alphabets, use the * key to toggle). I was ready to go. It recognized the baseunit w/o any trouble and connected and downloaded my skype contacts.
Calls: When you call (key in the number and press talk or select a skype contact id or phone number), you are prompted whether to use landline or skypeout. Just like a normal phone, it has a phone book as well. The skype call quality is good - some what better than a cell phone call. Sometimes there is a very mild 'buzz' in the background. do not expect landline quality calls. Additionally, skype calls might take a few seconds to connect.
Cost: Cost-wise it's totally worth it. With the current promotion from skype, you get 'skype pro' and 'skypein' for $60 a year in the US. Using skypepro you get 10,000 minutes a month of calling to US and Canada phones. Skypein gives you a number (with local area code) for other people to call you. they will be charged normal rates like a phone call.
Skype: Skype of late seems to have run in to many glitches or features lacking. since most of these are software related they might set it right soon.
- When you call other people, caller id is not displayed - it just shows unknown (UPDATE:This has been resolved and now you can display your caller ID)
- Skype erroneously charged some people for skype pro calls and then made a refund sometimes months later (UPDATE: No more problems).
- Your skype contacts using a PC see you as logged in to a non computer device and they may not be able to send you text chat messages (UPDATE: I guess more and more people are getting used to skype).
- If you are logged in to a pc and phone at the sametime, both of them try to pickup the call
-UPDATE: Occasionally, the phone seems to 'sleep'. If someone calls, they hear a ring, but the phone doesn't actually ring. no missed call info. I dont know if it's skype or the phone's problem.
These features made the device get a four star rating, but skype should be able to get these glitches solved.
Bottomline: real cheap and convenient way to make phone calls.
Customer Review: Must-have addition to Skype!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am currently living out of the country for medical school, so I use Skype on a daily basis to contact friends and family in the US. For the past year, I've been having attached to my computer anytime I wanted to use the phone, which also meant missing calls if I was in another room or had the computer turned off. However, this phone has made me love Skype again!
Setup:
Could not be easier! Plug in the base station, attach the included ethernet cable to your router, and let the handset charge for a little while. When you turn the handset on, enter your language, area code, skype name, and password. That's it! Within seconds, your voicemails and Skype contacts are downloaded to the phone. If you can figure out a basic cell phone, you can figure out this phone with no problem. There are a few basic options, one of which allows you to set whether it asks, every time you dial a number, if you would like to use SkypeOut or landline, or automatically default to one or the other.
Call Quality:
I have been very impressed with the quality. I'd say it ranges from decent cell phone quality, to slightly better. As I do not have a landline here, I can only judge the quality of SkypeOut calls. My apartment is not very large, but the range easily extends from front to back, with two doors closed in between rooms. The range is better than what I've experienced with other cordless phones in the past, and I haven't noticed any degradation in quality as I move away from the base. I have been told that it sounds much better than when I am speaking through the computer.
Phone:
I find the phone comfortable to hold, although it's too small to rest between your shoulder and ear. It is very attractive and feels durable, if a bit plasticy. The display is bright and easy to read. When idle, it displays your username, status, time/date, and remaining SkypeOut credit. Like I said, the menu system works very similar to a cell phone. The earpiece volume is not particularly loud, but definitely adequate. The speaker volume can be very loud, and remains clear at higher volumes. I haven't really tested the battery, but after having it off the cradle for a while and talking on the phone for about an hour or so, it still shows a full charge.
Problems:
Very few, and not bad enough to affect my rating. It came with a card for 120 SkypeOut minutes, but when I tried to enter the code online, it said that the code had already been used. I'm still waiting for a response from Skype about that. The ring tones leave something to be desired, although they are, fortunately, very loud (if you set them to be). Very rarely, it will drop a call for no apparent reason. However, this could be related to my less than ideal internet connection. Strangely, if I have Skype running on the computer but answer an incoming call on the handset, the computer continues to ring, despite the incoming call pop-up notification disappearing. I have to quit Skype to stop the ringing. I'm still trying to figure out how to remedy that problem.
Edit: After using this for a few months now, I'm just as happy as I was initially. Also, a few problems listed above have been corrected. The dropped calls were, in fact, due to a poor internet connection. Ever since that was fixed, I haven't lost any calls. Also, Skype put out a new mac version of their software since I wrote this review, and that update fixed the problem with the computer continuing to ring after I answer the handset.
Customer Review: It's functional, but has a lot of problems
Summary: 2 Stars
I was looking for a VOIP system that supported Skype and would work without my computer. This Philips phone seemed to be the best option. I wish there were more choices, because even though it meets my brief list of technical requirements it's got a lousy user interface. Here are just a few of my complaints:
- If you listen to your Skype voicemail messages on your computer, your phone still shows that you have new messages. This is only a minor inconvenience, except that you can not clear ALL messages; you have to delete them one at a time.
- When another call comes in while you are talking on the phone you can push a button to "reject" the call. However, the phone continues to beep to let you know that you either missed the call or that they left voicemail. It's a loud audible beep that interupts your current conversation, and there is no way to get it to stop.
- During some calls I hear an echo of my voice for the entire conversation. If I hang up and call back it's usually clear again. And at other times the other person hears a echo tone (not related to their voice or mine) that does not go away during the call. I would assume that these are VOIP issues, however I have never had these issues using my Skype account on my computer - they have only happened with this Philips phone.
- There is no busy signal tone when you are placing calls from the phone. You only get this information visually on the display, so you have to look at the phone for awhile while it is attempting to make the call to see if it's going to go through or not (minor, but annoying.)
- Often there are errors when trying to place a call. Sometimes it appears that the call is already connected, with the minutes incrementing -- but the call never connected. Sometimes you can hear the other person when the call does connect, but they can't hear you. And sometimes, they can hear you but you cannot hear them. Again, I have never had any of these problems using Skype on my computer, so it seems to have something to do with the Philips phone system or the Skype->Philips software.
- The headset jack is flakey; mostly it doesn't work, but sometimes it does.
- The volume control isn't sensitive enough, so there are some calls that are just too loud and I have to hold the phone away from my ear.
- The phone itself is very uncomfortable to hold, and it does NOT feel comfortable against your ear for very long.
This system does, however, work exactly as advertised. It has a separate base unit that connects to your Ethernet network, and that unit receives your Skype calls whether or not your computer is turned on. The phone does connect with your Skype account so you have access to your contact database, your voicemail messages, and your current account balance. The manual that comes with the unit is sparse with information, and consequently there are still some icons that I do not understand.... but they don't seem important and I haven't found the need to look online for any additional information.
I appreciate the Skype features, especially the fact that I can receive calls (or voicemail) while I am traveling as though I am still home. I don't like this phone at all, and because of the phone I have often considered canceling Skype and returning to a land line. I am hopeful that someone else will make a better unit sometime soon.