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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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Philips VOIP841 PC-Free DECT 6.0 Wireless IP Phone
Customer Review: Not too bad. Not too good.
Summary: 3 Stars
I've used the phone for sometime now and I'm reasonably happy with it. I haven't noticed any signal breakage between the handset and the base when wandering around home. The speaker sound, however isn't excellent. My folks have a set of uniden 5.8GHz phones and you don' even need to speak to anyone to hear the difference, just hear the flat tone. I've also been told in conversations that I sound "far", so I'm assuming the mic isn't also very good. Funnily I happen to have an uniden headset that I've been using with my philips VOIP841 and those quality sound issues that I've described disappear with the headset.
I haven't found a way to put the handset back on the base without hanging up. Logics suggest that, if you enable the loud-speaker you should be able to do so, but that doesn't happen I'm afraid.
Although there's nothing wrong with the phone being skype oriented, it seems that it lacks features that you find in a regular standard land-line, like an address book/contact list. The VOIP841 has only a skype contact list.
The buttons backlit and that's not bad, but pressing them isn't as comfortable and it is with other devices, you usually have to look at the buttons, otherwise you'll miss.
I originally set my handset to spanish language, and the translation is very wrong. All written in uppercase and the translation to some words is just wrong. I had to go back to english, but not everybody here speaks english.
Customer Review: Works as Advertised - for the Most Parts
Summary: 4 Stars
This phone works as advertised. It handles both Skype calls and land line calls well. Voice quality is great. The user interface is decent. I'm really happy with it except some minor quirks:
1. Whenever you log off the phone and log back on, it asks you for the password. Although the user interface suggests that it will remember the password, it really doesn't. Typing alphanumerical password on the numeric keypad is not exactly a fun thing to do.
2. Last week the phone shows I'm off line and can't connect even though my internet connection works fine and I can log into Skype from my PC with no issue. Power-cycle both my router and the phone's base station solved the mystery. Never know exactly what happen though.
3. If you pick up the land line call from another line other than the this phone, it will show you missed the call.
These are minor annoyance of course compared to the features of the phone. It is really cool. I have an extra handset with this phone and it works equally well.
Tips: I set the status on the phone to be "Invisible" so whatever Skype status I have on my computer is what people will see. That way when people call me I can still pick up the phone and answer. But people won't see me and try to call me all day long unless I'm in front of my computer, and I don't need to log in and out using the awkward keypad on the phone.
Customer Review: What was wrong with these? (great idea, terrible execution)
Summary: 1 Stars
This was our ideal solution at the time. I am Scottish, my wife is Lebanese and we both live in California. Love Skype, persuaded so many family members to get on it, but it was a pain to leave the computer on all the time in case we got a call.
Loved the product for a few months. I should have known something was wrong when around 6 months after buying one phone and a base station, I looked for a second handset and saw Philips had discontinued this model and the only second handsets available were second hand, and at high prices.
I shouldn't have really, but I bought a second hand handset on Amazon. This lasted around 3 months then just died, it won't power up any more, no matter what batteries we put in it.
The original handset died after it was around 16 months old. We can hear the person on the other end when we get a skype in call, but they can't hear us.
Very frustrating. I've posted to the Skype forums, as frustratingly enough, there seems to be no new product like this on the market, and I certainly don't want to buy another second hand as my conjecture is that there was a fundamental flaw in these phones that somehow missed Philips's quality control. I'll update this post if I get any joy out of the Skype forums on if there is any new product like this around.
So please don't waste your money on these.
Customer Review: Integrity-in-a-Box
Summary: 5 Stars
I studied extensively on the various options for VOIP phones and headsets. Something told me I'd be better off with a Skype phone and when I saw the Philips VOIP841, I temporarily stopped browsing and focused on it. Eventually I went on to study other phones but this particular one "had me me from hello". Upon receiving it, set-up was very simple and after letting the phone power-up in the base overnight, this rascal was up-and-at'em. I was impressed by how the Skype program online synchronized with the program in the handset, mirroring all my contacts, etc.
I called a relative using Skype from the computer and she told me it was the clearest she'd heard from my phone in a long time. When I told her it was from the computer, she was genuinely surprised and impressed.
Now I'm just a customer like everyone else who might purchase this phone, but if Philips want to hire me as spokesperson for this particular phone, it would be easy work indeed. This phone costs a little more than many of the others, but I've had it online for over a month and no kidding, it rocks!
Also, you don't have to worry about it conflicting with conventional hand-sets in other areas of the house. My office is central for Skype calls and that's ok. The final kicker here is that you can start making long distance phone calls (Skype)at less than $0.03 per minute. Overall, a 5-Star Salute well deserved!
Customer Review: Excellent phone and easy setup
Summary: 5 Stars
I looked at many skype phone and settled on this one because of its looks and that it can be run without a PC. Out of the box it was well packed, and easy to setup. I had a skype account, entered the setup info in the phone and was online and working in 5 minutes. I have had this phone for over a month now and been using it regular.
This phone allows for skype out (calling a land line) and you can just dial the phone number and pres talk. I saw in other post a comment that you had to select skype out before it would make the call. I found a setting in the phone that made this the default behavior. With that this phone works just like a regular phone. Its amazing with a skype out and skype in number.
The sound is excellent when having a call with a land line. clear, crisp and easy to understand. With some of my skype contacts its hit or miss. I think this has much to do with the other skype users and the quality of their headphone/microphone setup.
This phone will make an excellent replacement to my vonage line. With a skype in phone number, and skype out service its a great bargain.
One issue. I do leave the phone on all the time. Sometimes for some reason the time on the phone becomes wrong by several hours. I have to turn it off and back on for the time to update. Otherwise this is a great product and I am very pleased.