Panasonic's KX-TG9000 cordless Skype phone

Slowly but surely Skype is aiming to take over your phone. And for those who don't have access to a PC, WiFi, a Skype-equipped cellphone, or a router (all of you 13 lonely souls), Panasonic and Skype's cordless phone lovechild was finally announced at CeBIT. Using a run of the mill DECT cordless phone base station, Panasonic's KX-TG9000 series phones (pic is of Skype-less KX-TG5456S) handles calls through your traditional landline or Skype's P2P network via a broadband internet link. Besides not requiring a router or PC, Panasonic's offerings will support free calls between Skype accounts, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Voicemail, and allow users to choose whether their outgoing calls are handled by Skype's network or their landline. Move over a little Ma Bell, Skype phones aren't just for Engadget readers anymore.

[Gerard @ Mar 12th 2006 5:37PM]

Nice but shame the ISP's are trying to throttle the bandwidth.

Read this article on The Register:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/23/isps_set_skype_limits/

[Jonathan B @ Mar 12th 2006 5:59PM]

i wonder how much it will cost...? because in my family everyone uses skype to talk to friends all over the world, and especially my mom to be able to talk to my sister and her husband in korea. works like a charm, except having to be tied to the computer... for now at least :P - j

[Moonshine @ Mar 12th 2006 6:00PM]

Looks like the design hasn't been updated since 1982. I'm sorry, simply adding an antenna every ten years just isn't good enough...

[100 ipod movies @ Mar 12th 2006 6:19PM]

Yeah, it doesnt look very appealing.

[Devin Lussier @ Mar 12th 2006 6:27PM]

I have the normal POTS version (which I use with Vonage) of that phone and I have to say that picture is just crappy. It's a great little phone with amazing reception and voice quality.

And as far as household cordless phones, there really isn't too much to update. It's not like a cell phone where you want a camera or games or the internet or whatever on it. I mean that's just silly. Hell this Panasonic I have has this thing called "CallerIQ" which means you can download ringtones and news and weather etc. It's pointless, if I'm at home I'm not going to pay somebody to put weather on the phone that sits next to my computer all the time.

[Vic @ Mar 12th 2006 6:36PM]

I wonder if you can use it as a Vonage phone in the landline side?

[Yrian @ Mar 12th 2006 6:41PM]

Ouch, my eyes. Please, Panasonic, learn from Bang & Olufsen.

[Big Chris @ Mar 12th 2006 6:59PM]

Yer, hmmmm, not to sure about the design, bit fisherprice ish.

[Manuel @ Mar 12th 2006 7:09PM]

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[billflu @ Mar 12th 2006 7:28PM]

The link to this page is messed up...
http://www.engadget.com,%20www.engadget.com/2006/03/12/panasonics-kx-tg9000-cordless-skype-phone/

[billflu @ Mar 12th 2006 7:31PM]

nvm, the link is already fixed.

[Derrick @ Mar 12th 2006 8:35PM]

This is nothing new. I have being using an open standard SIP adapter coupled with a regular phone from www.grandstream for a year. Register the device with www.sipphone.com and you talk for free if your calling party is also using an SIP device or software.

[Brian @ Mar 12th 2006 8:52PM]

IMO, Panasonic phones have looked the same for years. Great sound quality and tons of feaures, but ugly...

[Richiepoo @ Mar 12th 2006 9:08PM]

Panasonic clearly isn't offering the device as a sleek, stylish, hip, super cordless phone. They're offering the device for convenience. Just because they picked an enclosure that isn't attractive, it should be pretty inexpensive. I think they are aiming at Vonage (untethered from your computer) and are offering compatibility with all of Skype's features. To me this is amazing. I was wondering why someone hadn't done it already, because most of the VoIP users I've spoken with use Skype vice Vonage.

[Andrew @ Mar 12th 2006 10:14PM]

Umm.. if this is just a DECT handset, I very much doubt it is running embedded Skype tux', and the press release says nothing about embedded. This looks like a hybrid, not different than the Siemens, and RTX phones that have been out for almost two years. It will have a USB base interface to the PC and require Skype to be running.

Embedded devices haven't shipped yet, other than in beta.

[nojok3 @ Mar 12th 2006 10:46PM]

Geez they make new phones with new features and they make them look like crap. Cisco's phone has the tech but its just a normal phone if you take away the voip option, but still a great phone.

[karmaghost @ Mar 12th 2006 11:05PM]

Please read the post carefully; it states "Panasonic's KX-TG9000 series phones (pic is of Skype-less KX-TG5456S) handles calls through your traditional landline or Skype's P2P network..." That is not the Skype phone, but rather another Panasonic phone that Engadget placed there because they haven't released photos of it yet.

[Textbook Seller @ Mar 13th 2006 12:24AM]

I don't think the bandwidth issue is what will be the problem for Skype. I'm free to change providers if I want to, although I know a lot of people prefer legislation over taking responsibility for what they buy.

The real problem will be just that-- regulation. "I bought this Skype phone for my Grandma and it doesn't have enhanced 911! She could die!" A bunch of morons will ruin what's good about Skype by compelling the service to become what it's not. Then they'll be confused as to why it becomes less convenient or more expensive.

Look for Ron Wyden to save us from ourselves again sometime in late 2006.

[Mike @ Mar 13th 2006 2:55AM]

I wish there was more info on the "Skype's P2P network via a broadband internet link. Besides not requiring a router or PC..." So this thing has Wifi built in? What's the point? You'll use it in your house, not carry it around with you, so why not a wired connection?

[jared @ Mar 13th 2006 10:07AM]

@19: You're free to change bandwidth providers if you want to, eh? Good luck with that.

[David LaCagnina @ Mar 13th 2006 11:18AM]

Can it run the iSAC wideband codec that Skype runs on their PC client? If so, then I'm all for it. If not, blah, just plug a regular DECT phone into an ATA and be done with it.

[Richard @ Mar 14th 2006 6:16AM]

dect phone into an ata means you lose functionaliy, you have a post dial delay while the phone bleeps out the dtmf to be read by the ata, and you have the handset continue to ring for a time after the caller has hung up because theres no command to stop ringing. anyone who has a dect phone and a normal phone on the same line will know how long the dect can keep ringing for after the other one is picked up.

Also there is going to be some echo from the analog connection not balancing properly.

[Suchmaschinenoptimierung @ Apr 12th 2006 3:52AM]

Well i am not using Standard Phones since about 8 Years, always had Mobile Phones, but since VoIP is coming that hard we got back to "Standard Phones" in our company. Using a normal Agfeo with an voip router, at home i still used Cellphone and Skype with Headset.
With this cordless phone i think i can get my parents to VoIP, unless they won't need their phoneline anymore and save up some bucks! Well i will give it a try! I hope its worth!

[Cityservice @ Apr 22nd 2006 9:12PM]

Thank you for information! I will give it a try.
That sounds not bad.

[Berlinerin @ May 9th 2006 5:42AM]

It sounds good, but I really dont like the design.

[U.Braune @ May 9th 2006 5:54AM]

It looks not bad. Design is ok.

[s4d @ May 22nd 2006 10:10AM]

great phone and great design

[Angeln @ Jun 17th 2006 6:22AM]

It looks like the design of the phone hasn't changed since the 80s. Maybe the idea of the desigerns was "Back to the roots!"

[Thomas @ Jun 23rd 2006 1:21AM]

great phone, but I really dont like the design.

[Geschenke zu weihnachten @ Jun 23rd 2006 6:44PM]

Yeah, it doesnt look very appealing.great phone

[Zypern Ferienwohnungen @ Jun 23rd 2006 6:45PM]

I am happy to know this phone, my life is easier now. Thanks. I can only recommend it to anyone.

[Donovan @ Jul 6th 2006 7:53PM]

Holy cow, people! Read the text before firing off how you don't like the look of the phone. That's not the Skype phone pictured! Jeez. Is it that hard to read one whole paragraph before commenting, eh?

It would be interesting to see how this would work without a PC. Seems odd for a brand name to be leading the edge on something like this...

[Alex @ Jul 13th 2006 2:01AM]

It´s a very good product from Panasonic. I have test it in a Shop and can recommend it.

[mary fouts @ Oct 13th 2007 10:41AM]

I have a question... does anyone have a hands free phone that will do skype & regular phone calls...but that will accomodate a small business with 4 incoming phone lines (no pbx just 4 phone lines)? We sell security systems on the web http://www.sensortags.com and are looking for a way to upgrade our phones and save money using skype. Does anyone know if you can have more than one skype call going on one skype account or do we need to have an account for each sales person as well. Help it is hard to get anyone that knows anything about business & skype usage equipment.