The Skype Phones of CES

It's official: that painful global shortage of Skype phones is now officially over. We scoured the show floor here at CES and ended up snapping pics of something like thirty or so Skype-compatible VoIP handsets. Click for the whole gallery.

Skype Phones at CES

[lejupp @ Jan 12th 2007 9:23AM]

Does any SINGLE one of these skype "phones" work without beeing connected to a PC running the Skype software?

[Chris H @ Jan 13th 2007 9:32AM]

The Netgear phone works without the PC. You plug it into your router. The Skype software is built into the phone. I think all of the Wi-Fi equipped phones don't need a PC.

[junkie @ Jan 12th 2007 1:44PM]

Check out #2: Netgear SPH200D
http://www.netgear.com/Products/CommunicationsVoIP/Skype/SPH200D.aspx
This is easily the most exciting Skype phone for the home ever.
This phone does not need a PC - it plugs into your router - it can also plug into your phone line.
Its dual-mode, so the single cordless handset also supports calling on a standard phone line and skype.
Its DECT compatible so it has the battery life of a good standard cordless, multiple handsets in the home share the same basestation via (the european) standard for cordless phones.
It shows the same buddylist that you see in your skype client.
The battery life should be much much better than a wifi phone and there is no complicated wifi login issues.
Granted this is not a hotspot solution at all, but for the home its pretty cool.

[matt byrne @ Jan 12th 2007 9:26AM]

Just as importantly, do any of these look remotley like a certain controversial communication device...?

[MIKE VENZIANO @ Jan 12th 2007 9:40AM]

SONY MYLO WILL RUN IT AND NIKIA N800 WHEN THEY FINNISH SOFTWARE

[Jacob Kennedy @ Jan 12th 2007 10:07AM]

My favourite is the phone labeled "Wirless Skype phone." That's some nice Engrish.

[PEZ @ Jan 12th 2007 10:16AM]

Terrifical! Now, do any of these phones actually produce good, quality results?

Naaaaaaah.

[shirizaki @ Jan 12th 2007 10:36AM]

Do any of these comapnys' realize that calling out from a skype phone costs money?

The whole hooplah last year was because skype out was free. i wonder what happens now thta skype out costs actual money? it would be nice as an additional feature on existing phones, but as a singular device I see no use for it. You'd be better off spending the money on a phone that offers VOIP functionality.

[Thomas S Edmonds Jr @ Jan 12th 2007 10:46AM]

When can I get my hands on the Y5World quad-band GSM, wifi, and Skype enabled mobile?

[Ceralor @ Jan 12th 2007 12:18PM]

I wonder if Apple will include Skype on the iPhone? It would definitely be a good addition with EDGE and WiFi on it.

[rikf @ Jan 12th 2007 10:48AM]

Actually the whole hoopla (apart from the ebay purchase hoopla) has always been the fact that skype just works. It passes through firewalls and routers without user intervention. The quality is at least good enough, if not better. The 'free skype' part (which only worked for calls to american phones from within amererica so it didn't have any influence of the opinions of the rest of the world) created a bit of a stir, but the hoopla was already in full flow.

RikF

[Clint @ Jan 12th 2007 11:19AM]

To answer the first post the CIT-400, Linksys' top of the line "iPhone."

[mj @ Jan 12th 2007 11:26AM]

I love it!

Aztech! What a name!

SkyMe? Saying that could get you killed in LA.

Lightsaber VOIP phone ftw!!!

Seriously, too bad Windows laptops don't ship with bluetooth, now, years after the technology's hype started and virtually every cell phone has one. Where was Microsoft? They can shove IE7 down our throat but can't be bothered to standardize on bluetooth when every house in America has cordless mice and keyboards and bluetooth cellphones?

[Ceralor @ Jan 12th 2007 12:04PM]

Actually, my VX Revo and my friend's MX Revo don't use Bluetooth. It seems to mostly be used among MS keyboards and mice, phones, PDA's, headsets, and Wiimotes.

[TB @ Jan 12th 2007 12:05PM]

I'm always amazed at the drama that Skype is no longer 'free'. It's $30/year ($15 if you hurry) for unlimited calling to any US phone. That's far cheaper than any alternative that I can think of.

[Enzo @ Jan 12th 2007 1:11PM]

Hey terrific, now how about some specs to go with all the pretty pictures?

[Buzzcut @ Jan 12th 2007 2:35PM]

I got the Belkin Wi-Fi Skype phone. I also bought the unlimited SkypeOut for $15 per year.

The phone kind of sucks. Call quality is poor. The other party hears an echo of what they said 5 seconds after they said it. My dad says that it sounds like I'm calling from Bangledesh.

The phone is a little buggy, too.

And I've got issues with my DSL. It's unreliability makes the Belkin even worse.

So that's the cost of a cheap service like Skype. It really can't replace a real phone, yet. Hopefully Belkin can fix the echo problem with updated software.

[Jasmine @ Jan 12th 2007 5:02PM]

I used to make a lot of skype calls in the past and would have bought one of these phones... but recently the connection has been really bad and I get disconnected all the time.

I thought it was my internet connection but don't think that is it since I do not have problems with downloading/streaming videos.

[Christiaan @ Jan 12th 2007 5:09PM]

Just give me a quad-band GSM, WiFi, and Skype/Gizmo enabled mobile I'll buy it.

[vf34wrx @ Jan 13th 2007 10:12PM]

I'm sure the Engadget staff spent too much time over at the Hilton - aka China Palace. Almost all the phones (Aztech & other great examples of Engrish labeled phones) Engadget had were no branders. What about the Philips and the GE Skype phones? Netgear should stick to what it does best: networking gears and let the experts like Philips, GE, and Panasonic handle telephony products.

[James Rosenblatt @ Jan 25th 2007 12:30PM]

I already have skype on my cell phone (qtek 8310) and it works really well.

[NYCOMMS @ Feb 8th 2007 6:17PM]

The NO PC required phones are now available we have the Linksys CIT400 and the Netgear SPH200D and the Panasonic KX-WPA102, we will have 5 more in the next 2 months. We have the Netgear SPH101, Belkin F1PP000GN-SK and the SMC WSKP100 WiFI phones .

The Y5World quad-band GSM, wifi and Skype enabled mobile should be on our store soon. register online to receive details of all the newest Skype phones.

http://www.nycommsdirect.com