SMC WSKP100 802.11G Wireless Skype Phone

by SMC

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000INI1H8
• Item model number: WSKP100
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #31 in Electronics > Office Electronics > Telephones & Accessories > VoIP > Handsets
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 19, 2006

Product Description

The new compact Wi-Fi Phone for Skype is perfect for users who need mobility and cost effective voice calls over the Internet. The WSKP100 is intended to help users make Skype calls at home work or campus without the hassle of having to turn on your computer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Break away from the PC, May 21, 2007

By 

M. Bell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SMC WSKP100 802.11G Wireless Skype Phone (Personal Computers)

I have seen a lot of mixed reviews on this product, some good and some not so good. I was a bit hesitant about purchasing this, but after having done so, I have no regrets. It works as advertised. It was easy to set up and works pretty well.
Pros:
1. It gets you away from the PC.
2. The battery life is sufficient for about an hour or perhaps more (they say 3 hours talk time). If you talk more than that, plug in the charging cord when the battery appears to be weak, even while you are on the call. It is very similar to a cell phone in this respect.
3. It's easy to pack around, as is a cell phone.
4. The display is bright and buttons are easy to operate.
5. You can store all of your Skype contacts as well as your Skype OUT contacts for quick access.
Cons:
1. Upon occasion it may be sluggish, perhaps leading to a freeze. Just pull off the battery and snap it back on and you are good to go again. This phenomenon is rare, however.
2. It does not have a web browser for inputting passwords to access wireless networks though a browser. If you are lucky, you can usually find an open spot and it will auto connect to that.
3. No cradle for charging if you buy the product in Japan (Logitec) or in the U.S. (SMC).
4. This unit seems slow to update the status of on-line or off-line users. My PC is very quick, but this unit takes a while sometimes. Upon occasion you must initiate a call to an off-line user for them to appear on-line.
5. No speakerphone function. It comes with a i-pod type of earphone/microphone that includes a mute button, but a speakerphone function would be nice.

Overall no real complaints. However, I do strongly suggest that you buy the Edge Core version of this product from the U.K. as it has a charging cradle with it.
Skype WiFi Phone CRADLE and WIRELESS ROUTER WA4101-Cradle AP.
Also, take some time to update your firmware through your PC before using this product. This will make a difference in performance.

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Phone, October 26, 2006

By 

Houman Javedan (Boston,MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SMC WSKP100 802.11G Wireless Skype Phone (Personal Computers)

I have read reviews complaining about this phone. I disagree. It serves its purpose very well. I have not had problems getting over 2 hours of talk time from this phone. I made sure my initial charge was 12 hours before I used it the first time. Since then, I can use the phone all day without any problems. I use skype a lot as I have family in Europe and South America. I wonder why this phone is not readily available in large electronic stores.

It is an excellent phone I highly recommend it. I bought mine from Amazon via Beach Audio and the phone arrived on time and in good condition.

I use an 802.11G router with wep128 encription and have had not problems with linking. True it will not work at hotspots that require web based identification, but the truth is hotspots are still not ubiquitous enough to consider it a realistic option. As a skype phone at home that does not require you to have the computer on, I find this a very impressive first attempt. SMC should be applauded, and place this phone on more retail shelves.

Dr. Houman Javedan

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goodbye greedy telcoms!, April 13, 2007

By 

John Bloch - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SMC WSKP100 802.11G Wireless Skype Phone (Personal Computers)

This phone works great for me. The only negatives would be that the volume does not go very loud, and the battery time should be longer. Also, there is no web browser, so there is no way to authenticate on networks that require it. It supports Open, WEP, or WPA Personal authentication types however.

I took out the wire cutters, opened a bottle of beer, and with a primal vociferation, I clipped the phone line! It felt good. Real good! Therapeutic even. :)

Update: I updated the firmware to the latest version which fixes a number of bugs even though I wasn't having any problems, I did it anyhow. It was easy. I also ordered the charging cradle. The only way to charge the phone without a cradle is with a USB cable, so order the charging cradle with it for home use. The USB cable charging is very useful when the battery runs out, you can still use the phone while it is charging.