Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound quality for a low price, September 26, 2007
This phone has excellent sound quality compare to other Skype phones I've tested. So far, the voice quality for all the Wi-Fi Skype phones from Belkin, Linksys, and Netgear are mediocre. The dual mode models (ones that won't need a PC) offer better quality but still on the pricey side. This USB phone hits the perfect spot in terms of having great sound quality and low price.
Currently it only supports XP/2000 with a newly released Vista driver. No MAC support. Also, buyers beware of the VOIP0801B driver software and Skype version compatibility issue. I installed older version of Skype v2.5.0.122 with VOIP080 Phone Driver v3.1.0.0 that came with the CD. Those are guaranteed to work with each other by Philips. On their support page, they mentioned the latest driver VOIP0801B v3.5.4.0 for XP currently only supports up to Skype v3.6.0.xxx. So check for compatibility status before you decide to upgrade your Skype software or phone driver.
Usability is simple and straightforward. First make sure you've logged into your Skype account and activated the driver software. Pressing the center "S" button on the silver wheel pad will make Skype pops up. Keep pressing "S" allows you to toggle between Contacts, Dial, and History tabs. Hitting Up/Down arrows to select phone numbers within Contacts or History. You can also just simply dial the number like you would for a regular phone. Press "talk" to make the call and "off" to hang up. Press and hold "off" to minimize Skype when you're done.
The earpiece and microphone volume may be adjusted through driver software. Earpiece volume is also adjustable during a call using up/down keys. There are 8 different ringer tones to choose from. Volume for ringer can be set to off/low/high.
It looks very nice and sleek on the outside. The casing was well-designed with extra spacing around the sides for USB cable retraction. Comes with a phone stand as seen in the picture. Also includes a black travel holster that protects your phone on the go. Overall, this is an excellent USB VoIP handset from Philips...definitely one of the best for Skype!
As of today, 02-24-2009, VOIP080 Phone Driver 3.5.4.0 is NOT fully compatible with Skype version 4.0.0.206. After upgrading Skype from version 3.8.0.xxx to version 4, the Up/Down/Talk/Off buttons and center "Skype" button failed to work. Pressing the "Off" button will highlight the "Call phones" tab in Skype and I can still using numerical pad to dial a number. However, everything else such as calling/hanging-up or shifting through your Contacts requires the use of mouse and keyboard. I can still talk using this phone after a call has made through, but navigating through Skype version 4 is now a pain.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not perfect, but works reliably, April 17, 2008
I've have been a Skype user for several years. Prior to purchasing the Philips VOIP 080 USB handset, I've tried a few generic USB VOIP handsets from eBay. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, none of the eBay models I've purchased worked. This Philips handset was going to be my last try before biting the bullet and invest into a more expensive WiFi handset model. Much to my surprise, the Philips 080 worked! Here are my impressions/opinions on this product:
Pro
- Even though the handset is NOT plug-and-play directly out of the box, but after the one-time setup process that involves the installation of a "VOIP080" program, the handset works reliably there after.
- When the VOIP080 is executed, it will kick start Skype, load the driver for 080, and configure the audio in/out for Skepe on the handset. This is normally a single-click operation.
- The voice quality is VERY good. Provided your internet connection is reliable, the voice quality on this handset is definitely comparable to normal landline phones. There is no echo, no distortion, or any other audible artifacts.
- You can dial numbers directly on the handset. However, when you punch the numbers in, they actually appear in the Skepe window that's running on your COMPUTER, as the handset itself does not have any display.
- Incoming calls will ring the handset, with several ringer choices.
Cons
- The fact that this thing is not plug-and-play is rather inconvenient. You can only use it on the computer that already has the VOIP080 program installed. If you're traveling and using a shared computer somewhere, you're out of luck.
- Sometimes, not always, the normal audio on the computer is being routed to the handset. Per design, only the Skepe audio should be routed to the handset. For whatever reason, this doesn't always work, which is annoying.
- The handset is rather cheaply constructed. The USB cable, in particular, is problematic. Because you need to wrap the cable around the grove on the sides of the handset every time you "travel", the ultra thin USB cable will simply snap in time. I'm already on my second one. The base shown in the picture is a useless piece of light plastic.
- Because the VOIP080 program actually hooks into the Skepe application itself, I suspect there will be potential compatibility when Skype rolls out new versions in the future.
Conclusions
It gets the job done, as long as your expectations for it are not too high.
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My New Skype Phone is Wonderful !, July 4, 2007
This Skype phone is fabulous !!! It's great for traveling, as it's a USB phone, so you can just plug it in and go !
More importantly, the sound quality is the best I have experienced with Skype. No fooling with your audio settings to get it to work properly. It works properly out of the box.
The only minor inconvenience is having to remember to dial 011 (pause) and then the US phone number, which isn't a big deal considering the voice quality. It's also nicelooking with an adjustable phone cord.
The reason I bought this phone is that I called up Vonage, after my former Skype phone stopped working, and found out that my Vonage bill would be about $32. monthly with taxes, and with Skype I paid $38. per year for 2 phone numbers. Period. No additional cost. And with the sound quality on this phone, you can't beat it.
The Amazon price is better than the Wallie price, btw, which is a bonus. I highly recommend this phone. It's a winner !
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