So, Dr. Dobb's Journal is running a wi-fi phone round up. I’ve got a few of these devices and can speak to their utility in my life.
Netgear’s sph101 and Belkin’s F1PP000GN-SK
Both of these are Skype only phones that use wi-fi to get network.
Neither of these have a browser, so they are nearly impossible to use at a public wi-fi hotspot like the coffee shop or airport. Which sadly makes them of limited use unless you’re on your home network or stealing someone else’s wi-fi.
Belkin tries to get around this with a hotspot manager, which allows connection to Boingo hotspots - for 8 dollars a month. And that’s on top of whatever Skype credits you run through dialing landline and cell SkypeOut numbers.
SMC has one of the devices as well. They do Skype right, with the correct interface - but they just aren’t useful.
Sony Mylo
I have one of these that was given to me. It’s a nice device in many ways, but I admit I was more excited about the promise of what it could do, than what it does.
On the up side, it does Skype, Gmail, Gtalk, Yahoo, and some light web, mp3, mp4. Oh, and it comes with one free year of T-Mobile hotspot access provided you got it before the end of 2006. It’s a Linux device, so it should be flexible and expandable.
On the down side, the keyboard is atrocious, the handsfree headphone connector is proprietary and costs 60 bucks to replace, and the T-Mobile access only works with genuine T-mo spots, not ones where T-mo is a partner. That means no airport. Starbucks only. Oh, it’s a Linux device - but it’s also a Sony device. No expandability.
UTStarcom f1000.
I have this. I got it for 50 bucks so I wouldn’t be tied to a cordless phone tied to a linksys vonage router. It’s sole advantage is being able to recharge it by USB instead of having to go to a cordless phone base as I was before. The screen is awful, the management of received/missed/dialed calls is horrible, and the buttons are too close together, so misdials are frequent.
It also suffers from the no-browser problem, so it can only work on networks that don’t require browser auth.
Nokia 6136 and Samsung SGH-T709
Both of these are cell phones, so they have their own cell phone interface problems - on top of that, the wi-fi only works with T-Mobile hotspots. Gee. Talk about limiting.
It kills me. So many companies are making devices that fall short. I can understand Netgear, SMC and Belkin making a purpose-built Skype phone, but leaving out browser auth kills it.
I can understand Sony making a communicator, but the keyboard, the connectors, the T-Mobile limitation, no AIM, no IRC, no room to improve it... well, it’s painful. It’s almost good, but falls short.
The UTStarcom F1000 works. It’s better than having to charge a cordless phone and being tied to that phone. But darned if it isn’t annoying. UTStarcom makes real cell phones, and they’re not a lot better, although they have better looks.
Nokia and Samsung both got limited by T-Mobile - this is another case of a provider taking functionality and lessening it to abuse the customer. US providers are like this, whether it’s Verizon turning off mp3 ringtones so they can charge for ringtones provided by them only, or other nasty practices.
Netgear’s sph101 and Belkin’s F1PP000GN-SK
Both of these are Skype only phones that use wi-fi to get network.
Neither of these have a browser, so they are nearly impossible to use at a public wi-fi hotspot like the coffee shop or airport. Which sadly makes them of limited use unless you’re on your home network or stealing someone else’s wi-fi.
Belkin tries to get around this with a hotspot manager, which allows connection to Boingo hotspots - for 8 dollars a month. And that’s on top of whatever Skype credits you run through dialing landline and cell SkypeOut numbers.
SMC has one of the devices as well. They do Skype right, with the correct interface - but they just aren’t useful.
Sony Mylo
I have one of these that was given to me. It’s a nice device in many ways, but I admit I was more excited about the promise of what it could do, than what it does.
On the up side, it does Skype, Gmail, Gtalk, Yahoo, and some light web, mp3, mp4. Oh, and it comes with one free year of T-Mobile hotspot access provided you got it before the end of 2006. It’s a Linux device, so it should be flexible and expandable.
On the down side, the keyboard is atrocious, the handsfree headphone connector is proprietary and costs 60 bucks to replace, and the T-Mobile access only works with genuine T-mo spots, not ones where T-mo is a partner. That means no airport. Starbucks only. Oh, it’s a Linux device - but it’s also a Sony device. No expandability.
UTStarcom f1000.
I have this. I got it for 50 bucks so I wouldn’t be tied to a cordless phone tied to a linksys vonage router. It’s sole advantage is being able to recharge it by USB instead of having to go to a cordless phone base as I was before. The screen is awful, the management of received/missed/dialed calls is horrible, and the buttons are too close together, so misdials are frequent.
It also suffers from the no-browser problem, so it can only work on networks that don’t require browser auth.
Nokia 6136 and Samsung SGH-T709
Both of these are cell phones, so they have their own cell phone interface problems - on top of that, the wi-fi only works with T-Mobile hotspots. Gee. Talk about limiting.
It kills me. So many companies are making devices that fall short. I can understand Netgear, SMC and Belkin making a purpose-built Skype phone, but leaving out browser auth kills it.
I can understand Sony making a communicator, but the keyboard, the connectors, the T-Mobile limitation, no AIM, no IRC, no room to improve it... well, it’s painful. It’s almost good, but falls short.
The UTStarcom F1000 works. It’s better than having to charge a cordless phone and being tied to that phone. But darned if it isn’t annoying. UTStarcom makes real cell phones, and they’re not a lot better, although they have better looks.
Nokia and Samsung both got limited by T-Mobile - this is another case of a provider taking functionality and lessening it to abuse the customer. US providers are like this, whether it’s Verizon turning off mp3 ringtones so they can charge for ringtones provided by them only, or other nasty practices.
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