What experiences do you have with a Skype Phone?
May 21, 2008 4:26 PM Subscribe
I'm thinking of using a Skype phone as my mail cell phone. Does anyone have experience with this?
I live in the US (Los Angeles to be exact) and am looking into using a Skype phone as my cell phone. Can anyone offer any advice/warnings about it?
I don't use the phone all that often for conversation or catching up with friends (that's what I use email and IMs for). Most of my phone usage is calling someone, asking a question, getting an answer, hanging up. Or to tell people I'm running late. Or asking for directions. Would a Skype phone hinder this?
I live in the US (Los Angeles to be exact) and am looking into using a Skype phone as my cell phone. Can anyone offer any advice/warnings about it?
I don't use the phone all that often for conversation or catching up with friends (that's what I use email and IMs for). Most of my phone usage is calling someone, asking a question, getting an answer, hanging up. Or to tell people I'm running late. Or asking for directions. Would a Skype phone hinder this?
I think 'mail' is a typo, and the OP meant 'main cell phone,' and is referring to 3G data-enabled phones that can run a Skype client.
posted by autojack at 5:34 PM on May 21, 2008
posted by autojack at 5:34 PM on May 21, 2008
Response by poster: Oops, what an awful typo. Autojack is right. I meant "main" cell phone. I don't mind getting a wifi phone like the Belkin one though.
posted by nakedsushi at 6:06 PM on May 21, 2008
posted by nakedsushi at 6:06 PM on May 21, 2008
Are you able to get an internet connection, wired or wifi, whenever you might want to make a call? Skype makes calls over the internet through a computer or computer-like device connected to the internet. No internet, no Skype.
If people are going to call you, you'll need SkypeIn or SkypePro so you can accept incoming calls. Either way, you're not going to show up properly on CallerID when making a Skype call (people tell me I'm either Unknown, 123-456-7890, or gibberish on their ID).
If you're always around a wi-fi connection, and don't always have a computer handy, you migh want to look at something like the Nokia N800, which is a little PDA-type thing that does IM, Email, light web browsing, and Skype. Don't have one, but people seem to love them.
Skype does do forwarding, if I remember correctly; no reason you can't have your main phone # be your Skype #, but when you don't answer, it bounces to the simple cheap prepaid callphone you've got on you. But your calls out from that prepaid phone won't be through Skype, and you'll be charged for the minutes on the forwarded call by both Skype and the prepaid cell.
posted by bartleby at 6:39 PM on May 21, 2008
If people are going to call you, you'll need SkypeIn or SkypePro so you can accept incoming calls. Either way, you're not going to show up properly on CallerID when making a Skype call (people tell me I'm either Unknown, 123-456-7890, or gibberish on their ID).
If you're always around a wi-fi connection, and don't always have a computer handy, you migh want to look at something like the Nokia N800, which is a little PDA-type thing that does IM, Email, light web browsing, and Skype. Don't have one, but people seem to love them.
Skype does do forwarding, if I remember correctly; no reason you can't have your main phone # be your Skype #, but when you don't answer, it bounces to the simple cheap prepaid callphone you've got on you. But your calls out from that prepaid phone won't be through Skype, and you'll be charged for the minutes on the forwarded call by both Skype and the prepaid cell.
posted by bartleby at 6:39 PM on May 21, 2008
I have Skype Mobile *on* my cell phone (Windows Mobile phone on Sprint network). It works okay, but the connection over either 3G or WiFi, is noticeably poorer than Sprint's direct network. You can also use something like fring, which supports the generic SIP services as well as Skype and Google Talk. Fring connections seem to be more variable, but I have where both of us has fast connections, I have gotten better quality than Skype's network. However, based on my experience of Skype's quality and availability, I would not rely on it as my primary mode of verbal communication.
posted by meehawl at 10:19 PM on May 21, 2008
posted by meehawl at 10:19 PM on May 21, 2008
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Of course, Skype only works when you are on the Internet, which is a major advantage that a cell phone has over it.
posted by kindall at 5:27 PM on May 21, 2008