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So many of us are ditching our landlines for alternatives.  Using a cell phone is pretty standard.  However, you may want more minutes for a low cost.  Skype has some very reasonable pricing plans for unlimited calling.  If you use Skype for Skype to Skype calls or to outside lines, you may end up checking out handsets that don’t tether you to your computer.  IPEVO recently introduced its WiFi Phone for Skype and Gadgetell put it through the wringer to see if it’s worth getting.

What is it?

This is the IPEVO WiFi Phone for Skype (model S0-20) and it costs $129.99.  This is a Skype only handset.  It does not require a computer to work.  It connects to your (or any accessible) WiFi network on its own so you can log in to your Skype account and make calls. 

The Good:

A very compact design lets you carry around the phone without much weight.  The instructions are easy to follow even for a novice.  The phone also can charge via a standard mini-USB cable if you don’t want to use the included dock. 

The screen is bright and easy to read.  It is very easy to hear callers thanks to a very good speaker.  The mic seemed to be fine when there was a good connection.  Since the phone connects to Skype, all of your contacts are already loaded once you log in. 

The Bad:

The buttons on the phone are a little on the small side.  Typing a username, password, and WiFi key on a telephone keypad is a bit annoying.  Maybe there should be an optional way to hook up the phone to a computer to input that information.

The phone lacks a speakerphone.  There is a very loud speaker on the back; it’s too bad that it couldn’t be used for conversations.  Callers complained of hearing an echo.  It appears that the mic picks noise from the speaker.  When I lowered the volume on the speaker, the caller heard the echo less.  Unfortunately, lowering the volume to its lowest setting makes it difficult to hear the person on the line.  If you want to minimize echo, you’ll have to be in a very quiet room. 

A representative at IPEVO told me that they did a series of thorough tests to ensure no sound quality issues.  Perhaps the Internet connection impacted the sound quality. 

The in-betweens:

There is a headset jack, so if you have an old-school wired headset, you can attach it.  I did not have any of those laying around, so I was not able to test out this feature.  There is no Bluetooth, so you won’t be able to use a wireless headset with this device. 

This is a Skype only device.  Don’t plan on using it to call people on other networks just yet.

The Crux:

The IPEVO phone has a cool design, but unfortunately suffers from too much echo.  I would expect this to be fixed in a future firmware upgrade or something similar.  Right now, pass on it until the echo issue is resolved. 

Product Page: [IPEVO]

Check out the gallery: IPEVO WiFI Phone for Skype (S0-20)