Gadgetell Review: Plantronics Calisto Pro Series

Posted April 11, 2008 at 05:42 PM by Doug Berger

Section: Communications, VoIP, Gadgets / Other, Household, Peripherals, Webcam/VoIP, Reviews, Features

I have used my share of VoIP phones out there, so when Plantronics sent me the newish Calisto Pro Series, I didn’t have too high of expectations.  However I became impressed quickly with the great Bluetooth integration, among other features.  There are three ways you can talk on the phone (or Skype): speakerphone, on the handset, or on the included Bluetooth headset.  This amount of flexibility is a great thing to have when you’re in an office—or even at home—since you have the choice to go anywhere in your house.  So what if you want to sit in your living room, and the Bluetooth signal can’t make it that far?  Don’t worry, the headset is paired with the handset, so just bring the handset with you!

Have I mentioned that the Calisto can also be used as your landline phone?  Well, it sure can.  The device has seemless integration with both Skype (and your computer) and your landline connection.  So if you’re talking long distance to someone across the world, and hang up to make a local call, you don’t even have to switch anything… just hang up, dial the number, and press talk.

Design

Overall, the Calisto’s design is sleek, but not too fancy.  The phone’s handset is a bit bulky, but it’s smaller than most traditional cordless phones, so we won’t dock them there.  The Bluetooth headset is a bit flimsy, and I had a hard time with it - but while you’re sitting at your desk, it’s really OK to have a flimsy headset on since you’re not making any sharp movements that will knock it off.  Really, I would pin my complaints down to the ear bud that comes built in.  Plantronics typically has removable buds, and fixed buds, and this one happens to be fixed - meaning you cannot adjust or replace the ear bud itself.  The great thing about the unit is that it has a fixed dock for both the handset and the headset, so you don’t need to fumble with wires when you need to charge the headset.  The boom microphone on the headset is about 5 inches long, so I didn’t have any problems with people not being able to hear me.  All in all, the design of the device is very good.

Performance

So how did this thing perform?  All in all, it stood up very well.  I mainly used it for the Skype functions, and it integrated with my Windows XP laptop very well.  All you need to do is install the included software, plug in the device, and start making calls.  Easy and breezy.  One of the quirks I had with the phone is that it always defaults to making calls with the handset, so you have to press the button on the Bluetooth each time you make a call to transfer it over to the headset.  Not a big deal though.  During my use, I had absolutely no battery life problems since the dock is so convenient to use.  Another issue I had with the device is that there’s no way to pull up your Skype contacts on the handset—so you always have to make your way back to the computer to place calls - and even to know who is calling you via Skype.

Overall

If you’re looking for an all-in-one office phone that allows for speakerphone, handset, or headset use, you will likely enjoy the Calisto Pro Series.  If you’re looking for a way to free yourself from sitting next to the computer to make and receive Skype calls, I would not necessarily recommend this device.  The reason being that it does not allow you to pull up contacts or view caller ID with Skype calls.  Overall however, the phone is a great unit that allows for in-office mobile communications.

If you have any further questions about the Plantronics Calisto Pro Series, let us know in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help you out.