Updated 13 hours ago

9724 products + 890 members

Keyspan Cordless VoIP phone

A decent Skype phone for the Mac. But it's pricey...

Our Score User Score Be first to review this!

Last reviewed: April 5th 2007

A rather pricey Skype phone

ZoomZoom

<>

The uncouth PC market is awash with cheap Skype phones. These connect directly with the Skype software, enable you to see which contacts are online, and then call them.

However, the choice has been limited for the Mac - at least with phones that properly interact with Skype in the way we've just described. Enter Keyspan: a maker of Mac peripherals, including iPod docks and presentation controls.

The compact phone is quite thirsty, with three (included) AAA batteries required for power, which makes it weightier than many cordless home phones. However, the batteries are rechargeable, and you can keep the phone topped up by charging it via USB.

There's a USB cable included, though the phone takes any standard Mini USB cable. The Skype software isn't included on the disc, so you'll need to download it from www.skype.com.

The box includes a simple USB dongle. All we had to do was plug it in, press its button, and it immediately found and paired with the phone. Once you start Skype and sign in, it will ask if you want to use the new phone with the app, otherwise the software will sit in the background. The driver software isn't universal binary, so will run on an Intel Mac under Rosetta.

The basic dot-matrix interface of the phone takes a bit of getting used to, but once you have the hang of selecting contacts, operation is simple.

This phone has one major problem: its price. At £70 it's far more expensive than, say, a headset with microphone and headphone jacks. Yes, it might be the more convenient option, but despite the simple set-up, the phone has the feel of kit costing half the price.

And yes, the maker may have gone to town in ensuring that it's fully Mac compatible, but unless you plan to use Skype continuously, you'll probably feel that it's an expense too far.

Submit your review

You need to Log in or register to post reviews

Rate this product 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5

By submitting this form you agree to our Terms of Use and so are legally responsible for anything you submit. DO NOT submit anything which may violate the Terms of Use or another person's rights including copyrighted or offensive materials.

Additional Requirements Skype 1.3.0.8 or later
Colour Silver
Cordless Yes
Dimensions 116.7 x 50.3 x25.5
Features RoHS Compliant
OS Requirements Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or later
Power Source USB Rechargeable / 3 x AAA Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries
Processor Type Required Intel Mac, Power PCG5, PowerPC G3, PowerPC G4
Quoted Standby Time 1200
Quoted Talk Time 900
Ram Required (MB) 128
Technology 2.4 Ghz RF signal
Transmission Range 30
VOIP Phone Type VoIP Handset
VOIP Protocols Skype
Warranty Length 1 Year
Weight (g) 92

Similar models

Compare up to four products

Broadband Voice Adaptor

Last reviewed: Not yet reviewed

Netgear Broadband Voice Adaptor

Our score

(Unrated)


User score

Be first to review this!

Best Price

£61

CIT200

Last reviewed: Not yet reviewed

Linksys CIT200

Our score

(Unrated)


User score

Be first to review this!

Best Price

£72

AlGuru S1

Last reviewed: November 1st 2006

Asus AlGuru S1

Our score


User score

Be first to review this!

Best Price

£70

Other models in range

Compare up to four products

Broadband Voice Adaptor

Last reviewed: Not yet reviewed

Netgear Broadband Voice Adaptor

Our score

(Unrated)


User score

Be first to review this!

Best Price

£61

CIT200

Last reviewed: Not yet reviewed

Linksys CIT200

Our score

(Unrated)


User score

Be first to review this!

Best Price

£72

AlGuru S1

Last reviewed: November 1st 2006

Asus AlGuru S1

Our score


User score

Be first to review this!

Best Price

£70

Product Summary

Cordless VoIP phone

Price at launch

£70

Key specs

VOIP Protocols Skype |

Full spec

For

>

Works seamlessly with Skype

>

Simple to set up

>

Rechargeable batteries

Against

>

Poor-quality display

>

It's very expensive

>

Works fine on older Macs