Netgear Skype WiFi Phone SPH101
I wanted to fall in love with the Netgear Skype WiFi Phone SPH101. It has an attractive, iPodesque design, it’s been almost done for at least six months (that’s when many of us in the tech press first saw prototypes), and I’ve been teased by its presence at tech event after tech event ever since. Even after I received it, the phone continued to tease me from its clear inventory bag on my workbench—and as its backlit keys glowed during its inaugural PC Magazine Labs charging.
That pleasant sense of anticipation faded fast. The first letdown was the phone’s inability to connect to two free and open public Wi-Fi networks in New York City because of its lack of a Web browser (the Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype, which I’m reviewing now, has the same problem). A browser is necessary since many community networks require you to opt in to an online user agreement. This generally requires no more than clicking a simple check box once you’ve opened the browser. After that, you can start browsing. (Most of these community networks are nonprofit affairs meant for the public good, and they’d prefer to keep commercial traffic and services off.) Yes, Skype-to-Skype calls are free (as are SkypeOut calls for the rest of the year in North America), but Skype S.A. itself is a commercial operation.
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