Panasonic launches $400 wifi Skype phone
The KX-WP1050 Panasonic Wi-Fi Phone lets you make Skype calls without the need for a computer. It comes with a leather travel case which also has room for the portable wifi base station, allowing you to easily set up the phone and make calls where ever you have a broadband connection. It can also connect to wifi hotspots.
The phone displays your Skype contact list on the screen, complete with presence details, and lets you make Skype to Skype calls as well as use the SkypeIn and SkypeOut services. The 730mAh Lithium-ion battery can provide up to a 55 hours standby time, and 4.5 hours talk time, and can be charged with the included travel router, or from a USB connection on a PC.
The $400 price tag seems quite steep considering the KX-WP1050 is not a cellphone as well, so you can only use it to make Skype calls. Sure it comes with a wireless travel router, but you can buy a separate wifi Skype phone and travel router for less. The KX-WP1050 seems to be targeted at home users and business travellers wanting to make Skype calls from hotel rooms, but in both scenarios you’d probably have your desktop or notebook computer at hand. Sure it’s slightly more convenient to make Skype calls without a computer, but $400 more convenient – considering your computer is probably nearby?
Source and more info: itwire