A handful of VoIP providers, Skype and Vonage among them, have partnered with device manufacturers to offer "single-mode" Wi-Fi phones that connect to their services. Devices touted as "Skype certified" are being offered by Netgear, SMC, Belkin, Sony, and others, while Vonage offers only one, manufactured by UTStarcom.
A fairly significant issue faced by single-mode Wi-Fi phones is that the current crop can only connect to open access points or those secured by WEP or WPA-PSK (the security code can be entered into the phone). Hotspots that require a user name and password, or even free hotspots that require a Web page to load prior to granting access, aren't supported.
While dual mode cellular/Wi-Fi service is more broadly established in the U.K. (BT Fusion is the most prominent service), T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home is still the only publicly available dual-mode option in the U.S. While about two dozen handsets from various manufacturers are available worldwide, only two devices -- one from Samsung and one from Nokia -- are compatible with the HotSpot@Home trial.
Below is a quick summary of services and devices available:
Skype
As of September 2006, eBay-owned Skype reported that it had a jaw-dropping 113 million registered users worldwide. With a base that large, it's fair to assume that offering a Wi-Fi phone compatible with the service could find a substantial audience. Skype also recently announced an unlimited outgoing Skype-to-landline calling plan for $30 a year, with incoming landline-to-Skype calls available at an additional fee. Dirt cheap, by almost any measure.
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Three of the most interesting phones are the Netgear Skype Wi-Fi Phone (model SPH101, list price: $230); the Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype (model F1PP000GN-SK, list price: $180); and the Sony Mylo (list price: $350).
Netgear was the first to market, launching the SPH101 in early 2006, and since then the phone has gotten generally positive reviews. The Skype software is embedded in the device and the user can sign up for a new Skype account or use an existing one. The Netgear phone supports connecting to 802.11b/g wireless networks, but doesn't yet have support of the emerging 802.11a standard, which is still in draft form.
Belkin's Wi-Fi phone also is designed to work with Skype. One interesting and useful function is the integrated hotspot manager from wireless provider Boingo, which allows the phone to connect to one of Boingo's 60,000 hotspots in 60 different counties worldwide for an $8 monthly fee. Boingo has denser coverage in the U.K. and Europe, but its presence in the U.S. is growing.
The Sony Mylo is the priciest, but also the most feature-rich. It's essentially a media player with a mini keyboard, with 802.11b wireless connectivity. It comes with Skype as well as Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger pre-installed, and unlike most other Wi-Fi phones, includes a Web browser.
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Vonage
Like Skype, Vonage also offers a Wi-Fi phone, but just one model: the UTStarcom F1000 (list price: $130). But the company says it expects to certify and release a number of additional devices in 2007. The F1000 works in very much the same way as other devices; the Vonage software is embedded into the device itself, and it connects to the service via an available Wi-Fi network.
Vonage currently offers unlimited local and long distance calling for $25 a month.
