It's good to talk, especially on the phone. The trouble is, contrary to the old saying, telephone talk is not particularly cheap. But that's all about to change with VoIP technology. The USB-based VoIP Cyberphone, which comes bundled with free Skype software, allows you to make free telephone calls to other Voice-over-IP (VoIP) Cyberphones as well as low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles all over the world. It's a little basic in terms of build quality, especially as DECT versions are starting to appear, but its low cost and ease of use are ideal for making your first move into the future of telecommunications.

Pros: Inexpensive; low subscription costs; good quality voice calls
Cons: Requires broadband; wired; can't be used as a regular phone


VoIP has been around for a few years, but it still hasn't made its mark in business or consumer markets. As the name suggests, the technology allows you to use the Internet to route voice calls. However, VoIP has only just become a viable solution as the cost of Internet access has dropped considerably, not to mention enhanced security and the speed increases you are now offered from ISPs.

Internet telephony consists of hardware and software that enables you to use the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls. If you have free, or fixed-price Internet access, Internet telephony software (such as Skype reviewed here) essentially provides free telephone calls anywhere in the world. To date, however, Internet telephony does not offer the same quality of telephone service as direct telephone connections. What's also prevented VoIP from entering the mainstream is the lack of phone-like handsets.

The VoIP Cyberphone is a more practical and traditional way to make VoIP telephone calls compared to a geeky headset. All you do is install the supplied CD-ROM, plug the phone into the nearest USB socket on your laptop or computer, and then dial away. The nifty VoIP technology then digitally converts your voice through your broadband Internet connection and on to its final destination - be it a fellow Cyberphone owner, a normal landline or even a mobile phone - anywhere in the world.

The best thing about the VoIP Cyberphone is that you can talk to fellow Cyberphone owners and Skype users for absolutely nothing, which is great if you've got colleagues, friends and relatives strewn across the globe who are also technically minded. If someone calls you, the phone will ring. Once you've picked it up it will then launch the software, just as dialling the number on the phone controls the software on screen.

The specifications of the VoIP Cyberphone are what you would typically expect from any basic landline phone, but with one critical difference - Skype software is used to handle calls, address books, on-screen pop-up with caller ID and call status, and the like. The phone's construction is rugged, you get a hook switch button on the handset to answer calls away from the unit, and there's an LED on the base for connection/status. However, it's worth noting that Square7 has already launched the first cordless Skype VoIP phone (£49.95 ex. VAT, one handset), which looks more stylish and it more practical.

The quality of the plastic silver-and-orange phone is enhanced with an inbuilt isolated speaker and microphone to help eliminate echo. The handset itself doesn't incorporate a speakerphone, which is a pity, but there is an additional sound channel that can be used as a speaker/microphone for any soft phone application. Other features include a directory key, re-dial key, as well as volume up/down keys. On the downside, the phone can't be used as a regular landline phone and is tied to your desk, unlike Actiontec's Internet Phone Wizard ($60) which you simply connect to your computer, pick up your regular landline phone, and begin dialling as you've always done.

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