Philips VOIP841 PC-Free DECT 6.0 Wireless IP Phone | List Price: $151.99
Discount Price: $287.88
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Brand: Philips
Binding: Electronics
Warranty: Manufacturer Warranty included
Features: - Stand-alone cordless phone lets you make Skype phone calls without a computer
- Can also be used as a traditional phone with a landline for extra convenience
- Full-color display and 4-way directional pad makes navigation simple
- Handset can store up to 500 Skype phonebook entries
- Phone has up to 12 hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby on single charge
Good stuff [Posted on 2008-10-15]
I've had this unit for a while (6+ months). Good call clarity and range. My only issue is reported battery life. I've used the stock rechargeables and brand new Energizer nickel hydrides. In all cases the battery meter indicates something less than 1/2 capacity even when fully (recently) recharged. I haven't actually measuring the standby or use time, but it seems ok. My issue is if the phone thinks that the batteries are low it will start to beep reminders during the call. I've had it beep reminders for a complete hour during a call. Its pretty clear that the batteries have juice and the unit can operate. Maybe a firmware update to more appropriately recognize voltage in the batteries?
It would be great.. if it actually rang [Posted on 2008-10-18]
What good is a phone that doesn't ring? That is the quandary for owners of this Phillips unit. Very often the phone will not ring for an incoming call (using SkypeIn), and you'll only learn that someone called when you check the phone to see if you have voicemail. It is frustrating, to say the least, and I'm amazed that neither Philips nor Skype have done anything to fix it.
Another common problem is that, if the phone does ring, it rings only twice, or in some cases, once. And unlike the Skype software program, this phone will not allow users to set the number of times that the phone should ring before it goes to voicemail. How they could withhold this most basic of settings, I have no idea.
The last firmware update was over a year ago. It appears that Philips and Skype have jointly given up on this product, and word has it that it's been discontinued. Stay away from this product. If you're interested in an alternative service, I recommend checking out Ooma.
Good phone, but broke after six months! [Posted on 2008-11-01]
I purchased this phone in April. It is now November, and the handset won't communicate with the base unit. It keeps saying that it is unregistered, and it won't let me register the phone. I contacted Phillips, and they are supposed to send a replacement. The phone is discontinued, so I am hoping the replacement is the same phone or similar! It sucks, because I really liked the phone. The only things I didn't like about the phone was each time it was unplugged it would reset to defaults and the battery life would go really low when unplugged. Hopefully, they will come out with something better!!!
Best Available Option [Posted on 2008-11-07]
After all the research I did on Skype options, the Philips 841 was the best I found. I'm very grateful for the product, and it fills a valuable need in order to bring Skype to the mainstream.
However, there are some definite issues with this phone that you should know about if you are considering purchase. (I would only give the product a 5 star rating if it were flawless, and 4 stars if it only had minor annoyances. But, I've given it three stars because the overall rating - from so many users - seems high and it has some "features" which inhibit it's usefulness.)
Let me first state I'm on the most recent available firmware at this time (v.1.0.4.80). AND, I SOLELY use Skype for my telephone service, so I use this product a LOT (probably far more than most reviewers).
1. The phone (the base, not the handset) needs to be rebooted. If you plug in the unit and expect it to operate smoothly, you'll find that it starts behaving quite badly over time. You need to reboot the home unit occassionally (every couple weeks) and definitely after a power outage in order for the unit to continue to work in any sane manner.
If you don't do the above, you'll find it will not ring on incoming calls at times - sometimes it just starts saying you have voicemail, when it has been on for hours and never rang. If you don't do the reboot, it can hang up on you when you go to answer a call (then when you reboot the unit to fix this, you lose the number of the person who called). I've had it cut out (like a cell phone) then get fixed by rebooting. I've had the handset "connect" to the base, but never ring the caller - fixed by rebooting. Behavior gets stranger the longer you let the device go without rebooting.
2. If you are on a call, and another comes in, you get the option to answer (and will place the current call on hold) or reject. (I've never successfully had the answer/hold and then return to the call work.) If you reject, then the second call goes to voicemail. Every time I've done this, then the phone starts beeping at me - and it keeps beeping through the entire conversation I am on (until I actually reboot the unit - I've tried hanging up the call, then calling back, the phone starts beeping in my ear again when the call connects). The beep is disruptive (longer than just while the sound is there), and really messes up your ability to carry on the conversation, not to mention how annoying it is.
3. The menu system is really deep, lots of button pushes to get where you are going. No default settings are available (like always check Skype VM) so you have to choose every time. (Would be nice if the settings were available on the web interface for config options. It would also be nice if some features were programmable as hot keys.) BE SURE, to review all settings when you are configuring the system - for instance Auto Updates are turned on by default (you may want to know when your updates happen).
4. The web interface on the unit is simplistic, and doesn't provide a lot in the way of customization beyond the basics. This could be greatly expanded.
5. If you assign an administrative password to the unit (beyond the default) it will forget it every once in a while. Haven't determined what causes this, but it's not tied to reboots or power outages (have mine on a UPS).
6. There is no Skype "status" for phone only, so this confuses people running the Skype application. I have submitted a request to Skype for this, because I think it would be useful information to post. (Someone Skyping you without voice...who knows what happens when you try to answer that call.)
7. The unit will handle (theoretically) both Skype and a traditional phone line at the same time. Well, at least the menu options are there. I've never tested this, since I use Skype exclusively - so wouldn't count on it. But, if it does work, certainly a nice feature for the regular POTS line user/occassional Skype caller.
Overall I think it's better than having to have your PC on all the time (in order to receive calls), and since I got it at serious discount ($100) on Amazon (a couple years ago) I feel okay with the purchase. But, the current price showing ($450) seems way too high for a not-ready-for-prime-time product. At that price it eliminates the cost savings of being on Skype (and using SkypeIn/SkypeOut).
I would expect a PERFECT product if I was paying that much.
With eBay having purchased Skype, perhaps better products are on the way.
Great phone if you're not physically disabled [Posted on 2008-11-15]
Nice phone with great sound quality but I do not recommend it to anyone with a physical disability. When a call comes in, you have just over 10 seconds to answer or it goes to voice mail. This cannot be changed. I haven't successfully answered a single call in the month I've had it. I am really surprised that Philips did not have the disabled in mind on a modern product.
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