Product Description

Philips Skype Dual Phone (single handset) •Simultaneous Skype and landline calls Direct Skype key • Contact list status display • User status management • Handsfree on handset • Polyphonic ring tones • Phonebook for 50 names & numbers • Caller ID • 20 entries in call log • 10 entries in redial list Skype freely Free calls worldwide via Skype to any other Skype users Direct Skype key to access your contacts list Skype conference calls with several friends Universal telephone Make or take calls via Skype Make or take calls via landline Skype easily Low rate call cost on standard phone numbers via SkypeOut Skype contacts list accessible anywhere at home As easy to use as a standard cordless phone

Product Details

• Brand: Philips
• Model: VOIP3211G/37
• Released on: 2006-06-08
• Dimensions: 9.00" h x 4.00" w x 13.00" l, 5.00 pounds

Features

• Make or take free Skype calls as well as normal landline calls
• Directly access your Skype contacts list with the press of a button
• As easy to use as a standard cordless phone
• Stores 50 names and numbers
• Programmable ringtones distinguish between Skype and landline calls

From the manufacturer
Call for free

With the VOIP 321 you can make free Skype calls as well as normal landline calls. You can make and take calls on both networks from one single handset, and you can see who is on-line without going to the PC, just by looking at the display.

Features

• Free calls worldwide via Skype to any other Skype users: With Skype you can enjoy making free calls all over the world to any other Skype users. Skype, SkypeOut are trademarks of Skype Limited. Windows XP/2000 through Broadband. PC should be switched on and Skype connected.
• Direct Skype key to access your contacts list: With a single press on the Skype key, you can directly access your Skype contacts list. The list of the users currently logged on to Skype is displayed and you can see their online status. This Skype key also enables you to take the line (once the contact selected) and to make a Skype call (Skype & SkypeOut).
• Skype conference calls with several friends
• Make or take calls via Skype
• Make or take calls via landline
• Low rate call cost on standard phone numbers via SkypeOut
• Skype contacts list accessible anywhere at home
• As easy to use as a standard cordless phone

Customer Reviews

Great phone, does exactly as advertised
Great sound quality and even better range this phone works much better than I imagined. The phone has a feel of quality. I agree with the comments made by grn4jd and I should add that grn4jd's comments made me realize how to dial directly from the handset. The fault that people are making about dialing directly is because of the bad documentation, also Philips tech support is not great about how to configure the phone not to disable the computer speakers. I actually found the fix to this at Philips online Knowledge base. I won't go in the details but it has something to do with going into Control Panel>Sounds and also you need to go into Skype>tools>options>sound devices and choose "Audio in, Audio out & Windows default device" then reboot. As far as dialing out directly from the phone, it's simple, dial the prefix 001 then the 10 digit number then press the red Skype button. The only thing wrong with this phone is that the computer needs to be on for it to run Skype and there are phones out there than run independent of the computer but their not for me because they make Skype the default connection over the landline phone.
EDIT: I am editing my review to add a comment. The reviews of this phone are interesting, this phone seems to get either 5 stars or 1 star and I chalk that up to people figuring out how to dial directly out and also to those that didn't figure out how to fix any conflict with the phone and sound cards. Definitely this phone easily dials out using Skype directly. I posted my solution to dial the prefix 001 and the reviewer Matt B. posted another solution that looks even easier than my solution. Also with some aggravation, I believe the sound card conflict can always be solved. The solution lies within ControlPanel>Sounds and the Skype Toolbar.

So far, so great
Bought this phone to work with my laptop at the office, and so far it is working really well. I can call from anywhere in the office (which is about 20,000 sq ft), and reception is great. Interface with Skype 2.5 works great, and it is pretty easy to browse thru your Skype contacts list on the phone. There are only a few minor issues so far:

. Skype 2.5 allows you to view you MS Outlook contacts within the Skype application, but these contacts are not displayed on the phone.

. I have to turn off the phone software when undocking my laptop, because Windows XP doesn't like to let you undock or hibernate with an active USB connection.

. The instructions don't tell you how to make an outbound SkypeOut call instead of the landline. I finally figured out that you have to hold down the 0 key (which is +) -- always prefacing the phone number with the + will initiate an outbound SkypeOut call.

UPDATED: A few of the subsequent reviewers have said that the information on SkypeOut calls is not true. You have to push the red Skype button on the phone to initiate the SkypeOut call. Pushing the green Talk button will dial the number (even with the + prefix) using the landline.

If you are in the Skype Contacts list, you can also push the red Skype button to call the selected contact.

Philips 321 vs Linksys CIT400 - A Users Comparison
I already had the Philips 3211 Cordless, which actually plugs directly in to my computer, the great bonus with the Linksy CIT400 is it plugs directly into your wirless router, so your computer does not need to be on to use Skype, unlike the Philips.
The other bonus with the CIT400 is once you have programmed the phone (a child could do it), when you dial a landline you don't have to even dial an area code, providing you are calling a number with the same local area code as yours - so it's back to 7 digit dialing - what a treat. However, this is exclusive to the types of phones you plug into the router , all of the phones you connect to your computer (including the Philips 3211) have the big drawback that when calling a regular landline, even in the USA, you have to prefix it with the Country code (ie 001).
I have both types, in two different locations, if you're on a budget and don't mind dialing some extra numbers prior to making landline calls and your computer is on all the time - the Philips 3211 will work OK for you.
If you don't mind investing a few extra bucks, the CIT400 makes life much easier and will work regardless of whether your computer is on or not.