Skype phone

Anything like this available in Oz and can be used world wide?

http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9

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› See More: Skype phone

On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:35:26 +1100, John Phillips wrote:

> Anything like this available in Oz and can be used world wide?
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9

Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/

It's available on contract and prepaid ($149).

On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:13:29 +1030 Horry <[email protected]>
wrote:

> > http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9
>
> Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/


"> http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9

Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/

"Skype button for Skype-to-Skype calls and chat"

Anyway using Skype to make Skype -> any number on this phone?

(Prolly not, 3 would miss out on revenue?)

"Horry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:35:26 +1100, John Phillips wrote:
>
>> Anything like this available in Oz and can be used world wide?
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9
>
> Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/
>
> It's available on contract and prepaid ($149).

And only works for skype-skype calls. It won't work with skype in or skype
out.
i.e. It's next to useless.

--
Kwyj.

"John Phillips" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:13:29 +1030 Horry <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> > http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9
>>
>> Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/
>
>
> "> http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9
>
> Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/
>
> "Skype button for Skype-to-Skype calls and chat"
>
> Anyway using Skype to make Skype -> any number on this phone?

No Skype In or Skype Out on this phone.

Kwyjibo wrote...

>And only works for skype-skype calls. It won't work with skype in or skype
>out.

>i.e. It's next to useless.

Wouldn't any mobile phone that can use VOIP be next to useless on any
Australian network where data charges are prohibitively expensive?

"Snapper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Kwyjibo wrote...
>
>>And only works for skype-skype calls. It won't work with skype in or skype
>>out.
>
>>i.e. It's next to useless.
>
> Wouldn't any mobile phone that can use VOIP be next to useless on any
> Australian network where data charges are prohibitively expensive?

Not neccesarily.
Aside from the fact that many data plans are quite resonablly priced, some
phones also offer wifi which means you map nothing for data in a lot of
places.

--
Kwyj.

Horry wrote...

>Even the Telstra 1GB plan would be sufficient for VOIP.

How much does this Telstra 1gb plan cost?

Thing is, as I'm typing this I'm trying to log onto the Telstra website to
check its mobile plans. But I get continual timeouts.

So much for the "premier" carrier. It can't even have a halfway decent web
service.

Ah, it's finally up, after nearly 3 mins.

http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/pla...ing_packs.html

Now, let me see. Browsing packs. 80 megs costs $29. That's for what
Telstra considers a "heavy" user. Obviously the people who coin these
terms are either grossly underestimately internet usage, or that they
deliberately do this in order to justify its gouging prices.

Then there's the 1 gig, modem pack. $89. On a capped plan you could make a
lot of calls the normal way for that sort of dough, and not have to worry
about the crap quality that comes with VOIP, particularly over a
questionable 3G network that is nowhere near as fast as some of the slower
ADSL broadband plans.

The other question to ask - how much data does a VOIP call use? Given that
both upload and download data is counted I'm guessing that it wouldn't be
insignificant, either.

So, what, in the end, would be cheaper - using VOIP or using the normal
telephony services over a mobile?

Kwyjibo wrote...

>Aside from the fact that many data plans are quite resonablly priced, some
>phones also offer wifi which means you map nothing for data in a lot of
>places.

That's a good point - using WiFi for VOIP. Certainly, here at home it
would be a viable alternative. We have VOIP now. Our home phone setup
consists of one Panasonic cordless base unit, with its own handset and 3
extra handsets around the place. It connects directly into the VOIP unit.
All calls made are via VOIP. Calls received are generally PSTN or VOIP if
people know our VOIP number.

However, rellos overseas have signed up with Skype. If the missus had a
wifi enabled mobile, then they could call her on that.

Something to consider when she gets her next phone.

You forgot to ask how much is excess data charge.
That's when it really hurts!

:-P

> Something to consider when she gets her next phone.
>

I find when using WIFI or Bluetooth the battery goes flat very quickly.
Security is another issue considering I synch my phone with my PC daily and
it has my calendar and contacts........

:-P

Michael <[email protected]> wrote
> Horry <[email protected]> wrote
>> John Phillips wrote

>>> Anything like this available in Oz and can be used world wide?

>>> http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9

>> Yes, see http://www.three.com.au/

>> It's available on contract and prepaid ($149).

> Horry, what is 3 playing at?

Same thing every telco 'plays at'

> Are they really stupid enough to cannabalise their own revenue stream,

Any telco has to wear that.

> which they so desperately need, in order to make a profit on their network?

For that too.

Michael wrote...

> check your settings, works fine here

no settings to "check". Didn't work fine here. Just timeouts. Every other
website that I tried worked fine.

Not a good look when Australia's major telco which brags about providing a
premium service (and charging premium prices for it) has a slug of a
website.

On Feb 16, 7:17*pm, "Michael" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Horry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:35:26 +1100, John Phillips wrote:
>
> >> Anything like this available in Oz and can be used world wide?
>
> >>http://tinyurl.com/2akxx9
>
> > Yes, seehttp://www.three.com.au/
>
> > It's available on contract and prepaid ($149).
>
> Horry, what is 3 playing at?
>
> Are they really stupid enough to cannabalise their own revenue stream, which
> they so desperately need, in order to make a profit on their network?

You still need to be on a standard "cap plan" or recharge your service
regularly (for prepaid).

Plus there are very few people with Skype-enabled phones (which
presumably is why Three is selling the prepaid Skypephone in packs of
2).

Three have done the same with X-Series, too. You get 4000 Skype
minutes per month on X-Series Platinum (fewer minutes for Gold, Silver
and Bronze, but still a reasonable amount).

I can't see it having a huge effect.

IMO, standard VOIP over HSDPA used together with apps like Fring
should be more cause for concern for the mobile network operators.

On Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:13:31 +1100, Snapper wrote:

> Then there's the 1 gig, modem pack. $89. On a capped plan you could make a
> lot of calls the normal way for that sort of dough, and not have to worry
> about the crap quality that comes with VOIP, particularly over a
> questionable 3G network that is nowhere near as fast as some of the slower
> ADSL broadband plans.

Huh? You're obviously not referring to Next G (or even 3's HSDPA-enabled
network). GPRS, sure, but no-one would recommend using VOIP over GPRS.

> The other question to ask - how much data does a VOIP call use? Given that
> both upload and download data is counted I'm guessing that it wouldn't be
> insignificant, either.

About 50MB per hour maximum. I seem to use about 30.

Even at Telstra's "gouging" excess usage charges, 50MB/hour is only
$7.50/hour (I think I've accurately quoted Telstra's excess usage charges).

That's significantly cheaper than a 1 hour phone call at standard mobile
rates.

> So, what, in the end, would be cheaper - using VOIP or using the normal
> telephony services over a mobile?

"In the end" the answer would vary from user to user depending on his or
her individual requirements. Duh.

Personally, I save a lot of money using VOIP over 3G.