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NetGear (model SPH200D) vs. Philips (model VOIP841) Cordless Skype phones

I've been using Skype regularly for the past 3+ years, and have liked the clarity/quality of the voice conversations. So, I decided to try the hardware-based Skype phones.

I recently purchased the NetGear Cordless Skype phone (SPH200D) and here's my experience with it.The initial setup of SPH200D was easy; voice quality is good even with on a 128kbps internet connection. But I ran into the following issues with this device...
  • The handset hangs each time there's a power outage (read a discussion about this issue at http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=10453 for details on this issue). Since I plan to use this phone in a place that experiences frequent power outages, this bug is somewhat annoying. Plus, though, it's been a year since the release of the phone, this issue has not been fixed by the firmaware updates.
  • The handset feels like a cheap piece of hardware
  • Max Volume of the handset, even with the speakerphone turned ON is low
  • The text on the phone & the screen could have been larger, for easier reading by seniors (eg: my parents)

Due to these issues, I'm returned the NetGear SPH200D, and bought the Philips VOIP841 instead. It's been a couple of days since I installed the Philips phone & so far I like it a lot. The phone looks/feels a lot more nicer, and haven't run into the bug that the NetGear phone has (atleast so far). On the downside, the keys are not backlit (as in the NetGear Device) & the max. volume is about the same as in the NetGear device.

You can find a comparision of both these phones at http://www.laptopmag.com/Features/VoIP-Face-Off-Philips-VoIP8411B37-vs-Netgear-SPH200D.htm

So far, my vote is for the "Philips VOIP841 PC-Free DECT 6.0 Wireless IP Phone".
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Comments

Anonymous said…
I saw your comment on the skype forum on use of VOIP841 in India. Where in India did you buy the phone from? i cant seem to locate one.

S
August 30, 2008 3:10 AM
Anonymous said…
Thanks for your post and information ((o;
November 18, 2010 1:57 AM
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