Belkin USA is planning an August launch for a $195 WiFi Skype phone that looks remarkably similar in design to the Netgear model that was the undoubted star of Skype's recent hardware showcase in London. Launches in Asia, Europe and Australia will "follow shortly", Belkin says.
Like the Netgear, the Belkin does away with the need for a PC, letting you make and receive Skype calls from any wireless router or any access point that doesn't require a web-based log in or authentication.
Superficially, the main difference is the colour - the Belkin is black and silver, while Netgear's offering comes in the company's corporate white finish. More significantly, the Belkin model - the Wi-Fi Phone for Skype (F1PP000GN-SK) - looks to be a lot more keenly priced than Netgear's Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101), which has an SRP of $250.
Amazon's online store is in the USA is taking pre-orders at $180 for the Belkin but not yet accepting orders for the Netgear. Skype's US online store is taking pre-orders for both - $190 for the Belkin and $300 for the Netgear.
Netgear told us after the June showcase that the SPH101 would cost £140 in the UK and we're now presuming that must have been ex-VAT because Amazon.co.uk is taking pre-orders at £160. Currently, though, the UK arm of Amazon has no pre-order page for the Belkin.
We'd estimate that the Belkin's all-up price in the UK is going to be under £110. If, as we're also guessing, the two phones will come out of the same factory, the decision which to opt for looks like a no-brainer - assuming you haven't got any big hangups about Belkin (or shares in Netgear).
But whether the Belkin and Netgear actually are one and the same product, barring some cosmetic differences, we can't say for sure since neither maker provides a huge amount of info.
Belkin says that its model features "an intuitive interface and an on-screen color menu to locate your contacts and view your online availability - just like using Skype on a computer". It also reckons that the phone offers two security options - WPA and WPA2 with PSK support - and 802.11b/g wireless compatibility. Netgear says almost exactly the same.
Update - July 25, 2006 - 10:29
We've just noticed (courtesy of Digg) that InfoWorld has a little piece about Skype Wi-Fi phones in which it says that two other makers - Accton Technology's Edge-core and Standard Microsystems - are also set to launch models soon. The Edge-core product - surprise, surprise - looks very similar to the Netgear and Belkin offerings but we haven't yet been able to locate any info about the Standard Microsystems model.
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HEXUS.links
HEXUS. community :: Discussion thread about this article
HEXUS.headline - Netgear unveils world's first Skype WiFi phone at London showcase event
Belkin - Wi-Fi Phone for Skype (F1PP000GN-SK) home page
Netgear - Skype WiFi Phone (SPH101) home page
Amazon UK - pre-orders for Netgear SPH101
Skype USA online store pre-orders - Belkin F1PP000GN-SK; Netgear SPH101
Amazon USA pre-orders for Belkin F1PP000GN-SK
InfoWorld - Skype introduces Wi-Fi phones
Accton Technology - Edge-core Skype WiFi phone
Standard Microsystems - home page
