Cyberphone W (V654SK) Review

The Cyberphone developed by VoIP Voice is currently the best Skype compatible internet phone in terms of style, features and price.

The Cyberphone W comes from VoIP Voice, a company that is actually part of PDT UK and the phone features excellent VoIP features which few other handsets can compete against.

This USB phone is designed to look like a traditional phone and together with the shipped software it integrates with Skype so that calls can be made and answered just using the phone and without touching the computer. This is part of what makes interfacing with software like Skype more natural for even non technical users.

The phone is solidly built and surprisingly heavy. It features an inbuilt sound card, keypad and speaker. The overall build quality is excellent and will withstand rough use.

The phones sound card is optimized for playback and recording of voice. This is much better than the internal sound card of a PC which is optimized for music and movie playback. This also means that sound being played off the PC sound card, including music and Windows sounds do not interfere with the call. A big advantage if you are playing a game on the PC or watching a movie when you answer the phone. The sound hardware is plug-and-play and Windows should install the driver automatically.

The rest of the phones features lie in the keypad and handset. This does not work automatically and requires correct drivers to be installed. The latest drivers are usually shipped with the phone or can be downloaded here.

Once installed the phone software starts up and integrates with Skype. The software icon placed in the Windows taskbar indicates connectivity with the phone and Skype. If the software icon is completely green then the phone and Skype are connected correctly, otherwise the icon is orange.

Lift the handset to answer an incoming call. The phone has its own ringer and will ring when an incoming call is detected. The blue light on the handset flashes during an incoming call and to indicate a voicemail waiting. Lifting the handset pops-up Skype on the computer screen allowing you to navigate your contacts using up/down buttons on the phone keypad.

Call quality is brilliant provided your internet speed is reasonable. Overall a comfortable and familiar experience of using a phone without having to bother with the clever tech. Recommended if you are a regular Skype user.

An important note on phone versions:
There has been some confusion among users on whether this phone works with Windows Vista and Windows 7. It appears there are older models of the phone which do not work correctly with Windows Vista and specially with 64-bit systems. All these older models work correctly upto Windows XP. There is also the orange coloured Cyberphone-K which is obsolete and no longer being sold by VoIP Voice.

The newer models of the blue Cyberphone-W work with Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, the newer models look identical to the older ones and there is no difference in look or markings on the phone body. It is therefore important you confirm the OS the phone works with because sellers may have an older version of the phone.

If you already own this phone and installing the latest drivers from the manufacturer website does not automatically cause the phone to work as expected on Vista or Windows 7 then assume your phone is an older version and thus not compatible with these newer OSes.