IPEVO S0-20 WiFi Skype Phone

My recent searches (see the December 2009 blog entry about the ASUS SV1TS) for a Skype phone replacement for the Netgear SPH200D brought me to IPEVO’s S0-20 wifi Skype phone. This is an all-in-one wifi phone from Taiwanese company IPEVO. It has a form factor of a regular cell phone and is extremely light-weight – just 80g including the 3.7V Li-ion rechargeable battery (rated at 900mAh)! The phone connects to 802.11 b/g networks.

After charging the battery initially for a few hours, the phone was a breeze to setup – walk through a few setup screens to choose and connect to the wifi network, and then sign-in to Skype. I was able to place my Skype test call in under one minute. The phone automatically downloads contacts as well account information. The phone charges in a cradle which comes with a 100-240V 50-60Hz charger, making it suitable for international use.

The phone can also be charged via mini-USB (USB cable not included in the package). IPEVO also provides periodic firmware updates which can be applied by putting the phone in a special mode and connecting it to a PC via USB. I was able to upgrade the firmware without a hitch but the process takes 18 minutes.

Call quality with the phone is excellent. The light weight and small form factor makes it an great phone to carry around, especially if one is in neighborhoods with free wifi. The phone is available at Amazon in a one-pack for $128.50 and a two-pack for $229.95.

Well worth the price and portability!

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