One asks… Should I buy this phone?
To which phonesreview.co.uk reply succinctly “My personal answer has to be a big fat yes!” But what is it about this device that they find so wonderful? Is it the cost to specification ratio that provokes such a reaction from Mark “for the price and the way the whole phone feels and works it is a damn good mobile phone with the added benefit of fully integrated Skype function,” the camera perhaps “when I transferred them to my PC they came out very clear indeed” or maybe the usability? “looking at the whole use-ability factor of the cool 3 Skypephone was just as easy as saying 1, 2, 3.”
Of course, phonesreview.co.uk have picked up the odd down side, with the odd criticism finding their way into the review “using the Skype function in my house was a bit of a pain”, but it seems that from this source at least, a double thumbs up is given to the 3 Skypephone.
Whatsmore, these guys promise further information and reviews as they continue to use the phone, so keep an eye on the site!
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Leave a comment Read 29 comments
Tony Pickard, November 25th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Sounds good from what I’m reading. We’re planning a trip to New Zealand in March.
1) Would we be able to use it there?
And you say it can surf the Web?
2) Could I access my home email, and
3) my online banking too?
I’d appreciate your comments and advice.
Matt, November 26th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Hi Tony,
You can use the Skypephone in NZ as a normal phone on roaming rates but the Skype features are not currently supported. You can also access the internet, including email and online banking, on the Skypephone, though the email would need to be accessed through a service such as mail2web.com.
Thanks,
Matt
Rob, November 27th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
do you have to beable to access a wireless netowrk for skype to be available or does it connect via the 3 network?
Rachel Nickless, November 27th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Hi. If I buy 2 of these, and give one to my friend in France, will we be able to use them like mobile phones but by calling each other with the skype button hence keeping the cost of the calls at zero?
sam, November 28th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Hey,
Rob - The 3 Skypephone does not need to be on a wireless network for Skype to be accessible, it connects via the 3G network.
Rachel - Currently the 3 Skypephone is not supported in France. You are however, able to call your friend from the UK using a 3 Skypephone as long as it is connecting to Skype on a PC in France.
Thanks,
Sam.
Sharon, November 28th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
i think this is a great idea - my only bugbear is that there is only one handset available and for those who want something a little more….. erm flash shall we say… its a bit of a bummer because it appears to be quite basic - which I agree is reflected in the price but maybe there should have been different levels with this as the basic/entry level model….??
Laurent, November 28th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Hi there,
I had a skype account for a couple of years now, and I have some skype out credit on it (arround £20.00). If I start using a 3 skype phone, can I use these credit or can I get my money back ?
Thankx,
Laurent
Lee true, November 29th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Just thought i should add this comment….. i have just brought this new skype phone and can only say one thing …. WOW … what a clever clogg who thought of this idea ….. the phone is sweet as a nut and the little button in the middle says it all … 10/10 PERFECT….. OH DON’T FORGET TO SKYPE ME@ theghost241
Lee true, November 29th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Oh and sharon ……. Just investigate a little further into different handsets as they do a range now in nokias with software added on and you can download the software to your mobile from the site direct ( mobile phone must be windows compliant) ……….
Mark, November 29th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I’m going travelling next year and obviously interested in the free skype call features of this phone - can you confirm what countries this is available in and any plans to expand this in the future?
sam, November 30th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Hi Mark,
The 3 Skypephone will be available in the UK, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau and Sweden before the end of the year.
Sam.
Joe, December 1st, 2007 at 12:12 am
Does the Skype feature work with publicly accessible Wi-Fi networks, or only with a 3G operator?
If I go to a country where there is no 3G operator (either 3 or roaming), but there is a free Wi-Fi network say at the hotel or cafe, can I use Skypephone for Skype calls there?
Danny Thompson, December 2nd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
“One asks… Should I buy this phone?” … Most definitely yes, if that is what you want and need. The 3Skypephone would be a very decent PAYG contender for Nokia and SE. It is a solid, tough little handset that is busting with features. The Skype functionality is icing on the cake. With it you can Skype to other 3 Skypephones as well as ordinary Skype clients on other platforms. I am regularly using it to talk to a friend in Hong Kong - my 3 Skypephone to his Laptop or WiFi Skypepone. But with this baby I am not tied to my WLAN, it uses 3’s own network to transfer to voice to their Skype servers. A wonderfully simple and efficient idea. That I can talk all day, if I want, for nothing more than a monthly £10 top-up is astonishing. And I still get to spend the £10 top-up as I want (voice, text, stuff).
For £49.99 you are getting easily £100-worth of handset - and its not SIM-locked either. So if you really want to use it elsewhere but without the Skype functionality then you can. Win-win.
jennifer, December 2nd, 2007 at 9:33 pm
hi
i am planning to buy a skype phone, could you tell me if my mum who has got a skype phone will be able to call me for free when she is in south africa
thanks
Umaima, December 3rd, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Can I talk to my partner in India using the 3skype phone? I dont mind taking a skype handset for him from UK. Will i get coverage?
Thanks
Tom Calder, December 4th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Does connecting to the 3 network in order to skype cost anything?
Neil Hamilton, December 6th, 2007 at 7:05 am
I love the idea of this and I’m seriously considering forking out for one. Just wondering if the Skypecast feature is available to use on the Skype phone?
wannasiri, December 10th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
can i use skypephone call international call by my account / if in denmark wanna call pal in hkg?
Paul Ogden, December 24th, 2007 at 9:46 am
i am considering a move to Hong Kong from the UK and i am curious as to whether or not the Skype function will work between the UK and Hong Kong?
also what the ‘true’ cost is and do both parties need to top up the phone each month? reason being how would one top up if in Hong Kong?
any and all help appreciated?
M Riasat, April 5th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Is the skypephone service available in Pakistan
Sky, April 6th, 2008 at 3:09 am
I am curious as to why it costs £10 every month. It should be free!!
michael, April 7th, 2008 at 10:39 am
hi can i use my skype phone in the republic of ireland and if so are they any limitations
Jon, May 8th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
It doesn’t work so well indoors?!
Eh? I want a skype phone ‘cos my business calls keep droppiung on my PC… Is this phone better or worse than that?
Ian, June 9th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Just a quick point - if you miss one month topping up (£10) - what happens to the skype functionality?
My Dad would probably not be topping up every month, but the Skype feature would be great!
sam, June 9th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Hi Ian,
For the Skype function to work you’ll need to top it up with £10 every month. If you miss a month, Skype will kick back in the next time you get around to topping up.
Cheers
Sam.
Dave, June 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Are there any bad reviews for this phone on this site? It just seems so amazing!
Wish I had the time or money to employ someone that could do this with the search engines for my business….Does that fit in with your editing policy? Probably not.
Frank Lewin, June 23rd, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I have yet to receive my twin pack which I tried to cancel when I found that free is not free.I think the adverisement of this phone is wrong and it should be made very clear that it will cost you a minimum of £10 month.
ringtonesAssilbots, July 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
The http://www.3mobilebuzz.com is cool site, respect, webmaster.
By.
alo, November 17th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Hi,
Can i use a 3skype phone to call from the UK(but my partner in india will have the non skype phone??) Or are these phones availabl ein india??