Pros: Intuitive controls; lightweight; Mac and PC compatible; superb audio; Skype-Certified.
Cons: Slightly overpriced; Mac driver runs in dock; no LCD; no full-screen dialing overlay.
Verdict: Makes and takes calls, and that's about it. Currently the Free-1 is the only handset for Mac users, although PC users can find better deals for the money.
Skype, facing stiff competition from other Voice-over-IP solutions, has decided to 1-up the competition by encouraging 3rd party developers to release Skype-compatible handsets for a more user-friendly experience, easing the transition from traditional phone lines to today's infinitely cheaper virtual lines. Today we're taking a look at the Free-1 handset from IPEVO, a relatively inexpensive Skype-Certified starter phone that actually supports Mac users.
At 6" x 1.5" x 1.5", the Free-1 is narrower than a cell phone and as tall as the majority of opened flip-phones, giving a tall and slender profile that has a very modern look to it. The front of the phone is rather simplistic, lacking an LCD or any flashy lights other than a small status LED under the earpiece. The color coded buttons and jog switch are well placed with adequate spacing, and the different groups have unique feels for dialing in the dark. Pressing one results in a tactile click, and optionally a small tone for additional feedback. Volume and mute buttons are placed on the side of the phone.
Fed behind the Free-1's displaced mouthpiece that's said to reduce echo is an 8-foot USB cable for connecting to the computer, leaving ample room for pacing about while making a call. We found the hole in between the handset and mouthpiece also makes a nice place to feed the plug through after wrapping the cable around the phone a couple times, perfect for tossing it into a bag.
Skype Integration As a Skype-Certified phone, the Free-1 is supposed to work flawlessly with Skype having gone through extensive testing from Skype's own certification team. As could be expected, the phone does indeed integrate well, featuring its own Skype button for calling up the application, a dedicated + button for placing SkypeOut (Computer-to-Phone) calls, and three programmable hot buttons for performing actions such as leaving a voice mail, cycling through the 10 ring tones, and changing your online status. Other functions such as hold and redial are also available, as are some less useful options including starting a chat session, despite the fact that chat input on the handset isn't possible and it'd be just as quick to start a chat with the mouse.
The function settings, along with the ring tone and volume settings can all be accessed from within the Free-1 Console that lives in the System Tray, along with the ability to change the default computer sound devices and Skype-specific sound devices.
On Mac, the console is identical to its PC sibling, although there's one major flaw with it. It runs more like an application than a driver, neither setting itself to run at startup, nor living in the menu bar or System Preferences. Rather, it must be launched manually until you add it to your startup items, and even then it will still reside in the dock. This is a rather large oversight by IPEVO, seeing as how the driver is no longer in the beta stage.
Pressing the gray list button brings up a small list of all your contacts to the front of the screen for making calls and sending voice messages that can be searched through alphabetically by using the number keys on the phone, although using a 10-point font it can be hard to read on higher-resolution monitors. It would be nice if IPEVO could make a large full-screen overlay for dialing in future releases of the driver for dialing at a distance.
Can You Hear Me Now? Calls made on the Free-1 are exceptionally clear, and free of echo. As one of the people we called said, "If I didn't have caller-ID I'd think you were calling from a normal phone". Indeed, making a test call to echo123 produced a clear, static-free recording that had above-average noise cancellation, the TV in the background barely audible. There were times where Skype would drastically adjust the input volume automatically, resulting in echoes or a total loss of audio, although in our two weeks of testing the Free-1 we only encountered this three times. If this happens all too frequently for you, you could always just go into Skype's Sound Device options and disable Skype's automatic adjustment.
Recap Overall we are rather pleased with the Free-1's performance. It's highly portable and easy to use, and the 8' USB cord allows for plenty of room to walk around while talking. However, a lack of an LCD or a full-screen display on the computer requires contact calling to be done close to the monitor in order to read the text, and the Mac port of the driver while functional leaves much to be desired. In the end the Free-1 is a good investment for new Skype users, although we'd like to see the price lowered to around $20 if possible.
- Scott Clark, Consumer Technology Editor
Where to buy IPEVO Free-1 USB Phone?
User Review(s)
We're currently upgrading our user review system; so we won't be accepting new reviews for now. Free-1 USB Phone Specs
Interface(s)
Original USB
Released date
September 2005
Platforms
Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, MacOS 10.4.x, MacOS 10.3.x, MacOS 10.2.x
