Review : Nokia N80i WiFi/Cellular Phone

I’ve been using VoIP hardware and software since the mid-1990s. It’d be an understatement to say that I’ve grown cynical about the claims of telecom equipment vendors and service providers, but every now and then a product comes along that lives up to its hype. The Nokia N80i phone belongs in that categorgy. I’ve been putting it through its paces for about two months now, and indeed, using it as my primary phone. It’s an impressive product, and goes on sale in the US and Europe this month.

One of my main observations was that my Gizmo Out usage increased dramatically, even when I was in the US. I don’t like using a headset, so calling from my computer is not something I especially like. Making calls from a real handset, on the other hand, feels and sounds natural. I especially liked that Nokia integrated VoIP into the phone book, so making a VoIP call was no different than a regular cellular call.

Overall… kudos to Nokia and Gizmo for making this work. It’s no small technical achievement, and they not only managed to make this work, but also to design a product that was a pleasure to use.

Source: O’Reilly

That will be the day, when flat fee calling happens, no matter where you are, on Earth. VoIP will be the enabler, but I don’t see it taking off for at least another 5 years due to lack of infrastructure and ridiculous costs.