Despite reports of its death, the humble landline still lives on. Sure its days are clearly numbered, but there are circumstances where mobile phones simply don’t work, such as in areas where the signal is weak to non-existent. But there’s also no question that Internet calling is a massively popular way of staying in touch, and Skype is still the ruler of the roost.
This RTX 4088 DualPhone Cordless Skype Phone is the latest product to offer a hybrid Skype/landline cordless handset, and it offers up some nice new touches to the genre. We’ve reviewed this brand in the past, finding it to be a great way to integrate seamless Skype calls into your everyday life. The phone can be customized to automatically select Skype in preference to the landline for outgoing calls, and it can accept incoming Skype calls too, all without needing a computer. Just plug it into your broadband modem router.
These new models feature the ability to handle two Skype accounts, which makes it more family friendly, and they’ve also updated the headphone jack to 3.5mm, so you can use any normal headset with the phone for more convenience. The handset runs off two AAA rechargeable batteries, and the DECT cordless tech gives around 300 meters range (although, as ever, we found the earlier model to max out at around half of that with walls in the way).
You can buy the phone as a singleton, or in a pack of units and it comes in both black and white. Pricing starts at £79.99 (or $100.99 in the US).