Remember that Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype that was announced at CES in January? It’s about to go on sale and I’ve had the chance to use it around my office for the past week. I think it’s one of the most handsome Skype phones yet, and it’s (almost) perfect in an office setting. Read on for my review.

First Impressions

The box from Belkin includes the phone base, handset, cord for handset, ethernet cable, AC adapter and user manual on CD. Taking the phone out of the box, I was first struck by how handsome the Desktop Internet Phone is. Belkin has created a phone that’s quite sleek with the handset bit almost floating off to the side. The phone itself is small but the buttons are plenty big and offer good tactile feedback. The screen is also small but very sharp and easy to read. The stand (which you snap in when you take it out of the box) puts the phone at a nice angle; the phone can also be mounted to a wall.

In addition to the keypad, the phone has buttons to adjust the volume (of the caller when you’re in a call or the ringer when you’re not in a call), two soft buttons to make selections on screen, a four-way navigation button with central select button, a mute button, a hold button, a speakerphone button, and a redial / outgoing call list button.

Functionality

When you first turn on the Desktop Internet Phone, you need to select a language, agree to Skype’s terms and conditions, and sign in or create a new account. You input text as on a mobile through the phone’s keypad. You can save your username and password, or choose to enter your password each time.

Upon sign in (complete with standard ‘Skype-whoosh’ sound), you see a home screen showing your Skype name, the amount of SkypeOut credit you have left, the time and your Skype status. You can change your status and also set a mood message within the interface (though you can’t have text chats). By default the screen times out after a minute, though you can set it to be on for up to 5 minutes without use.

In the main menu you can view your contacts and add new ones, adjust your Skype and network options, and check your SkypeOut, SkypeIn and Voicemail status. Firmware updates are automatically installed on the device, which is useful.

When you’re making calls, the handset cord is long enough to use on your desk with ease. That’s my ‘normal’ office phone next to the Desktop Internet Phone in the photo above. While the Desktop Internet Phone’s handset is small, it’s no problem to hold it against your ear for ‘hands-free’ calling. Call quality was very good. Having the phone plugged directly into my router meant I didn’t have to worry that a weak wireless signal could degrade call quality.

I also really liked how the Desktop Internet Phone is always signed in whether your computer is on or not. As I’ve learned with my 3 Skypephone, it’s just really nice to have Skype always on. It makes me use Skype a lot more. And as the Desktop Internet Phone supports SkypeIn and SkypeOut, it’s easy to create a new ‘phone line’ for your business or another specific purpose. Having the number pad means you (or any of your less tech-savvy friends) can just dial like a normal phone (even though there’s no dial tone—you need to press the green call button after inputing a number).

The one feature that’s missing from the phone that one might want in an office setting is call transfer. Last year Skype added call transfer to the Windows and Mac versions of Skype, but it hasn’t appeared in any embedded devices yet (though perhaps a firmware update will add it; we’ll have to wait and see). With call transfer you could use several phones like this in a small office (that isn’t limited by geography), with a receptionist to transfer Skype or SkypeIn calls to the right person.

Conclusion

The Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype is a great all-around phone that would work really well in a home or office setting. It’s also great for people who prefer the reliability of a traditional-style phone—and the fact that you always know where it is. And it’s oh so stylish. The Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype goes on sale later this month in the Skype Shop and elsewhere.