New 3 Skypephone

I've recently been trialling the new Skypephone from 3 - and I'm really impressed.

The Skypephone is the first hybrid mobile and Skype device. It looks just like a normal mobile - see a picture of it in the mess that is my desk (above) - but with a button that allows you to connect directly to Skype.

Once you've signed in to your Skype account it works seamlessly, allowing you to call Skype contacts directly with the handset.

So far so good. But it gets better. I'd assumed that I'd need to be in Bluetooth range of my laptop (my main Skype connection) for it to work, but it actually works anywhere where there is connectivity through 3. Very, very impressive.

My only issue is that I don't know enough people on Skype (most of my friends are on other IM platforms, and I don't use much VOIP), but for people with large Skype contact lists this phone would be perfect.

You can read more about other people's views on the Skypephone at the official 3 blog here