Netgear Unveils Wi-Fi Skype Phones

Netgear Wednesday unveiled what it claims is the first Wi-Fi phone aimed at working with the Skype voice-over-IP system.

A spokesperson at the Consumer Electronics Show said the phone will be available in early spring. He said that the phone is designed to work over wireless LANs, includuing Wi-Fi hotspots.

The phone will come with Skype software pre-loaded. The user will only need to provide a password and user name, the company said in a statement.

The company claimed it was the first mobile Wi-Fi phone for use with Skype. However, several similar phones are already available for users of other VoIP services such as Vonage. No price was given for the device.