Review: ASUS Eee Videophone AiGuru SVi

The world's first videophone with fully integrated Skype

It`s amazing to see how popular Skype has become since it launched 6 years ago. More than 405 million accounts have been created on the service and people have racked up 33 billion Skype minutes this past year alone. Skype is used on computers, laptops, and cell phones around the world. Now another first.

The ASUS Eee Videophone AiGuru SV1 is the first videophone fully integrated with Skype – no computer required. You read right…you DO NOT need a computer to use Skype anymore! Plug it in, connect it to a wired or wireless Internet network and you’re ready to chat!

Setup

When you first turn on the phone it will automatically look for an internet conection. Once you connect it to your home network, wired or wireless,  the phone will prompt you to type in your Skype  user name and password. Don’t have one? Don’t worry…you can sign up for one right on the phone. Remember…Skype is a free program. It does not cost you anything to call other Skype users! (There are times when you may have to pay — get to that a bit later)

The user interface looks just like Skype on your computer. You can add, browse, and delete contacts. You can even search for other users! The phone is incredibly user friendly. Navigation is done with arrow buttons. It really doesn’t get any easier than this! Want to make a call? Just select the person from your contact list and press connect…done! Within seconds you will be chatting face to face with your family and friends.

Picture and Sound Quality

The picture quality is top notch. You can adjust the contrast, brightness, hue and saturation which is nice if you plan on chatting in areas with poor or low lighting. Just woke up and don’t want to be seen? You can turn off your camera and just have a plain old fashioned conversation. There is also an input for a microphone and headphones so you can have a semi-private conversation if need be. Sound is also decent. There is only one small speaker on the front of the phone but it’s all you really need. Decent sound quality. Not superior..but decent.

If you’ve ever used a webcam before you know video can be jerky online. After a weeks worth of testing I’ll say I never experienced poor video quality. I set it up in three different homes (all with wireless broadband) and found the quality to be the same. Very impressed with how smooth the video was. If you you have other computers sharing the connection I would expect the quality to deteriorate, but overall very impressed.

Another great feature on this phone is the fact it has a rechargeable battery. You can charge up the phone, unplug it from the wall and take it wherever you want. Why would you do that? Lets say you just moved into a new home and want to show it off to your family and friends. Take the phone with you and give them a virtual tour. Or follow your kids around the house so grandma and grandpa can see what they’re up to. This feature gives you plenty of options. The battery will only last about 15 – 20 minutes, but it’s enough time to have some fun!

One noticable feature missing is a touchscreen

Downsides

If there is one thing that seems to be missing from this phone…it’s a touchscreen. The display is gorgeous and it just feels like you should be able to reach out and press the icons on the screen. It won’t do you any good. You have to navigate through the menus using arrow buttons. This is a bit of a problem when typing in network names and passwords during setup. Typing in a 26 character WEP key using arrows is no fun. luckily once the unit is setup it’s not a major issue. But please…add a touchscreen in the next version!

Some people may also shy away from calling people who only have landlines. There is a catch. Calling other Skype users is free…no charge but when you call a landline using Skype you have to pay. Mind you the rate is incredibly cheap. The rate to call many countries is less than one cent a minute…but still, you are paying to connect.

Bottom line

I was very impressed with the ASUS Eee Videophone AiGuru SV1. It is very easy to use and great for people who may be intimidated using Skype on a computer (grandma and grandpa). My only beef is the lack of a touchscreen but I wouldn’t let that deter you from buying it! Overall…a great buy!

The Good

Skype without a computer
Easy setup
Simple user interface
Uses wired or wireless Internet connection
Great call quality

The Bad

Lacks touchscreen
Bit pricey at $340 (although cheaper than a laptop)