Trendnet TVP-SP3 review

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Verdict:

Review Date: 15 Aug 2007

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Reviewed By: Alex Watson

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

Trendnet's TVP-SP3 feels suspiciously light, and it's certainly not the most attractive phone in the group.

Despite its boxy design it's not uncomfortable to hold, although it is both bigger and bulkier than the US Robotics and Freecom handsets.

At £21 the TVP-SP3 costs a little more than most USB Skype handsets, but it has a useful display. Its blue monochrome LCD is similar to the one fitted to the Miglia Dialog Plus. Unlike the Dualphone 3088's display, it can't show the balance of your SkypeOut account but, unlike the Komunikate phone, its display integrates with Skype. It allows you to scroll through your Skype contacts and records of the length and recipients of previous calls. The driver software is useful, if not packed with features. It includes the usual range of volume adjustments for speaker and microphone, but lacks the niceties of the software provided with the US Robotics and Freecom phones.

In our tests we found that the TVP-SP3's sound quality when making and receiving calls was only average. In particular, we noticed that when listening to a remote caller on the handset their voice had a distinct metallic tone. A rocker switch on the side of the handset makes it easy to adjust the volume, and the front buttons include quick access keys for Skype and your contact list, but the Freecom handset has more useful specific function buttons. If you want a phone with a display, this is a decent choice, but you'll still need to keep your PC running for it to work. We recommend the cheaper Freecom handset instead.

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