Binatone S1085 review

Verdict:

Review Date: 27 Jun 2008

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Reviewed By: Nik Rawlinson

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

Binatone's S1085 looks like a 10-year-old budget mobile, with a calculator-style display and some piercing ringtones. However, it's comfortable to hold and the rubbery buttons are responsive.

You can minimise Skype on your PC and rely solely on the handset, which will display contact names on its screen. There are also two arrow keys that will minimise the application and step through its various tabs, so you don't have to reach for the keyboard and mouse when you need to make a call. It's a wired phone so is tethered to your PC, but it is bundled with a desk stand. This places its screen so you can see who's calling without picking up the phone. That's the only extra, though; there's not even SkypeOut credit included with the handset.

Sound quality in our tests was fair, but not great. The incoming signal sounded slightly raspy. Dialling external calls is as easy as with a regular landline, and the number is displayed on the screen.

The S1085 will work with Google Talk and Windows and Yahoo! Messenger. However, despite installing the driver we found that in all cases it identified itself as a USB Audio Device, rather than its full product name. This generic name could make it tricky to identify if you have other audio devices such as a USB gaming headset installed.

If you are on a tight budget, the S1085 is a good choice, as its basic features can be excused by its price. HP's Internet Handset is worth the extra £12, though.

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