Futiro Luna review

We'd usually describe VoIP phones as attravailable, but Futiro's Luna is a bit different. The sleek, curved phone is designed to stand on your desk and looks more like a piece of art than something you'd use to save money on your phone bill.

The Luna connects to your PC via USB. The springy cable gives you plenty of length, but the USB lead hangs awkwardly out of bottom of the phone and can often get in the way when you're trying to stand up the phone on a desk. More than once we ended up with the phone falling over, a problem that could easily have been solved by simply having the cable attach a little further up the body. As with most VoIP phones for the PC, the Luna is designed to work with Skype via the bundled utility on the provided CD. Owners of slot-loading drives will be annoyed by the supplied mini CD, as these discs work only with tray-loading drives.

Once the software is installed, the phone can be used to control your Skype installation. There's no LCD, so you'll still need to have your PC's monitor turned on. The cursor keys scroll through your Skype contacts and the number pad lets you dial a telephone number directly using your Skype Out credits. There is also a dedicated volume control, which is handy as it saves you reaching for the System Tray volume control icon if you find that a call is too loud or quiet.

The phone's odd shape takes a while to get used to and feels a little strange when you first pick it up. However, as soon as you get used to it, it's comfortable to use. Call quality is good, with clear background-noise reduction and excellent sound recording. It's simple to hear the person you're talking to, as well. The phone's stand-up design also proves useful, as the Luna can be used as a hands-free phone. While it would be no good in a room full of people, the Luna is loud enough to be used by a single person sitting in front of it and it's nice to see this feature.

The Luna isn't cheap, but it looks great and has the sound quality to match. If you want the looks without the price, the Terra is the same phone without a numeric keypad. If flexibility is more important, though, US Robotics' Cordless Skype Dual phone is the same price as the Luna, has a screen and uses DECT, so you can use it anywhere in the home.