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Skype Unlimited World Review: Other VoIP |
| Visit Skype Unlimited World Website | |
| Inexpensive with great interface and call quality; a great choice depending on calling needs | |
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Skype's Unlimited World service is a compelling offering and offers a cheap, if somewhat more limited alternative to Vonage World's. At roughly half the price ($13.99 per month), with no extra plan required for the mobile app, it would seem to be a Vonage killer. And it is very good in terms of call quality, interface, and pricing. While it's probably not the total Vonage killer it would like to be, it's a serious competitor in the mobile VoIP space.
Many readers are familiar with Skype's free PC to PC calling service, and may be wondering why anyone should pay $13.99 per month for a service they already use for free. Skype Unlimited World frees you from having to call from PC to PC. You can actually use it to call landlines in over 40 countries, and cell phones in a few. You can use Skype Unlimited World with your PC, a special Skype-enabled phone, or a mobile phone. Apps for the iPhone and Windows Phones make it especially easy. Given the popularity of the iPhone, our review will focus on that app. The free Skype app itself is beautiful and friendly. It has a tab for your Skype contacts and for your iPhone contacts. You can also have text chats with your Skype contacts right in the app and you can use it to make free Skype-to-Skype calls. We like that Skype allows you to turn off the lock-disable feature in the preferences (something the Vonage app does not), and we would suggest users do this. It's good for your battery and for your security. Skype's call quality is really pretty nice. Compared to Vonage World Mobile on the iPhone, Skype calls came out clearer and warmer. We placed both domestic and international calls with the iPhone app and found the quality indistinguishable from a computer-based Skype call. Of course, as with all VoIP there are digital artifacts and interruptions. But we didn't experience nearly as much harshness or echo as we did with Vonage World Mobile on the iPhone. Skype allows calls to landlines (and some mobiles) in 40 countries. This isn't nearly as impressive as Vonage World's 60, however if the country you need is one of those 40, you're in good shape. Skype does allow you to call mobiles in a few countries, but it's largely meant for landlines. Skype wants you to know that it's not a substitute for your phone. For one thing, you don't get a phone number by default, so you can't accept incoming calls without paying an additional $60.00 annually. Also, there are ample warnings against using it for emergency calls. This is unlike most traditional VoIP services that require that you register your location for emergency services. With Skype, your location is far more virtual. Unlike Vonage World Mobile, Skype Unlimited World voice calls do not work over 3G. You can use the instant messaging without WiFi, but for calling you'll be out of luck. So, if it won't replace your phone, and it doesn't work over 3G, is it worth it? For those who make frequent international calls to the countries covered by Skype, we'd have to say so. Below is the full alphabetical list of countries included in Vonage World. The ** indicates that calls to mobile phones are also included: Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria Canada ** China ** Chile Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Guam** Hong Kong ** Hungary Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea, Republic of Luxembourg Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Puerto Rico** Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg only) Singapore ** Slovakia Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand ** United Kingdom USA ** Visit Skype Unlimited World Website | Compare to Other VoIP Services |
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| Cost: | $13.99/mo |
| Countries Included: | Over 40, mostly landlines, see review for details |
| Devices: | PC, Macintosh, iPhone, iPod Touch, Windows Phones |
| Access Options: | WiFi only |
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