Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ The day of the expensive home or office telephones is over. Today all home and office VOIP phones or landlines operate over the internet and are called Voice Over the Internet Protocol or VOIP. Because so much competition exists among VOIP phone providers, prices are generally super inexpensive and in some cases FREE. Surprisingly performance among most VOIP phones is pretty much the same even though there is a major disparity in price. The sound quality of a VOIP phone often depends on the connection speed of your internet. If you have a 12 Mbps or speedier connection your sound quality will generally be excellent. Know too that many Americans (an estimated 65% presently) are using their smart phones as a home phone. If you have a high-speed internet connection you can save a bundle by using low cost/no cost services like MagicJackGo, Google Voice, Ooma, and Walmart’s “Basic Talk”.
Let’s look at 2016 best buys/performers available in VOIP phones:
• The MagicJackGo VOIP phone, introduced in 2014, is an outrageously good performer. It can be used at home or in a small office and is $59 dollars (less during special deals) for the whole first year along with their software gizmo. The MagicJackGo’s price drops after the first year and MagicJackGo offers great deals to re-up. I use its terrific MagicJack App on my IPAD and use my IPAD as phone. I also installed the MagicJackGo on my PC and its high definition sound is outstanding. The App can be installed on a most smart phones and tablets for mobility and cost savings as well. MagicJackGo’s possesses unsurpassed High-Def sound. http://www.magicjack.com/magicJackGO.html
• No major VOIP phone provider can beat Google Voice’s price which is FREE and likely the equal of many VOIP phones out there. Google Voice has numerous bells and whistles and can be integrated with cell phones, reducing their rates. It’s difficult to compete with FREE. Find out more about Google Voice here: http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html
• An excellent choice, especially if you are a small business or have several persons in your office, is the pricier Ooma (It’s still far less expensive than any major internet provider’s business VOIP networks and outperforms their VOIPs. It’s sound, features, and ease of use make Ooma a top performer. It’s rated as the top performer by just about every consumer rating service. Learn about Ooma here: http://www.ooma.com/products/
• Walmart partnered with Vonage and sells their VOIP phone under the name “Basic Talk”. It’s 9.99 a month and its initial hardware is inexpensive. Walmart’s “Basic Talk” is excellent for home or small office use. It’s basically Vonage with Walmart’s “Basic Talk” name on it.
