![]() If you have caught the problem in the early part of this lockup and rapid discharge cycle, the phone will then turn on after the battery is reinserted, and appear to operate normally until the next lockup or the remainder of the battery discharges. The only cure I have found when any of these phones are in this mode is to momentarily remove the back plate and remove the battery, then reinsert it. However, in this state, prior to the battery actually fully discharging, momentarily removing the battery and then reinserting it will break this excess current flow/rapid discharge and will restore the phone to a point where it can then be turned on again normally with the keypad ON button. ![]() It appears to the user that the battery has simply discharged. If one encounters the problem while the battery is actually in this “rapid discharge” with the phone appearing to be dead, none of the keys will do anything to turn the phone on or reset the phone. In reality, it is my observation that the phone will lockup and draw an extremely large amount of current from the battery, to the point the battery quickly and fully discharged. The problem presents itself as if the phone were battery had discharged and the phone is dead. In layman’s terms, this refers to a semiconductor that goes into a “shorted” or relatively “super conducting” state until current is removed from the circuit. As an electrical engineer, it appears to me to be a very serious design flaw, most likely a hardware semiconductor “avalanche”, “breakover” or “breakdown” issue. In a nutshell, every one of these phones I have personally used for an extended period of time (days) has the same problem. Below is a brief description of the same problem I have had on all 3, a problem that could easily cause the user to assume a poor battery life. The first two went back directly to Buy.com. I have now gone through three (3) of these phones and the 4th is on its way to me from Belkin on yet another RMA. RE:Belkin Skype Phones F1PP000GN-SK – Poor Battery Life & Lockups I hate to say it but Belkin needs to create their version of the iPhone/Archos 5/Nokia N800 making it a more robust, multi-purpose device. I would make it thinner, add a touchscreen, web browser, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, if I were Belkin, I would re-engineer (and modernize) their WiFi Skype phone. Especially when you consider how many people are trying to get Skype to work on the iPhone, Blackberrys, and other smartphones/web enabled devices. I believe there is a place in today’s tech market for this type of device. In my real job, there are definitely places that I could use a VoIP phone like Belkin’s Wi-Fi Skype phone where cellular coverage is poor or nonexistent but there is Wi-Fi access. Both the Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut worked great, both I and those I talked with experienced at least cellphone quality conversation. ![]() I tried calling friends and family from a variety of places home, parents, work, and a coffee shop (that did not require web authentication/agreement to log on). With all of its shortcomings and lack of high-tech glitz, the call quality is surprisingly good. This limitation greatly reduces the locations the phone can be used at. The device appears to be connected (i.e., has 5 bars) but fails to connect. You cannot accept any user agreements and do not have the ability to log-in via the web thus making it impossible to operate the device at Starbucks, most hotels, airports, etc. The phone has no web browser of any kind, making it impossible. It cannot log into networks that require web based authentication. Excluding, its simplicity and older look and feel, the phone does have one major drawback.
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