Skype Review: Asus Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T

There are times when you might want to make video conference calls from anywhere other than your office — especially if the background isn’t as tidy or professional as you might like. Wi-FiPlanet.com reviews the Asus Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T, a wireless device that lets you make Skype video calls from any room in the home or office — no computer necessary.

If you’re a fan of Skype, chances are you use it not just for voice calls, but video calls too. While you can place Skype voice calls from around the house via a variety of mobile devices like Wi-Fi/cordless handsets, smartphones, or even the iPod Touch or iPhone, video calls require you to stay within visual range of a webcam-equipped PC — that is, unless you have the Asus Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T, a stand-alone Wi-Fi device that frees you to make Skype video calls without the invisible tether.

Design and Specs

The $199 SV1T, which is available in white or charcoal, has a curvy shape that resembles a techno-prop you might see on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It takes up minimal space, measuring roughly 10 x 7.9 x 4.8 (HWD, inches) and weighing 3 1/2 pounds. Front and center on the SV1T sits a 7-inch, 800 x 480 pixel, touch-enabled LCD display, while atop that is an embedded 0.3 megapixel (640 x 480) camera, the same kind typically included with notebooks these days. Below the SViT’s display are some dedicated pushbutton controls along with a single monaural speaker, while on the back of the unit you’ll find the power button, a 10/100 Ethernet port (which can be used in lieu of Wi-Fi) and jacks for an external microphone and headphones. The unit’s power supply is a small external brick, and while there is a cooling fan built into the back of the SV1T, it’s barely audible even in a quiet room.

Read the full Asus Videophone Touch AiGuru SV1T review