The central Skype button from the original phone has been replaced by an equally large ‘OK’ button. Although this means you may have to scroll through a list of programs to launch the Skype application, we found it a lot easier when navigating the menu.

The main menu is similar to those found on most Sony Ericsson phones, consisting of four rows of three applications. It’s also possible to add a row of your favourite applications to the home screen, making it easier to find your most-used features.

Calls using 3’s network were excellent, offering suitably loud and clear sound quality. We were also impressed with the quality of Skype calls – at times conversations could sound a little distant, but most of the time it was very similar to using a regular phone, and the lack of costs are certain to appeal to those on limited budgets as the credit crunch bites. Just remember though, those on pre-pay still have to have some credit on the phone to use the Skype function.

The Skypephone is proof that computers and Skype don’t need to go hand-in-hand. It’s possible for new users to setup a Skype account from the phone itself, and Skype contacts are incorporated into the regular phonebook. As such, ringing them using Skype is no different to making a regular phone call – simply select a recipient and off you go.

At first glance there’s a host of Java-based games to entertain – including Bejeweled and Pacman. Those wanting a multimedia phone will be disappointed to find they’re demos only, and that the full versions have to be paid for. As before, applications include Microsoft’s Live Messenger, along with Google search, Ebay, Facebook and YouTube, hinting at Three’s yoof-orientated target audience.

The S2 Skypephone features a 3.2-megapixel snapper. Although decent enough in bright sunshine, it lacks a flash for night-time shots, and images taken in poor lighting are reproduced with a frustrating amount of digital noise. The shutter lag is also appalling, and on several occasions we found the object of desire in our eye line had long since wandered off.

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