iPhone launched in the US

It seems Apple's telephone won't be dubbed the iPhone as Linksys beats them to the punch

18 December 2006 14:26 GMT / By Amber Maitland

For months the Apple rumour mill has been churning out stories about the iPhone, speculating on specs and a launch date.

The iPhone, it turns out, has just been launched by Linksys, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Apple.

Instead, it's the name given to a series of VoIP phones for both business and home users.

The two newest products in the line are the iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephone Kit for Skype, and the iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype.

The Dual-Mode Internet Telephone kit for Skype model embeds the the VoIP client into the cordless phone base station, which is connected to the home network via an Ethernet cord, so that Skype calls can be made without the PC being on.

The iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype makes Skype portable by integrating it into a wireless handset, so you can make Skype calls from any Wi-Fi hotspot.

Neither are released yet in Europe or the UK; the former costs $100, the latter, $200.