Definition of: Soft Phone

(SOFTware PHONE) is a software-based phone for voice over IP (VOIP) that is installed in the user's PC. The audio interface can be a microphone and a speaker plugged into the sound card, although a headset is preferred. For better clarity, a USB phone or Bluetooth phone can be used.

Software phones can work as stand-alone phones or be part of an IP PBX family. They offer the full range of phone features, such as call forwarding and conference calling, and also provide integration with applications such as Outlook for automatic phone dialing.

The first VOIP Softphone was VocalTec's Internet Phone, which was introduced in 1995.

(2) Smart phone from Apple that integrates phone, music player, camera, text messaging and Web browsing. Sporting a 3.5" screen, which is larger than the iPod, its music player uses a different interface. The scroll wheel that made the iPod famous is not present because, except for one physical menu button, the iPhone's entire user interface is touch screen for fingers only.

iPhone Features

The iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone offered by AT&T (Cingular) exclusively until 2009. Featuring music and video playback with up to 8GB of flash storage, Bluetooth capability for short-range wireless, Cingular's EDGE network and Wi-Fi for Internet access and a two mega pixel camera, the iPhone is powered by an ARM processor and special version of the Macintosh OS X operating system. Announced in early 2007 for summer availability, its unique design was met with considerable enthusiasm.

A Brief Name Conflict

The iPhone name was obviously chosen to capitalize on the huge, worldwide name recognition of the iPod; however, "iPhone" was trademarked by Infogear, later acquired by Cisco. Shortly after Apple's introduction, Cisco agreed to share the iPhone name.

Specifications