"Stylish" phone wraps VoIP, land and SMS into one

A new phone that incorporates a stylish "retro" design with landline and internet calls, as well as SMS text messaging, has been unveiled by manufacturer Thomson, according to reports.

The Register reports that the Symbio phone comes with a "stylised traditional design" and wireless connections.

Using this connection, people can make voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephone calls or connect to online radio stations. They can also connect to RSS newsfeeds, which appear on the phone's 128 x 128 display.

The Symbio also displays caller ID and call lengths - and has enough capacity to store the details for up to 200 people, the site says.

And, if a user misplaces their mobile, they can send SMS text messages from the handset to other mobiles.

According to Voip News, a recent study by Infonetics Research found there were 80 million VoIP subscribers worldwide in 2007.