Verizon Hub shines as a phone, but the rest of it has flaws

— -- Verizon Wireless wants to be your home phone and cellphone company. Except the Verizon Hub that aims to bridge those worlds is pricey, confusing and saddled with drawbacks.

The Hub, which went on sale in Verizon Wireless stores Sunday, is a hybrid contraption consisting of a cordless, single-line VoIP, or Internet phone, and a 7-inch touch-screen-based Internet terminal. It looks good, and Verizon is pushing its use in the kitchen, where, among other things, you can view cooking demonstrations.

But the product is way too cumbersome. Folks looking to ditch their land-line phone to save money in this economy should hold off.

The Hub costs $200 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract, on top of a $35 monthly fee. The monthly plan includes unlimited calling in North America, Puerto Rico and elsewhere, and unlimited text, picture and video messaging. That's $10 more than a basic plan with rival Vonage.

Of course, the Hub does things other VoIP phones don't, from letting you check traffic reports to letting the kids watch Dora the Explorer. One of the interesting features is the way it integrates with cellphones on the Verizon Wireless network. But you'll need a separate Verizon cell plan, even if you have no interest in using it to communicate with cellular handsets. Verizon told me it's looking to remove this onerous requirement.

A closer look at the Hub's features — and flaws:

•The basics. The Hub works with any broadband connection — Verizon or otherwise. You can connect an ethernet cable or use Wi-Fi. If you don't already have a router, Verizon will sell you one for $70. Extra handsets cost $80.

Setup was a breeze and took about 15 minutes. You can customize some features on the Hub and some via the Web. On the Web is where you can upload pictures; the Hub doubles as a digital photo frame, though it's mainly a screen-saver function and hard to manage.

•Managing calls. The Hub shines as a phone. It's packed with useful calling features: visual voice mail, anonymous-call rejection, call rerouting to a designated backup number and more.