Wireless device for voice communication

A voice communications system comprising:

• a wireless handset for making a packet data voice call to a user terminal connected to a network, said user terminal being associated with contact information stored in said wireless handset, the wireless handset configured to:
• utilize a network element connected to the network and arranged to communicate with said wireless handset, wherein the network element transfers packet data between said wireless handset and the network;
• and
• utilize a contact server connected to the network for storing the contact information for the wireless handset, wherein, responsive to activation of the wireless handset, the wireless handset receives at least some contact information from the contact server via the network element and stores the contact information in said wireless handset.

A method for making calls using a wireless handset, the method comprising:

• processing input from a keyboard associated with a wireless handset, the keyboard having multifunctional keys capable of entering numeric or alphabetic characters depending on a number of key presses, said keyboard configured to:
• enable input of contact information via a user interface displayed on a display associated with the wireless handset;
• enable selection of a contact displayed on the user interface;
• and
• enable initiation of a packet data voice call with a selected contact representing another user, the wireless handset configured to make calls from the wireless handset to the selected contact;
• establishing a packet data voice call over a network and encode speech information as individually addressed packets;
• and
• transmitting, using a network element connected to the network, said individually addressed packets as radio signals from said wireless handset to the network.

The method as claimed in 9, wherein establishing a packet data voice call over a network further comprises:

• displaying, on the display associated with the wireless handset, an indication of when the packet data voice call to the selected contact is being connected;
• displaying, on the display associated with the wireless handset, an indication of when a device associated with the selected contact is ringing;
• and
• displaying, on the display associated with the wireless handset, an indication of when the device has been answered and the packet data voice call is in progress.