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Better call quality for the iPhone

The Wilson Electronics iBooster can boost signal strength and voice quality on your iPhone.

Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Kent German
The iBooster's cradle securely holds your iPhone. Kent German/CBS Interactive

Wilson Electronics may not have the flashiest products or the glitziest booth at CES, but it does offer some of the best cell phone signal amplifiers around. At the show the company announced the iBooster, a new amplifier designed specifically for the Apple iPhone. The product promises to boost both reception and call quality, which are two very different things. Though it's designed primarily for use in a car, you also can use it inside a building.

In the box you'll find a cradle that can accommodate both the iPhone classic and the iPhone 3G. And thanks to a special adapter, it also fits the iPhone 3G with a case. The cradle has a dual purpose; not only does it keep the phone in one place while you're on go, but it also charges your iPhone. As with Wilson's other products, you must attach a stubby antenna to your car's roof and run a cord through your door to the cradle. It requires power through a cigarette lighter adapter, but that comes in the box as well.

The iBooster should be available by April for $349. That may sound like a lot of money for a signal booster, but the benefit of better reception may just be worth it. Wilson is also releasing a version of the product for the BlackBerry Curve and a universal model that will accommodate a variety of cell phones.