Telephone Reviews

Do not buy the TeleZapper. It has essentially been rendered obsolete. This is from an article on Yahoo! News that came out 2/26/03:

New Telemarketing Tool Trumps TeleZapper

NEW YORK - A telemarketing tool that penetrates home privacy defenses is upping the ante in a technology battle between sales callers and consumers seeking shelter from unsolicited calls.

Castel Inc., a maker of automated dialing technology, boasts that its DirectQuest software is immune to the TeleZapper, a ... gadget designed to thwart sales calls by faking the tones of a disconnected number.

Beverly, Mass.-based Castel has been mailing brochures to telemarketers and other prospective customers touting the software, which also includes a feature that lets salesmen transmit any phone number or text message to residents' caller ID displays.

That second component allows DirectQuest to dodge such phone company privacy services as SBC's Privacy Manager and Sprint's Privacy ID, both of which reject calls that don't provide caller ID information.

Castel's software is built for the high-volume "predictive dialers" that use multiple lines to phone residential numbers and connect salesmen to people who answer.

"It's a privacy arms race," said Robert Bulmash of the privacy group Private Citizen, based in Naperville, Ill. "The industry is crowing that 'We don't want to call people that don't want to be called,' and at the same time it's calling them."

Consumer privacy devices will increasingly lose effectiveness as telemarketing firms switch to the new dialing technology - which costs roughly $2,700 per calling operator, said Bulmash.

Royal Electronics Inc., which manufactures the TeleZapper, says millions of them have been sold. The device is designed to trick predictive dialers into dropping the call by playing the three shrill tones of a disconnected number.

The privacy services sold by phone companies target another weakness of the predictive dialer - their inability to transmit caller ID.

Castel chief executive Geoff Burr labels as "unsophisticated" dialers that succumb to privacy devices. "Serious professional operations don't use that equipment - or they won't be for long," he said.

Burr said DirectQuest is not aimed at bothering consumers, but the opposite - making sales calls less intrusive. By providing the identity of the company on behalf of which the telemarketer is calling, DirectQuest gives people the option not to take the call.

The software also helps elemarketers mind federal guidelines that require accurate and descriptive caller IDs, said Burr.

"If you're an operator that calls on behalf of MasterCard, you're supposed to put out 'MasterCard' and a number that gets to MasterCard," he said.

Instead of listening for sounds that identify the status of a phone line, DirectQuest learns the line's condition by reading signals from phone company computers, said Walter Elicker, Castel's marketing director.

Elicker said privacy gadgets don't just thwart telemarketers but also bill collectors who use predictive dialers. "Collections people want to make damn certain they're not fooled by these kinds of devices," he said.

A more effective means of blocking sales calls lies with the emerging federal Do Not Call list as well as similar lists kept by some two dozen U.S. states, Burr said.

The Federal Trade Commission has said its Do Not Call list will begin collecting names this summer and be in operation by the fall. Telemarketers who phone listed numbers can be fined up to $11,000 for each violation.

Effectiveness of Do Not Call lists, at least for now, is a pipe dream, Bulmash said. The FTC doesn't regulate telemarketing-heavy industries like long-distance phone companies, banks, airlines and insurance companies.

State lists, too, often make exemptions for funeral homes and car dealers. No agency can prevent phone calls by political campaigns, charities and surveyors.

Predictive dialers fueled huge growth in the telemarketing.

A Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) memo says telemarketers attempt 104 million calls a day to U.S. businesses and consumers. Sales revenue rose from about $435 billion in 1990 to around $660 billion in 2001.

Telemarketing advocates fear Do Not Call lists could devastate those revenues and the jobs that depend on them.

An article in the February issue of Customer Inter@ction Solutions, a telemarketing industry magazine, said FTC restrictions could eliminate three million jobs.

The article estimated that the top 75 U.S. telemarketing firms paid for 13.2 billion minutes of long-distance phone service last year. At 4 cents a minute, that amounts to $528 million in telecommunications revenue.

___

Telezapper has become my favorite product of 2001.

At our house, we had gotten into the habit of not even answering the phone, because there were so many telemarketing calls. (We'd rely on voicemail to communicate with friends and family.)

But now, when I pick up the phone, it's someone I want to talk to ... or there is a click telling me I just zapped another telemarketer, which I find very satisfying indeed. Sort of like when a mosquito hits one of those electronic bug catchers.

Others have written here that ($$$) is expensive for a device that merely emits a "disconnected" signal. Maybe the cost to manufacture is low ... but what's that got to do with it? Telezapper's value to me is many times greater than what I spent. It's worth it.

The fact that USA has the world's best phone system helps to make our country great. That an entrepreneur invented and sells the Telezapper makes it even greater.

I'm a skeptic by nature, often shunning wonder gadgets that I see on Infomercials, but it was Christmas time, and for lack of a better idea, I took a chance on this product. Surprisingly, it worked pretty much as promised. While some calls still get through, the majority of telemarketing calls we receive has decreased dramatically.

The only weird thing about this device that may turn off some of you is the fact that your phone will now emit a loud beep every time you pick it up to answer a call. In fact, anyone on the other end will hear it as well, and you'll probably have to explain this one a couple of times until your circle of friends gets used to it.

Nonetheless, I consider this a small price to pay for weeding out useless calls you didn't want in the first place.

Well, this is the 3rd cordless phone I've tried in the past 3 weeks. I had an old KX-T4330 which we have had for about 11 years - worked great but just eventually died. We wanted a 900 Mhz ( I didn't want any interference with my 2.4Ghz wireless router) phone, with answering machine and caller id. I tried an AT&T 9371 (horrible sound quality - the worst), a Uniden EXAI378 (ok sound quality, no speakerphone), and the Panasonic KX-TC1743B. All were in the same price range. The AT&T and Uniden have both been returned. The KX-TC1743B has an amazing assortment of features for such a reasonably priced phone. One feature which I have found myself using again and again (and its one I wasn't specifically looking for) is that the handset can function as a speakerphone. So if I'm around the house, talking on the phone and need to have both hands free for a sec, I can put the handset on speakerphone mode and set it down as a mobile speakerphone! The sound quality of the phone is very good (although, unfortunately, not quite as good as my old Panasonic...but its close). Nice build quality, easy setup.

Given the advances in technology, I wouldn't spend a bunch of money on any cordless phone (too much obsolescence risk) - so anyone looking for a reasonably priced cordless phone should definitely take a look at this one. I very much recommend it!

After checking out many other phones (Vtech, Uniden, Sony, Memorex) and returning them all for various reasons, I found this gem of a phone... Everything about this phone is first class. Handset feels great, solid construction, fun to use, adequate volume, clear speakerphones (base and handset).

Unlike many of the other phones I tried this one has adequate volume on the handset. It also has clear reception which is free from echo and interference. The speakersphones are simply the best for this price...they are quite clear and have plenty of volume. The phone feels solid and is one of the more comfortable phones to talk on. Battery power is also top notch (6 hrs continuous talk time and 14 day standby). Battery power bar is displayed on the handset which tells you when is the best time to replace the handset on the base unit for charging. This phone also has a very good answering machine, unlike many of the other digital answering systems which in many cases made the incoming messages and your own personal greeting impossible to discern.

This phone seems to have all the features. For instance, a seperate caller ID button on the base flashes when you have any new calls, even calls that did not leave a message on the answering machine. After you have checked the Caller ID list it places a check mark next to each number indicating that you, or someone else, has checked the incoming call after which the blinking CID light on the base unit turns off. Handset and base units can have their ringers shut down or put on low. Another thing I like about this phone is that the handset lies down on an angle in the base unit. Alot of the newer phones only allow for an upright placement of the handset in the base unit. This becomes a problem if you have small inquisitive children who seem attracted to the upright standing phones. Additionally, a small bump to the table causes the handet to tumble off the base unit. The Panasonic 1743 keep the phone where it belongs, on a slight incline lying securely down in the base unit.

The only minor knock I have on this phone is that the Caller ID lists incoming calls from the same area code as having a 1-### before the number requiring editing of the number before calling it back directly from the listing. However, Panasonic makes editing this a simple matter by two quick presses of the handset curser.

One important thing about this 900 MHz phone is that it is digital. Many people don't realize that most of the 900 Mhz phones on the market today are analog phones. The primary benefit of digital is that it reduces or eliminates interference while also keeping your conversations difficult or impossible to monitor by your nosy neighbors who just might have a scanner at their disposal. (Note: You might be surprised how many of these scanners are out there because those who own them usually don't divulge this information in fear that they may be branded an eavesdropper). Digital processing of your conversation makes tracking your call very difficult. Plus, this phone automatically scans the entire 900 MHz bandwith constantly changing frequencies, which makes listening in on scanners virtually impossible. You never know who is listening to your conversations. I have heard that thieves or other criminals often use scanners to figure out when people may be leaving their houses so that they can break in while you're out, or worse yet determine when a vulnerable loved one is at home alone. For this reason alone you should never consider an analog phone.

If you are considering a more expensive 2.4 Ghz unit, think again. This phone has more than adequate range for any size house and it performs as well or better than most 2.4 GHz phones out there today, particualrly the analog ones. Although it doesn't have SST (spread spectrum technolgy) found on some 900 Mhz and many 2.4 Ghz units it is digital and thus quite secure. Unless you plan on talking 1/4 mile or more from your base unit there is no real need for SST anyway.

All in all this phone has it all. Performance, quality, features, ergonomics, and affordability. Plus the customer service (1-800-211-PANA) is outstanding as well. Sounds like a winner to me. Do yourself a favor and try out this phone.

This is the only cordless phone I have ever used that was truly worth it's price. The reason? Well built. A very sturdy handset, solidly constructed, with just enough heft that it can be handled without having the occasional fumble because it was too light (maybe it's just me). I never dropped mine, but I'm sure it could take a couple of drops on concrete before it conked out. Another awesome feature is the dual speakerphones. Convenient for answering and talking when I'm doing dishes, or happen to be in the middle of a video game or the like for the cordless, and the speakerphone on the base makes answering calls when I'm in bed easier than nailing the snooze on my alarm clock, plus the mic's pickup and clarity are stellar...a speakerphone you can actually use without standing on top of it.

Also, living in a rural area, lightning stikes usually take out a spanking new cordless the first time at my home. I hated rushing to unplug my cordless phones everytime I heard a rumble. That rarely did good because they would fry whenever I wasn't home to do it. I took a huge chance on this phone with it's retail price, which I paid when it first came out, and decided to see if it would hold up to a storm while it was still in warranty. Remarkably, this sucker lasted three years before meeting it's maker yesterday. I'm so pleased with its performance I got the exact same model as a replacement (...). I never even considered a newer model. Must buy!

Best looking phone on the market and the best feature set. But I am looking for a replacement because it has been very problematic. I am somewhat of a gadget geek. I work from my home and have a wireless network and a big fast MAC and 2 PCs with wireless adapters - all of which could potentially interfere with the 2.4 G, but don't. The biggest problem is that having this set up has made trouble shooting other problems with the phone more difficult and the V-Tech support seems to always recommend that you have your phone 2 rooms away from your microwave, computer, or wireless router. Well, could anyone in their target market actually use this phone then?

6-7 months after I got the phone the microphone in the handset started going. By this time, I had lost my receipt (if you buy this - keep your receipt in a safe place!!). So I started using the speakerphone on the base, which after a month is starting to generate some annoying buzzing when dialing and during the other person speaking. At first people couldn't even tell I was on a speakerphone, but now, a month later, people are starting to say that I definitely sound like I'm on a speakerphone - you know that hollow, tinny sound.

No interference with my wirelss as long as I keep the base at least 2.5 feet from my wireless card.

Someone else reported a problem with the handset looking for base when it is right next to the base. Well, crazy thing is that I get that same error sound when I'm not even using the handset, just using the base.

Kooky phone. Has been a real problem. Can't return it because the problems didn't start until after the 30 days. Can't use the warranty because I can no longer find the receipt.

But it looks nice sitting on my desk...

I have had the VTech 2431 only a few days now, and I am very impressed. The handset design is excellent. It looks and feels like a nice cell phone. It is relatively light but not to make it feel cheap. The Soft Keys for display functions work very well. the display is large enough to read and are backlit once a button is touched. With Caller ID you have the ability to store up to 50 names and numbers. You can also add names and numbers though the easy to use Soft Keys and the large display. One of the best features of the handset is the Handsfree function. The speaker is loud enough to hear someone while you have the phone attached to your waist with the belt clip. No headset needed. The intercom feature works well, even for a single guy needing to transfer a call from the base to one of the handsets. The base unit has an indicator for voicemail, even if you have the service from your phone company. It has a memory key so you can program your access number to voicemail so there is one button access. The handset also has a message waiting indicator on top so you know if there is a message waiting also. The only issue I have with is is that with the 2.5GHz when I stand near the running microwave, the signal breaks up. Also plugging it into an outlet away from a computer,or microwave keeps out feedback. This is the coolest phone I have ever had. And what makes it so great is that everything works!

I have had the phone for over four years now and i love everything about it. With most cordless phones you have to get more then one type and with this one you can get just another handset and if your not near the hand set or your to lazy to find it just pick up on the speakerphone. What isn't there to love about it. If you are looking for a long lasting good quality phone this is the one for you.

I really wanted to like this phone and I did find it somewhat intriguing. But bottom line is that this phone comes up short on key features, especially considering its price.

I would expect a phone that let's you add up to 3 additional headsets to have a corresponding number of answering machine mailboxes. It does not. There is only one single mailbox on this phone. Very disappointing.

A phone that bills itself as a home/office phone should have a headset jack. This phone does not. Give me a break...how hard is it to include a headset jack? This makes it virtually useless for me as I'm on the phone for hours a day and using the speakerphone is insulting to clients and holding a phone to the ear for long periods of time is not comfortable.

The menu system of the phone is quite complex to navigate. It's fairly intuitive once you breeze through the manual, but it is certainly not something that my mother or grandmother would ever be able to deal with.

The voice dialing feature is pretty useful but problematic in that it took me 20-30 attempts to get some names into the phone successfully. I do not know why this was such a problem, but it was.

There is a wide variety of ringer styles which is a nice touch, although certainly not something I would have based my buying decision on.

In a very questionable design decision, the page button on the base station is located in an extremely inconvenient place, underneath the unit. That's correct, if you want to page the handset to find out where it is, you have to pick up the base station and push a combination reset/page button. Ludicrous!

The quality of the recording is about middle of the road. Not really bad, but not really good either. The sound quality of the headset is a bit less than average I'd say. Although I did not hear any hiss or white noise, the sound was thin and I found the headset a little uncomfortable on the ear. It tended to slip around my ear and I never feel like it's quite on my ear correctly.

Even with the $30 rebate, I think this phone is overpriced for the features that it has. It's certainly an attractive phone and if your needs are modest it might be a good choice for you. But for my needs, it just doesn't measure up. I rated it 3 not because of it's shortcomings, but based on it's performance. If I had rated the phone on its performance and shortcomings combined, I would have given it a 2 rating.

This phone is so simple to operate and very user friendly. All functions are simple and easy to remember. Phone battery life is excellent. Speakerphone is very cool. From the handset you can talk as if you had a speakerphone - clarity impressive. Voice announcement is very cool. You preprogram names with your own voice and when that person calls it is announce with your own voice. Only downside so far is that their are only 20 slots to store voice recognition.

I have owned this phone since they introduced it in the United States, so a little over 3 years.

My system consists of one 4215 base unit and 3 of the 4200's.

1) You will either love this phone or hate it.

2) Don't buy it for Grandmother - it will totally confuse her.

3) Replace the batteries that come with the unit IMMEDIATELY with something like Maha PowerEx NiMh 2200mAh Rechargeable - you will be amazed how long a charge will last.

4) I love the fact that it takes AA size batteries, not something that will cost more than the phone to replace and is impossible to find.

5) The range is fantastic! - I live on 2 acres and can easily walk to my neighbors home and still make and receive calls as if I were in my living room.

6) If your power is out the system will NOT function. Keep a standard telephone plugged into one of your outlets to be safe. But this is no different than most units. If there is no power they will not transmit.

7) Yes there is a delay in the keypad as others have mentioned it is very minor and I pay no attention to it.

8) It would have been nice if the phones had a headset plug built in.

9) The speakerphone quality is excellent - one of my favorite features.

10) Keypad lock is nice if you want to put it in your pocket and work outside or walk up the street to your neighbors.

11) Very well made, mine still look like new even though they have been dropped and mishandled.

12) I wish the keypad was lighted

13) The standard ring tone is unique (european), the others are melodies - you may or may not like them.

13) You can set the phone's ring volume to a lower or different tone for specific hours. For example midnight to 6:30 am.

14) Room monitor is a nice feature.

I really wanted to like this phone and I did find it somewhat intriguing. But bottom line is that this phone comes up short on key features, especially considering its price.

I would expect a phone that let's you add up to 3 additional headsets to have a corresponding number of answering machine mailboxes. It does not. There is only one single mailbox on this phone. Very disappointing.

A phone that bills itself as a home/office phone should have a headset jack. This phone does not. Give me a break...how hard is it to include a headset jack? This makes it virtually useless for me as I'm on the phone for hours a day and using the speakerphone is insulting to clients and holding a phone to the ear for long periods of time is not comfortable.

The menu system of the phone is quite complex to navigate. It's fairly intuitive once you breeze through the manual, but it is certainly not something that my mother or grandmother would ever be able to deal with.

The voice dialing feature is pretty useful but problematic in that it took me 20-30 attempts to get some names into the phone successfully. I do not know why this was such a problem, but it was.

There is a wide variety of ringer styles which is a nice touch, although certainly not something I would have based my buying decision on.

In a very questionable design decision, the page button on the base station is located in an extremely inconvenient place, underneath the unit. That's correct, if you want to page the handset to find out where it is, you have to pick up the base station and push a combination reset/page button. Ludicrous!

The quality of the recording is about middle of the road. Not really bad, but not really good either. The sound quality of the headset is a bit less than average I'd say. Although I did not hear any hiss or white noise, the sound was thin and I found the headset a little uncomfortable on the ear. It tended to slip around my ear and I never feel like it's quite on my ear correctly.

Even with the $30 rebate, I think this phone is overpriced for the features that it has. It's certainly an attractive phone and if your needs are modest it might be a good choice for you. But for my needs, it just doesn't measure up. I rated it 3 not because of it's shortcomings, but based on it's performance. If I had rated the phone on its performance and shortcomings combined, I would have given it a 2 rating.

This phone is so simple to operate and very user friendly. All functions are simple and easy to remember. Phone battery life is excellent. Speakerphone is very cool. From the handset you can talk as if you had a speakerphone - clarity impressive. Voice announcement is very cool. You preprogram names with your own voice and when that person calls it is announce with your own voice. Only downside so far is that their are only 20 slots to store voice recognition.

I have owned this phone since they introduced it in the United States, so a little over 3 years.

My system consists of one 4215 base unit and 3 of the 4200's.

1) You will either love this phone or hate it.

2) Don't buy it for Grandmother - it will totally confuse her.

3) Replace the batteries that come with the unit IMMEDIATELY with something like Maha PowerEx NiMh 2200mAh Rechargeable - you will be amazed how long a charge will last.

4) I love the fact that it takes AA size batteries, not something that will cost more than the phone to replace and is impossible to find.

5) The range is fantastic! - I live on 2 acres and can easily walk to my neighbors home and still make and receive calls as if I were in my living room.

6) If your power is out the system will NOT function. Keep a standard telephone plugged into one of your outlets to be safe. But this is no different than most units. If there is no power they will not transmit.

7) Yes there is a delay in the keypad as others have mentioned it is very minor and I pay no attention to it.

8) It would have been nice if the phones had a headset plug built in.

9) The speakerphone quality is excellent - one of my favorite features.

10) Keypad lock is nice if you want to put it in your pocket and work outside or walk up the street to your neighbors.

11) Very well made, mine still look like new even though they have been dropped and mishandled.

12) I wish the keypad was lighted

13) The standard ring tone is unique (european), the others are melodies - you may or may not like them.

13) You can set the phone's ring volume to a lower or different tone for specific hours. For example midnight to 6:30 am.

14) Room monitor is a nice feature.

I've had this phone for about 4 months now and have been very happy with it. The sound quality is very good and the phone has a number of nice features, and also has a nice contemporary design. A previous reviewer gave this phone a bad rating because the memory only allows for 32 digit numbers and the base unit will only accomodate 4 handsets. While this is true and may be a limitation for business use, it is not a limitation for most home uses. Besides the 2.4 GHZ, 3 mailboxes, 30 minutes of recorded messages, and the ability to have up to 4 handsets, this unit also stores a spare battery in the base unit which re-charges it. The spare battery is also used as a backup power source for the base unit if the power goes out in your home so you can still use the phone. I have also been pleasantly surprised with how long the battery lasts. It's no problem getting 5 hours of talk time between charges. And the speaker phone in the handheld unit, while not sounding the same as if you were speaking into the phone directly, works and is a nice feature. The phone is small and light weight which is another plus when clipping it onto your belt for use with the headset. All in all a very nice phone with a nice set of features.

Hi,
I just bought this phone and couldn't be happier. The reception is excellent and the phone is easy to use. One of the best features is that the phone has a built in speaker phone in the handset. The phone is small with a nice feel to it. The base unit doesn't take up much space and there is a compartment for an extra battery that provides power when the lights go out so you can still use the phone. I had a top of the line Panasonic that worked well too but was hard to use re-dail and other phone functions. The handset on the Panasonic is much larger. The answering machine on the Vtech is also excellent. I have no negatives on this phone. I read lots or reviews on this and other phones and either one reviewer loves a phone and then one hates it. I don't know why there are so many strong opinions on these phones. Forget everything you've read. This is a great phone. Don't hesitate to buy it. The Panasonic 2.4 is also another good phone but is much larger, heavier and is more dificult to use with less bells and whistles.

Pros:
Small, lightweight
Digital answering machine with multiple mailboxes
Speakerphone in BOTH the base, and the handset
Sleek design (come on, that's why you are checking it out ;)
Expandable with additional handsets
Programmable memory - you can save calls that have come in via Caller ID.

Cons:
2.4 GHz may not be enough if you have a large home
Small display

So, I have a small 2 bedroom apartment, and this phone is PLENTY for my uses. If you have a sprawling estate, you may need the range of a 5.8 GHz phone. Also the display size is sacrificed to keep the unit compact. These are not major gripes.

Reception has been crystal clear since I began using the phone. The handset speakerphone is awesome. If you are not a fan of headsets that are cumbersome, you can understand. I sit with my phone in my lap and put on make-up, or use it while I'm cooking, washing my hands, etc.

The other swell thing about this phone is that you can purchase additional handsets and plug them in anywhere (you just need an electrical outlet - no phone jack, it reads the base signal). That means that you can have an extra handset anywhere, and you can program numbers into either of them, because they share the same memory!

Overall, far more pros than cons. A great phone for the money.

I liked this phone until I got it home. When the handset is sitting on the base, the handset will intermittantly emit static every few seconds - CONSTANTLY. But only when its sitting on the base. I even took it to work and tried plugging it in at my desk and it did the same thing (I live in an older house and thought it might be the 50+ year old electrical - nope!) I've had it for 5 days and its going back tonight.

After a lot of looking and many returned phones, I settled on this Motorola. It has all of the features most people need in a cordless, in a very compact and stylish form factor. It is also about the only normal looking phone on the market which discretely fits into your room, unlike all the wannabe Star Trek communcators out there...

Pros:
-Form factor: Small and unobtrusive
-Good range and very clear reception
-Effective and easy to use caller ID features
-Very handy volume buttons on the side of the handset with several settings
-Great battery life
-Price

Cons: (mostly minor annoyances)
-Display is small and sometimes hard to read (although it is backlit)
-Message waiting indicator on base (for voicemail) does not work
-Some interference with my WiFi base station (although only when they are very close)
-Hard to hold against your ear with your shoulder

After reading tons of reviews for cheap 2.4GHz phones, I stumbled across a few recommendations for this product. I have to admit -- for a ($)phone, it's more than I expected. The handset is very solid and comfortable, and it sports rubber grips on the sides -- why, I don't know, but I'm sure it'll become apparent soon :) The sound quality is superb, except for a slight annoyance -- sometimes, your voice funnels back to the earpiece and it can get pretty loud. I only noticed this during my first call -- after that, it was a non-issue. Perhaps it was due to a low-battery, since I hadn't fully charged it before I made my first call.

The phone has all the basic features of a caller ID cordless phone, and they all work as expected, so I won't elaborate on that. Most people are just concerned about sound quality, and the sound quality on this phone is great. It's also very stylish in a very understated way -- there aren't tons of buttons, lights, and garish colors on this thing, but I like that and it was a factor in my purchasing decision.

Probably the only BAD thing about this phone is the ring volume isn't as loud as I like. I live in a small apartment, so it's not such a big deal, but to some it may be. You have a choice of three ring tones, and the loudest one is the most annoying, sadly enough. If the only drawback to a ($) phone is its ring volume, then I think we have a winner.

I liked this phone until I got it home. When the handset is sitting on the base, the handset will intermittantly emit static every few seconds - CONSTANTLY. But only when its sitting on the base. I even took it to work and tried plugging it in at my desk and it did the same thing (I live in an older house and thought it might be the 50+ year old electrical - nope!) I've had it for 5 days and its going back tonight.

After a lot of looking and many returned phones, I settled on this Motorola. It has all of the features most people need in a cordless, in a very compact and stylish form factor. It is also about the only normal looking phone on the market which discretely fits into your room, unlike all the wannabe Star Trek communcators out there...

Pros:
-Form factor: Small and unobtrusive
-Good range and very clear reception
-Effective and easy to use caller ID features
-Very handy volume buttons on the side of the handset with several settings
-Great battery life
-Price

Cons: (mostly minor annoyances)
-Display is small and sometimes hard to read (although it is backlit)
-Message waiting indicator on base (for voicemail) does not work
-Some interference with my WiFi base station (although only when they are very close)
-Hard to hold against your ear with your shoulder

After reading tons of reviews for cheap 2.4GHz phones, I stumbled across a few recommendations for this product. I have to admit -- for a ($)phone, it's more than I expected. The handset is very solid and comfortable, and it sports rubber grips on the sides -- why, I don't know, but I'm sure it'll become apparent soon :) The sound quality is superb, except for a slight annoyance -- sometimes, your voice funnels back to the earpiece and it can get pretty loud. I only noticed this during my first call -- after that, it was a non-issue. Perhaps it was due to a low-battery, since I hadn't fully charged it before I made my first call.

The phone has all the basic features of a caller ID cordless phone, and they all work as expected, so I won't elaborate on that. Most people are just concerned about sound quality, and the sound quality on this phone is great. It's also very stylish in a very understated way -- there aren't tons of buttons, lights, and garish colors on this thing, but I like that and it was a factor in my purchasing decision.

Probably the only BAD thing about this phone is the ring volume isn't as loud as I like. I live in a small apartment, so it's not such a big deal, but to some it may be. You have a choice of three ring tones, and the loudest one is the most annoying, sadly enough. If the only drawback to a ($) phone is its ring volume, then I think we have a winner.

I've had this phone now for over 2 years and haven't felt it was the best investment. Like many consumers I like the convenience of a cordless hand-held phone, however like some of the previous reviews, it isn't comfortable to hold between your head and shoulder... in fact, it's almost down-right impossible! The battery life is frequently short and will cut you off right in the middle of a call. If you are in the middle of a call while the phone is in the cradle a slight move will sometimes end the call prematurely. The headset is awkward and uncomfortable and the sound quality on both ends of the call is sometimes awful. I've heard static almost consistantly on the headset. The buttons are somewhat hard to use since they seem to work then not work sporadically and have a delay between pushing the number and actually dialing. I really dislike the ringing tones - like an annoying cell phone from the early 90s. And the volume is also lacking in choices, there just aren't enough settings to get the volume loud enough on the headset. If I could, I would replace this phone with a Bang & Olufson.

I bought this phone because a colleague of mine had one, and I liked the idea of being able to listen to my messages on the answering machine privately without them being blared to one and all. So even though it was a fairly expensive telephone, I talked my husband into getting it for me one Christmas. After only a few months, though, the base failed to communicate with the handset. I was able to fix it myself following the trouble-shooting procedure in the user's manual, but after another couple of months the same problem occurred. This time I couldn't fix it myself, so I called Siemens customer support. They had me try some things, still to no avail. They then sent me a new phone. That one worked for another couple of months, and then the base stopped communicating with the handset...again. So I again called Customer Support, and this time they were not so helpful. I was on hold for a very long time, and then when I got through, the guy told me I had to follow a procedure, wait 15 minutes, and call him back. When I finally got through to them after the 15 minutes, it emerged that he had gone home and obviously had just told me to go through this rigmarole so he wouldn't have to help me any more. I would have preferred just being told that right up front instead of being on hold for upwards of half an hour! They never did figure out why I was having problems, and because I was now past the original warranty period they informed me I would have to buy another phone.

So I gave up in disgust and bought an AT&T model for half the money that is much easier to use and works perfectly. And guess what? I found out after using the Siemens model that I don't even LIKE the feature of listening to messages through the handset! It turns out to be more convenient to have both hands free for writing, putting away groceries, etc. while listening to messages than having to hang onto a handset. Oh well. Live and learn.

I purchased the Siemens 4015 Gigaset for my parents to use in their home. My 71 yr. old mother programmed this phone simply by following the step-by-step process that is very clearly shown in the manual. To anyone with an average level of intuition, you can program this system without even using the manual.

Voice quality is excellent and there is no noticeable static when using the handset around the house. Outside of the house the phone begins to break up a little at about 150'.

The intercom feature is ideal for my parents because they can carry the handsets throughout the house (or outside in the yard) and always be able to call the other for assistance without having to yell for help. It's also nice to be able to use standard AA batteries in an emergency..

Having no controls for the answering machine at the base is no issue. It's no different than using voice mail from your phone company, and having message access from the couch is great in my opinion. There is a speaker in the base station too, and as long as you set the volume at maximum, it works fine. You can use the speaker to screen calls or to listen to messages.

This system is about $100 less than the Panasonic and every bit as good. I also looked at VTech, but for the same $$ I elected to go with Siemens for the quality of construction.

My only gripe is that I don't care for selection of melody-ringers that come with the phone. Only 1 of the 10 melodies is tolerable.

And, for the reviewer that complained that there is no paging for lost handsets, look at the bottom of the base station. There is a button there for exactly that purpose.

I love this phone system! Buy it with confidence.

I've had this phone now for over 2 years and haven't felt it was the best investment. Like many consumers I like the convenience of a cordless hand-held phone, however like some of the previous reviews, it isn't comfortable to hold between your head and shoulder... in fact, it's almost down-right impossible! The battery life is frequently short and will cut you off right in the middle of a call. If you are in the middle of a call while the phone is in the cradle a slight move will sometimes end the call prematurely. The headset is awkward and uncomfortable and the sound quality on both ends of the call is sometimes awful. I've heard static almost consistantly on the headset. The buttons are somewhat hard to use since they seem to work then not work sporadically and have a delay between pushing the number and actually dialing. I really dislike the ringing tones - like an annoying cell phone from the early 90s. And the volume is also lacking in choices, there just aren't enough settings to get the volume loud enough on the headset. If I could, I would replace this phone with a Bang & Olufson.

I bought this phone because a colleague of mine had one, and I liked the idea of being able to listen to my messages on the answering machine privately without them being blared to one and all. So even though it was a fairly expensive telephone, I talked my husband into getting it for me one Christmas. After only a few months, though, the base failed to communicate with the handset. I was able to fix it myself following the trouble-shooting procedure in the user's manual, but after another couple of months the same problem occurred. This time I couldn't fix it myself, so I called Siemens customer support. They had me try some things, still to no avail. They then sent me a new phone. That one worked for another couple of months, and then the base stopped communicating with the handset...again. So I again called Customer Support, and this time they were not so helpful. I was on hold for a very long time, and then when I got through, the guy told me I had to follow a procedure, wait 15 minutes, and call him back. When I finally got through to them after the 15 minutes, it emerged that he had gone home and obviously had just told me to go through this rigmarole so he wouldn't have to help me any more. I would have preferred just being told that right up front instead of being on hold for upwards of half an hour! They never did figure out why I was having problems, and because I was now past the original warranty period they informed me I would have to buy another phone.

So I gave up in disgust and bought an AT&T model for half the money that is much easier to use and works perfectly. And guess what? I found out after using the Siemens model that I don't even LIKE the feature of listening to messages through the handset! It turns out to be more convenient to have both hands free for writing, putting away groceries, etc. while listening to messages than having to hang onto a handset. Oh well. Live and learn.

I purchased the Siemens 4015 Gigaset for my parents to use in their home. My 71 yr. old mother programmed this phone simply by following the step-by-step process that is very clearly shown in the manual. To anyone with an average level of intuition, you can program this system without even using the manual.

Voice quality is excellent and there is no noticeable static when using the handset around the house. Outside of the house the phone begins to break up a little at about 150'.

The intercom feature is ideal for my parents because they can carry the handsets throughout the house (or outside in the yard) and always be able to call the other for assistance without having to yell for help. It's also nice to be able to use standard AA batteries in an emergency..

Having no controls for the answering machine at the base is no issue. It's no different than using voice mail from your phone company, and having message access from the couch is great in my opinion. There is a speaker in the base station too, and as long as you set the volume at maximum, it works fine. You can use the speaker to screen calls or to listen to messages.

This system is about $100 less than the Panasonic and every bit as good. I also looked at VTech, but for the same $$ I elected to go with Siemens for the quality of construction.

My only gripe is that I don't care for selection of melody-ringers that come with the phone. Only 1 of the 10 melodies is tolerable.

And, for the reviewer that complained that there is no paging for lost handsets, look at the bottom of the base station. There is a button there for exactly that purpose.

I love this phone system! Buy it with confidence.