Telephone Reviews

I really like the features of this phone.
However, because of the power drain on the battery
(I have 2), I'd replace it in a heartbeat.

After having used six different cordless 2 line phones, I finally found one that deserves a top rating. Excellent sound clarity, useful features, and none of the classic cordless annoyances that typically bug you.

Buy an extra battery and you can uyse this phone in a power outage, as the base will run off the spare battery. With a keypad and speaker phone on the base, you can even operate when you've left the handset in the other room. The handset includes all the top end features that I would want: caller id, caller-id with call waiting, speed dialing, redial (yep, some cordless phone forget that feature), and conmference calling where you can connect line 1 and line 2 together in a single call.

A very nice feature is that the caller-id lists are kept seperately, one for line 1 and another for line 2. In my household my wife gets calls on line 1 and I get calls on line 2; this way I do not have to scroll through her calls to see who called me.

Finally, a word on clarity. No drops outs, only very occasional interference from other devices (my only problem is when I put the phone down on top of the laptop computer it makes the laptop hum!), and very long range, clear connections (well beyond 500 feet).

If you want a full feature 2 line cordless phone, this is it. If you don't need all the feartures, then find one with a smaller base unit, as this one is pretty big. Me, I'm more than satisfied.

Oh yeah, you can order a spare battery at the uniden web site for $6!

While it is a little clunky, it has all the features I needed in a phone. 2 line, Spread spectrum, Headset Jack, Caller ID/Waiting, Battery swappable. The speakerphone is decent for waiting on hold, and the only complaint I have is that the handset is not smaller. Sound quality is good enough to overcome that shortcoming. And it doesn't mess with my wireless network -- an added bonus!

1. The sound quality is great for digital, and I've had the machine for a couple of years now. It is still going strong.

2. It lets you screen your calls, but there is no way to completely silence the machine (for instance, when you're sleeping). It'll silence your announcement, but not the caller's message.

3. There is no "announcement only" mode, which would be a nice feature if you don't want callers to leave a message. That would be no biggie if #2 didn't apply.

4. If you would want to change the "screening" feature from "on" to "off," you have to go through the entire menu -- and you can't skip through any of it. If anyone is in the room, they can hear what your security code is, plain and clear.

5. Nearly all of these problems would be solved if there was a "0" (completely silent) level for the volume.

6. All in all, it is a good answering machine for the price. It does do well with cutting off most of the hang-ups, and I like that if the power goes out, you don't lose your messages.

I've had this machine for almost a year now and have been very satisfied. Although digital, the sound quality is almost as good as a tape, though it does sound a bit tinny at times.

The 2 digital answering machines I've had before this (one Bell South, the other GE) both gave me the problem of hanging up on people in the middle of their messages. It seemed like half my messages were people saying, "Hi Ben, I'm calling back because your machine cut me off...". I've never had that problem with this AT&T, it's very reliable.

It also does a good job of cutting out messages that are nothing but dialtones (although one does slip in there every now and then) while also giving you time to screen the call. It's a nice gadget, very compact, and well worth the price.

Great machine!! Easy to learn to use. Easy to set up. Would definitley buy again!!

I've had this phone for about a month now. One of the things that I really like about it is the ease of using it. I got home from work and plugged it in to charge. Like most cordless phones, it has to charge for 18 hours when you first get it. My two teenage sons decided to plug it in for use while I was at work the next day and it has worked like a champ since. I never even had to record a greeting for the answering machine. It has an automatic one. You can record your own greeting if you want to, but it's not necessary.

The next thing that surprised me was when I actually got to use the phone for the first time. I was expecting that slight static sound that was always there with my previous cordless, but this phone is surprisingly clear. Very clear. It still surprises me each time I use it.

This phone was very easy to program and the answering machine is really easy to use. No special degree required. (grin)

If your world is as hectic as mine and you don't have time to fool with complicated electronic stuff, I'd definitely recommend this phone. It has a nice, modern look that says "I'm very sophisticated", but is surprisingly VERY user friendly.

We bought a Panasonic KX-TC1450B cordless phone for a busy construction site office over a year ago. This phone has had heavy use by many people every day since. I frequently use it for up to an hour a day.

WHY DID WE BUY THIS MODEL?
Almost luck of the draw. It was a Panasonic, which is a reasonable name, and the picture on the box showed a professional looking phone. But I was in a hurry, and could just as easily have picked up another brand.

EASY TO SET UP?
Certainly. I took this out of the box, plugged the transformer into a wall socket, plugged the phone cable into the socket in the base unit, plopped the phone unit into the base unit, and left it alone for 10 minutes before making my first call. Dead easy.
There is a manual, but I've no idea what it says. I only read manuals when I cannot get something to work, and believe that consumer goods should be intuitive to use. I ignore manuals at my risk!

FEATURES
This phone is laden with features, including backlit number keys, intercom, a speakerphone feature that is good for conference calls, ringer and speaker volume settings, a REDIAL button, and programmable keys, a phone-beeper on the base unit, to help find a lost phone. Recharging light. Even a jack on the phone unit for headphones.

EASE OF USE?
Easy and intuitive. Pick it up, press TALK, then dial.

The phone is comfortable in my hand, and has a nice heft to it.

I particularly like the way that the keys light up from behind. This is a useful feature for a crowded site office, because I can dial outside in the dark, getting away from noisy co-workers.

I use the REDIAL button frequently because our satellite phone system does not always connect first time. A great feature!

LENGTH OF CHARGE?
I'm not sure, because this phone is used by so many people, but the charge lasts for ages. We generally keep the phone off the base, to prolong the battery life, and only charge it when it starts to beep and the recharge light comes on. We're still on the original battery pack.

DURABILITY
The phone has a tough black plastic casing that is lasting very well. It has been dropped by me at least twice, and probably by others too. The keys are very durable, with no label wear yet.

CLARITY AND RANGE
This phone is as clear as any office phone that I've used. I've not tested the range extremes, but have often used it up to 50 m from base with no loss of reception.

RATING:
In conclusion, I am delighted with this phone. It is well designed and well made, and is easy to use, even in the dark. When my old Sony home phone dies, I will very likely buy one of these to replace it. I have no hesitation in rating it as excellent, a number 5.

Easy to setup and use! No unnessesary bells and whistles. Great speaker phone feature in the handset!! A definite improvement over other brands. No other brand that I researched was ranked higher.

I've had this phone for about a month now. One of the things that I really like about it is the ease of using it. I got home from work and plugged it in to charge. Like most cordless phones, it has to charge for 18 hours when you first get it. My two teenage sons decided to plug it in for use while I was at work the next day and it has worked like a champ since. I never even had to record a greeting for the answering machine. It has an automatic one. You can record your own greeting if you want to, but it's not necessary.

The next thing that surprised me was when I actually got to use the phone for the first time. I was expecting that slight static sound that was always there with my previous cordless, but this phone is surprisingly clear. Very clear. It still surprises me each time I use it.

This phone was very easy to program and the answering machine is really easy to use. No special degree required. (grin)

If your world is as hectic as mine and you don't have time to fool with complicated electronic stuff, I'd definitely recommend this phone. It has a nice, modern look that says "I'm very sophisticated", but is surprisingly VERY user friendly.

We bought a Panasonic KX-TC1450B cordless phone for a busy construction site office over a year ago. This phone has had heavy use by many people every day since. I frequently use it for up to an hour a day.

WHY DID WE BUY THIS MODEL?
Almost luck of the draw. It was a Panasonic, which is a reasonable name, and the picture on the box showed a professional looking phone. But I was in a hurry, and could just as easily have picked up another brand.

EASY TO SET UP?
Certainly. I took this out of the box, plugged the transformer into a wall socket, plugged the phone cable into the socket in the base unit, plopped the phone unit into the base unit, and left it alone for 10 minutes before making my first call. Dead easy.
There is a manual, but I've no idea what it says. I only read manuals when I cannot get something to work, and believe that consumer goods should be intuitive to use. I ignore manuals at my risk!

FEATURES
This phone is laden with features, including backlit number keys, intercom, a speakerphone feature that is good for conference calls, ringer and speaker volume settings, a REDIAL button, and programmable keys, a phone-beeper on the base unit, to help find a lost phone. Recharging light. Even a jack on the phone unit for headphones.

EASE OF USE?
Easy and intuitive. Pick it up, press TALK, then dial.

The phone is comfortable in my hand, and has a nice heft to it.

I particularly like the way that the keys light up from behind. This is a useful feature for a crowded site office, because I can dial outside in the dark, getting away from noisy co-workers.

I use the REDIAL button frequently because our satellite phone system does not always connect first time. A great feature!

LENGTH OF CHARGE?
I'm not sure, because this phone is used by so many people, but the charge lasts for ages. We generally keep the phone off the base, to prolong the battery life, and only charge it when it starts to beep and the recharge light comes on. We're still on the original battery pack.

DURABILITY
The phone has a tough black plastic casing that is lasting very well. It has been dropped by me at least twice, and probably by others too. The keys are very durable, with no label wear yet.

CLARITY AND RANGE
This phone is as clear as any office phone that I've used. I've not tested the range extremes, but have often used it up to 50 m from base with no loss of reception.

RATING:
In conclusion, I am delighted with this phone. It is well designed and well made, and is easy to use, even in the dark. When my old Sony home phone dies, I will very likely buy one of these to replace it. I have no hesitation in rating it as excellent, a number 5.

Easy to setup and use! No unnessesary bells and whistles. Great speaker phone feature in the handset!! A definite improvement over other brands. No other brand that I researched was ranked higher.

Continually 'clicks' during conversations.
Menu laid out poorly (possibly by *untrained* chimp).
Despite wording on box will NOT work with other Siemans phones (ok, it works except for any 'advanced' features. Advanced features must be everything except ring).
Charger contacts don't work well resulting in phone beeping while resting on charger.
Tech support and customer support all but non-existant.
Would throw it in trash except for my >$200 investment in a pair.
Still kicking myself for buying these.
The perfect gift for someone you truly despise.

There does seem to be a problem with accepting a call waiting incoming call. However, the "MEM" key at the lower right serves as a flash button. Simply press and hold the 'MEM" key for 1.5 seconds or so and you are able to switch back and forth between callers as usual. I love this phone. If you like buttons and features THIS IS THE PHONE FOR YOU! Sound Quality is Great. Love the Speakerphone feature that makes the handset a speakerphone. The small problem with the manual not informing you of how to REALLY switch between Caller ID calls is no big deal. The Voice dialing works great and it even says the person's name who is calling you if you have their name and number in a voice recorded slot. It has about ten different rings to select and you can even program it to not ring during certain times (at night) and it will automatically turn the ringer back on as you program it to do so. Programing the features on the phone is easy and the manual does a good job with explaining how to use the other features. Have fun!

I have had this phone (4210) for a few weeks now and am very impressed. Sound is incredibly clear. The handset is small and light and overall easy to work. The clarity is very good, with strong volume on incoming calls. I find the range to be good in our three level townhouse and have now made this phone the main system in the house. The speakerphone is excellent.

I have not experimented much with the other features, but the ones I have used worked well and are intuitive. This was my second phone I bought to replace an old broken one and it is hands down better than the Panasonic I bought and promptly returned.

Seems, however, that overall, cordless phone purchases may be hit or miss, or alternatively phones behave differently under different housing setups. I have never seen lower reliability on reviews of a consumer electronics device group. My advice, if you do buy a cordless phone, make sure you can return it!!!

I'll update this review as I get more familiar with the system.

This phone is a total piece of crap not to mention a complete and utter waste of money. My gripes with it are as follows: 1) answering machine is very difficult to operate/program 2) the actual phone itself is uncomfortable to talk into for more than 30 seconds, and 3) for this price range, you could get a much better phone (Panasonic or AT&T). I threw mine away rather than donating it to the poor house. No one needs the extra headache.

I'm returning this phone tomorrow. It is nowhere near on par with the VTech DSS corless I have. I thought at first I had a lemon, so I got another one. Same thing! The problems are numerous: The audio quality of the answering machine (incoming and outgoing messages) is awful. About as good as those digital units of 7 years ago. Garbled. The distance from the base is lousy, it's hard to tell whether you have messages until you get right up to it (very dim display), and the handset audio is lousy. VTech just didn't put the R&D or decent components into this one. It's going back to the store, and I don't recommend it. I've got 1 other VTech and 2 Panasonic cordlesses. This was the worst of the batch by far.

I have had this phone for a little over 4 years. For the first 4 years, it worked fine. Recently the handset does not work reliably; I can hear fine but the microphone & headphone connection do not always work - the other person might not hear you. I mostly just use it's basic features. You can dial the number before connecting to the line, which is nice because you do not have to hear the "beeps" in your ear. Overall, I was pleased with this phone and am considering getting another one to replace the defective version.

i have only had this phone for one day so I cant judge too much yet, but so far the clarity was great i went out to garage in house outside no cut outs or anything. My last cordless phone was a cheap one before megahertz technology, (selectable channels was its biggest newest feature) the battery on the old phone was also harder to put in this one battery just pops in and from what I heard about battery life thats a great feature. Also liked the short antentae on handset. The size is cute but awkward espeically when you are trying to cradle phone on your neck and shoulder. The belt clip is pretty much useless. This is the second one i got this week the first one was damaged battery never charged, I wondered if it had been returned previously because directory card was just a card with no way to attach it to phone. When i exchanged the phone it had a bcking to it. DON'T WORRY I DIDN'T BUY IT FROM AMAZON, but maybe I should have, cost the same price as its going for in the stores and cheaper than other online stores. If clarity and security is the most important thing to you get this phone

This is the best cordless phone I have ever owned, and for the price, you can't beat it! I have used noisy cordless phones that pickup interference from florecent lights and computers, but this phone is crystal clear when near both. Range, you want range, this phone has range. I live in a canyon and I got in my car and drove up to the top of a hill and was able to dial out. This was line of site approximately 1/3 of a mile, NO JOKE. I have dropped this phone on concrete and it still works fine. Best part is the battery life, it goes days before needing charging. The phone is very comfortable when you have it up to your ear. It also has a mute button which works like a hold button, push it once muted push it again off mute. The ONLY down side to this phone is the belt clip, it has cracked. I would also have liked a backlight for the touchpad, but I guess you can't have everything.

I've used 900MHz phones in the past and been disappointed, but this one exceeds my expectations. The clarity is great, and I was surprised that I was able to use it over a hundred yards from my house. I know the literature says it can go farther, but I was still surprised. No echo or feedback of my own voice either that I'd experienced with other phones in this catagory. What are you waiting for, get one!

Pro:
Light, compact, backlighted LCD (auto shut off after a few seconds), ringer off option (even though the manual doesn't say so), good ergonomic (ear piece area slightly contours out to fit ear/face), callerID+callWaitingID, volume+ringer control, memory store with name, cheap

Con:
sound quality is OK (not as good as my old Panasonic900mhz), no lighted keypad (Amazon description is wrong), buttons are hard plastic (I like them w/rubber), any button pressed will turn on phone (could be a plus for Rocket Dial). only 10 memory dials, annoying ring tone(s), short battery
life.

Well, all in all, an OK phone for the price. I don't have
the problem with poor contact with the base while charging.
I only had it for a few weeks. Reception is OK, even when the base is at 2nd floor, and I am
trying it down in the basement, the sound quality is the same.

bought this phone seeing the consumer reports best value.
it was pretty good for a year, now the sound quality is terrible and very staticy. so be prepared to replace it after a year, which isnt that terrible considering the price.

Note: October 2002 Consumers Reports rates the Uniden EXI376 HS (head set) as a CR Best Buy! It is their top model without an answerer.

This EXI376 is my second Uniden cordless telephone. The other is a TRU346, a fine 2.4 GHz instrument, selling for about $50. I bought this one, the EXI376, as an economical replacement for a cord-type bedroom phone that failed to operate after over ten years of use. I am happy with my choice.

Amazon's product listing here is very sketchy. It tells next to nothing about this device. It is a modest 900 MHz cordless phone with a ten-number AND NAME dialing memory, one-number redial and one-number RocketDial, for twelve stored-numbers total. It has a thirty-number caller ID, and can place a call from this list. Like many, most or all Unidens it displays the number to be called on a viewing screen for the caller to review for accuracy before placing the call. No more wrong numbers.

I have had some bad luck in the past with cordless telephones. One never did operate; one lasted only two months; a current one of another brand is in use in our guest room, but is inferior in all respects to the EXI376. The last cordless would work for only ten minutes before its battery went dead. The TRU346 revealed to me Uniden quality, and I would now buy no other brand.

Reception is clear and audible. It tends to be too loud, but the instrument has a volume control. It is slightly noisy to listen to, noisier than the TRU346, but is acceptable. People I have called say my voice sounds fine to them, as good as on any telephone. Our microwave oven does not create noise on either end of the call, but the computer does. The TRU346 was not usable with the microwave running, because the base unit is installed on top of the microwave (my bad). Battery life of the EXI376 appears satisfactory, at present. I used it for one long call, and experienced no dead-battery difficulties.

Range is modest, no better or worse than others we have had, except for a DSS 900MHz that failed for other reasons. That one would work at a distance of about a city block. This EXI376 works with the handset anywhere on our small residential lot, but fails to communicate when I carry it two houses down the street.

In summary, the EXI376 is an excellent choice for those who want an economical cordless 900MHz telephone. There are better phones available if you want to pay more money, but if you do not want to spend between fifty and two-hundred dollars, consider the EXI376. I give it a five-star rating for price and quality, but reduce the rating to only four-stars because of the slightly scratchy reception. That may be unfair to Uniden and Amazon, because I would buy another EXI376 without hesitation if I needed another.

As with the other reviewers I have similiar "out of range" issues. The only way to remedy it is to unplug the phone. Now certain buttons on the phone no longer work with a simple touch, to dial you have to pound on the button.
I am looking for a new cordless for Christmas and it will never be a Panasonic again!

This phone is quality, it is actually more economical than a sony brand and works better. I've just switched from a Sanyo 900Mhz DSS to this model and I couldn't be happier with the HUGE step up in performance, lengthy battery time and superior range. I've read reviews complaining about range problems, but honestly...500-1000 ft is superb for a home based cordless phone, if you want "roaming range" buy a cell phone. This phone works in basements, garages, bunkers, pillboxes etc. without static or any sort of annoyance. The only problem is finding replacement batteries. Ever looked for one? Try it before you buy this because it is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. However, it is a small price to pay to keep up with technology.

Well let me first start by saying that I am really 14 years old.I bought this phone and from that day,using the phone became more fun!I think this phone is the best thing to ever hit the market.I can walk sooooooooooo far and not get any out of range warnings or any static from the phone.The only thing I have against this phone, is that it cannot be wallmounted and it is rather difficult to understand what your doing without reading the manual first.I know some other cordless phones,where as, when you take it out of the box, you know exactly what to do and you don't even have to read the manual unless you were wondering about how you get some feature work.....but I guess that is how a high-tek phone is suppose to be!This is really worth the money!......If I were you ,I would order this phone NOW!!

As with the other reviewers I have similiar "out of range" issues. The only way to remedy it is to unplug the phone. Now certain buttons on the phone no longer work with a simple touch, to dial you have to pound on the button.
I am looking for a new cordless for Christmas and it will never be a Panasonic again!

This phone is quality, it is actually more economical than a sony brand and works better. I've just switched from a Sanyo 900Mhz DSS to this model and I couldn't be happier with the HUGE step up in performance, lengthy battery time and superior range. I've read reviews complaining about range problems, but honestly...500-1000 ft is superb for a home based cordless phone, if you want "roaming range" buy a cell phone. This phone works in basements, garages, bunkers, pillboxes etc. without static or any sort of annoyance. The only problem is finding replacement batteries. Ever looked for one? Try it before you buy this because it is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. However, it is a small price to pay to keep up with technology.

Well let me first start by saying that I am really 14 years old.I bought this phone and from that day,using the phone became more fun!I think this phone is the best thing to ever hit the market.I can walk sooooooooooo far and not get any out of range warnings or any static from the phone.The only thing I have against this phone, is that it cannot be wallmounted and it is rather difficult to understand what your doing without reading the manual first.I know some other cordless phones,where as, when you take it out of the box, you know exactly what to do and you don't even have to read the manual unless you were wondering about how you get some feature work.....but I guess that is how a high-tek phone is suppose to be!This is really worth the money!......If I were you ,I would order this phone NOW!!