Telephone Reviews

I bought this phone a few years ago and it has been a great phone. I have very few complaints with this phone. The thing I don't like it the fact that it likes to make a lot of noices when you delete names from the caller i.d. I guess I have had this phone for about two years but it's time to get another one... we have dropped it on the garage floor too many times...

I have owned this phone for more than a year now and it's the family favorite! It gets used constantly and, unfortunately, it gets dropped a lot, too! I like it because it's durable, the sound is clear, its range is incredible and the "message waiting" light--which a lot of phones in this price range do not have--is so convenient. Most of the time, I use it with a headset. One very notable feature this phone has is four very easy-to-adjust volume settings. One member of our family wears hearing aids and this is the only phone we have found (that isn't especially designed for hard-of-hearing users) that he can truly hear the caller's voice. That top volume setting and the phone being truly hearing aid compatible has made this phone a real keeper. In fact, I'm just about to purchase a couple more!

My family got this phone about a year ago, and it hasn't given us any technical problems. The range is good. It's upstairs and I've used it outside by the garage. It's clear most of the time, and the caller ID is a great plus. Overall, a good phone.

Ergonomics and appearance are much improved over some other Sony 900 mhz phones. The lighted LCD in the handset and base unit are great. Overall functionality is excellent.

Speakerphone is good and the layout of the base unit is intuitive, attractive, and simple.

Sound quality was a big disappointment. There was crackling on the handset and the volume seemed to oscillate on its own. I exchanged the phone and the sound of the replacement was no better. I moved both phones to different locations and it did not seem to matter. I then exchanged the phone for the Sony SPP-SS966, which is Digital Spread Spectrum and has much better sound quality but is not as attractive or as ergonomically correct. It boils down to a choice of form or function - I chose function.

After reading some of the reviews here, I was hesitant. My old Sony ID910 was having its own problems, with the LCD losing entire rows of pixels. But I loved it otherwise, and still wanted a 900 MHz phone which wouldn't interfere with my 2.4 GHz 802.11b computer network. The ID910 always had great range, the digital 900 MHz quality was great, I wanted a speakerphone, and I needed Caller ID. The ID975 was one of few choices.

Thank goodness! I haven't had any problems with battery life, scrambled directory entries, or reliability. The range is at least as good as the ID910, and it still charges an extra battery (the same T23) in the base. Best of all, it improves many annoyances of the ID910: The handset is much lighter. The 3-line LCD display shows both the Caller ID title and number, so you can try to figure out who it is even if Caller ID doesn't know. The jog wheel makes a user manual completely redundant - I've never even looked at the paperwork, but had no problems entering speed dial numbers or changing the ringer. There are two bright red LEDs on the base unit which indicate if someone has called, and if you have any messages (I'm guessing it listens for a stuttering dial tone when you're not on the line).

All is not perfect, however. Where the ID910 handset had no real external antenna, the 3-inch extra at the top of the ID975's handset is a step backward. The extra battery charging in the base unit cannot power the base unit during an outage, as the ID910's could. And while the New Call and Message LEDs on the base are very nice, there is no indication on the handset of either. Sony still won't let us control the volume of the ringer. It's either style 1-4 or off (0). But these are minor issues.

Overall, I'm very happy with this phone. I hope I don't need a new one until cordless phones and WiFi are no longer competing for the same frequency space. With 2.4 GHz phones becoming popular, good digital 900 MHz phones (most are analog) are becoming hard to find!

I absolutely LOVE this phone. I have had this phone for over 3 years. I have dropped the handset numerous times. The battery flies out... I put it back in, and it still ticks. I have taken the phone outside and weeded the garden, left it in the rain... it still lives on. I have abused this phone to no end. The latest tragedy, I was again outside, left the phone on the side of the driveway, hubby came home and RAN OVER THE PHONE with the mini van. He pushed the phone back together, (it had cracked some) and the puppy still works great!! It's true! lol There is a crack in the body of the phone, but I have no problems with reception or anything. If you are looking for a phone that you can abuse and get great reception. This is the one you are looking for.

I LOVE MY SONY PHONE and would recomend this one to everyone. Great great great phone!

bought two. returned both. first unit broke after two days of light use, and was completely non-functional. Second unit confirmed performance issues I had with the first before it broke, so it was returned as well.

The speakerphone's full duplex action is not nearly as good as the marketing suggests. The microphone is rather weak, so my listeners tell me. The unit runs very hot all the time, which is a little worrisome. And even the handset doesn't give good voice transmission. i recorded a message with the handset and then listened to it, and it was mediocre quality. Sounded like I was on a headset, not the handset.

Wish this thing was as good as it looked. Still looking for a true top of the line quality 2-line speakerphone without voice mail.

As a speakerphone, I like the phone. No problems.

Three minor issues -- (1) There is a dataport connector on the back of the phone. This would be good if you wanted to daisy chain your fax machine or modem off the phone, you would expect most people to do this with "line 2", but the data port is "line 1". (2) There is a volume control, but even if you change the speakerphone volume to really low, the touch tones ARE STILL LOUD AS NORMAL (waking up the family). (3) The handset seems too cheap to me and as a very hollow sound.

Otherwise, like the phone. Speakphone is good quality, I purchased the unit becuase I am sitting on conferences calls listening to people pontificate.

I've been shopping for a good home-office phone for a couple of months and was about to give up. I've purchased at least 3 phones including the ATT 4-line; AT&T 2-Line; and one other brand - none of them gave me the features and quality I was looking for. So when I found the Polycom, I was very anxious to receive it until I started reading the reviews.

I'm not sure if I have a newer version of the SE-225, but it's terrific. I say that after opening the box with an extremely pessimistic pre-disposition, ready to pack it up and return another phone based on the negative comments. In two days of very active use, I have NOT been disappointed.

Some specifics:

Speed-dial: Too easy to use, 2-touch dialing for your top 10, with room for 99 (total) searchable by letter (like your cellphone)

Handfree: The volume is excellent, and the callers I've polled said it sounds great (I haven't been on the otherside of a call yet)

Footprint: It's not overly large, and the Console Cable that's included means only 1 cord snaked across the desk!

Quality: In no way do I feel like this phone is not worth the price. It's exactly what I expected from Polycom.

Cool features:

Primary Line: Allows you to designate which of the 2 lines is the main one you use, so it selects that line when you pick up the receiver, headset, etc.

Distintive Rings: Pick a ring and a volume for each line.

And just so it doesn't seem like I work for Polycom, the one thing I don't like is that you can't program Pauses into the speed-dial. It doesn't have a call-waiting light, but that's a small sacrifice considering what you get.

All in all, being the picky techno-geek I am, I am not seeing any of the negative points mentioned in some reviews. But given the dates that they were submitted, this may be an improved version of this phone. No matter, I highly recommend it!

pas

The buttons on our unit stopped working too after a couple years.

I have owned and used a Uniden TRU246 2.4 GHz DSS Cordless Phone for about seven months now, and I truly love it! The sound is so clear and static-free, you forget you're talking on a cordless phone. It also has an incredibly long range. I carry the phone all around outside my house, and the sound quality is just as good as if you were talking on a corded phone. It even has a clear sound from all the way across the street. I love the built-in Caller ID, which is also compatible with Call Waiting Caller ID. The display also shows other things, such as a list of the numbers and/or names you have programmed into memory, and options such as whether to turn Call Waiting Caller ID or Auto Answer on or off. These features on the display make using the phone virtually mistake-proof. Another plus to the phone is that it stands up. This is a very convenient phone for carrying outside or all over the house with you, because it has an unbelievably far range, and because it has Caller ID display in the handset, so you know who is calling and can answer the phone no matter where you are. If anyone were shopping for a cordless phone, this Uniden TRU246 would be my first recommendation.

It's been two years since my first review of my cell phone...it's still going strong on the original battery! I use a Jensen headset and an over-the-ear kind for hands-free talking. When watching tv with a friend from another state by phone (don't ask), I do notice the phone beeps "low battery" after four hours. This is a little disconcerting, especially if you're watching figure skating or an award show! However, it's not bad service for a phone I've had as long as this one. I suppose the solution there is buy another cordless for your spare jack and pick it up when the beeping starts.

I'm sold on cordless phones, still don't understand why people want to treat them as if they were wireless. Corded phones aren't and never will be. I believe good phones DO cost over $.. unless you buy them used. I also don't believe there is any one phone that will satisfy everybody's needs. My phone has never not work, keypad perfect, reception perfect.

I will say that I don't like the style of the newer model Unidens, so I can't say what my second phone will be. If they still made the 246 or 248, I'd definitely buy it.

Call goes thru and then the static assault begins. I almost threw this phone at the wall. Junk.

I bought this phone last week, and at first I didn't think I would like it, although it was very clear. I took it back and purchased a Panasonic model with caller id/call waiting. I had previously bought a Panasonic 900 mhz phone that was really clear. This Panasonic had a lot of static, which was very irritating. So, after two days, I returned the Panasonic and re-purchased the Uniden. I've been very pleased with it. It is very clear and easy to use.

I have owned and used a lot of telephones over my 68 years and rate this equipment among the best. Recently I dropped it on a concrete floor, expecting it to shatter into pieces or at least become damaged. Result: not a scratch and the unit works just fine. Surviving the crash may have been just luck, but I would rather attribute it to the quality of the product. Uniden has manufactured enough phones to know how to get it right. All in all the phone gets 5 stars for truth in advertising about all of the features and delivering what was promised. Why spend more for enhancements that already are part of this package? After using it for a while, I can recommend it as a "best buy" in comparison to other phones with similar features.

Guys, I've owned this phone now for one year and let me tell you that this phone has constant problems. Sometimes when I press the number one line, both the number one line and the number three line will light up!! That's right, two lines come on at the same time!! I regret the day I bought this thing.

This phone has a lot of great features like a 2.5 mm headset input and 4 lines.

There are three negatives:

(1) The phone is black. Nothing else on my desk is totally black so it stands out. Why not a dove gray or something similar?

(2) The dialing buttons are very small. The phone has plenty of room for bigger buttons but for some reason AT&T went with little buttons. Why? Clearly, morons were hard at work to screw something up this simple.

(3) The caller-ID display should be tilted up so you can see it better. As it is now, you have to lean up to look down at the phone so you can see the caller-ID.

Otherwise, a good phone for the price.

EDIT as of 7/28/03: I have owned this phone now for a number of months and I can tell you that the poor quality is starting show through. For example, sometimes when I press one of the line buttons, 2 or more of the other lines will come on as well!! I have to unplug the electrical power cord to reset the system so it will let me dial out on just one line but sometimes that trick doesn't work either. I'm starting to regret having bought this phone.

I'll cut straight to the chase:

** Only 4 (!) speed dial buttons
** Directory is a pain to use. Phone must be hung up, but when you pick a contact and hit Dial, the contact's name disappears and all you see is the numbers... meaning, you wonder if you are dialing the correct number; numbers in Directory are all together, as in 18003252525 (vs a more visually readable 1 (800) 325-3535.
** Interface isn't logical, overall. Still can't figure out the sequence of buttons to push.
** Auto Redial is for only the last call... which you don't know, but pushing it *immediately* redials this mystery number anyway. Rendering the function pretty useless.

I could go on and on. If you are used to a multiline phone, this one probably isn't for you. Compared to the Nortel Venture system, this doesn't cut it.

The first one I bought stopped working completely in a day or 2. Got an exchange. After about 6 months it started failing. The voice gets fuzzy after about 5 or 10 minutes of use. It's useless now. A waste of money.

This phone has a nice form factor; contoured to fit your face and hand. Rubber bumpers on the rounded corners make it fairly durable. Headphone jack is handy too. BUT... for all the hype (GigaRange Extreme!) it can't keep up with the two 900 MHz DSS phones I tested it against. With their base stations placed in exactly the same spot, both the Sony SPP-SS965 900 MHz Digital Spread Spectrum and a 3 year old Escort CT 9701 Digital Spread Spectrum both outperformed the Panasonic in terms of useable distance by approx 180 - 200% in diameter. I even tested two samples of the Panasonic to make sure I didn't have a defective unit.

The Panasonic is great for running around the house or a small yard, but don't expect to roam around the neighborhood and stay connected. If that's your goal, buy the Sony.

I bought this phone over 1.5 years ago, and I love it. My base is near a window, which is very close to my computer I am typing at right now. This phone can go over 100 feet indoors, and about 3/4 of a football field away outdoors (with houses in the way!). This phone is pure gold to me. I got it free from my neighbor (who also bought one, and has it in his house). They have never interfered with each other, ever.

All good things come with bad things. They aren't very hard to solve.
- The power runs out after about 5 to 6 hours of use, or about an hour using a headset (I hear thats very fast).
-also-
- Sometimes you cannot connect to the base unit when making a call. To solve this issue, place the phone on your base unit so charge comes up, and hold PHONE for about 5 seconds. Not hard at all!

All in all, this phone is lovely. Hopefully it will last longer (and I haven't changed the battery yet!).

I was very disappointed in this phone because it only lasted 4 months before it started making loud noises during conversations. I was surprised that Southwestern Bell would tolerate such defects in their workmanship.

I bought this Southwestern Bell caller ID phone solely because I wanted something inexpensive and small for my desk. What a mistake! Every time I get a call, I have to lift the entire unit close to my face to see the caller ID. Sometimes when I pick up the handset to make a call, I don't get a dial tone until I click on the cut-off button.

It looks nice, but feels cheap. Even for the slight cost, this phone is not worth the money. Although it stores a sizeable list of incoming calls, erasing the list takes a fair amount of time if you've built up more than a few calls.

Buy yourself a more expensive phone. This one isn't worth the effort of ordering.

I have had the freedom phone trimline fm2552 for over a year now and i still have to turn it a certain angle towards the lighting in my home to see my incoming calls on the caller-id. By the time i figure out who has called, they have hung-up! Other than that feature, it works alright.

I bought one of these last year. I loved the small size; I like to carry my phone in my shirt pocket always. One the first one you had to tap the base every morning (sometimes more often) or you couldn't hear the other party (they could hear you though). A loose connection. The battery failed within a year. When the headset socket wore out (really) I wanted to buy another type phone. None were as small so I bought another one of these. I had awful clicking on it all the time. It had to go right back. Quality control at Vtech is nonexistent. I bought a Panasonic 2.4 Ghz DSS and it works great, just too big, although the same weight as the Vtech. A tip for shirt users; wrap a rubber band around the clip so it grabs onto your shirt and doesn't fall off when you bend over.

I was very excited at buying the feature-rich phone because it had everything I could want. I like the adaptability, the caller ID function, the keypad on the base unit, the speaker phone in both the base unit and on the phone. It shows me when I have voicemail, has a great belt clip, a long battery life, etc.

One big "but" here, though, is that it doesn't have the clarity I want if I am any distance from the base unit. This is quite disappointing since I "upgraded" from a Panasonic 900 mhz phone which I could take across the street into the neighbors house and have clear reception.

If I am outside, and my body comes between the phone and the base unit, I get interference. If there are too many walls between me and the base unit, I get interference. So it makes me house-bound while I am on the phone. It is important to me to be able to garden and do other work outside while on the phone.

Other than that, it is great. But I will probably give it to my husband (who wouldn't dream of working outside).

I bought two of the VTECH 24XX series phones and love them. I bought the 2421 and a 2420. The two phones get excellent reception and offer several unique features like intercom dialing, line use status and handsfree. The intercom dialing is very handy especially if you have a large family or home. The intercom dialing does not prevent outside callers from getting through while you are on an intercom call. The line use status allows you to see if someone is on the line without barging in on someone elses call. The handsfree feature is great because it is on each handset. You just push the handfree button, put the phone down and start talking while you cook, clean, work or whatever. I recommend the phone highly.

In less than a month, most of the buttons letters or numbers faded away. The message recording sounds like the messages are in Suahili and the volume adjustment is almost not existant.
Nothing good about this unit.

This phone had all the features I was looking for, but I returned it because of an echo you hear when you talk in the receiver. I wouldn't recommend it for this reason.

The Uniden is a full featured 900 MHz phone, offering caller ID, an answering machine, and an LCD driven speed dialer.

Unlike the Panasonic, you can record names and phone numbers to speed dial. No need to remember that memory + 5 is your favorite pizza establishment. Instead, you punch it in, scroll down the LCD list on the handset, and dial at the touch of a button. Sony offers the same feature with its jog wheel.

Range and sound quality are quite adequate, though sound is slightly bettered by the Panasonic. One of the areas that the Uniden falls a bit short is in regard to its appearance. It's somewhat clunky looking and the antenna extruding from the base is connected with an ugly bare metal connecting rod. Also, while caller ID works well enough (Sony's sometimes work.....sometimes doesn't), you are not notified of a new call with a flashing light, unlike the Sony and Panasonic.

The Uniden is slightly cheaper than competing models produced by Sony and Panasonic. Yet, it performs well and should be considered by anyone considering a combo caller ID and answering machine system.