Telephone Reviews

The phone has a nice design. The digital answering machine also has a few good feature. My overall disappointment came from the sqeaking/humming sound that I experienced less than 2 feet form the base. I tried changing the channel numerous times but that didn't work. However I walled about 50 feet down the hall outside my apartment and remarkably the sound was clear. The times when the phone wasn`t full of static the sound quality was very good for a analog 900 mhz cordless phone

I bought this after my Sony phone of 10 years finally bit the dust. I searched Consumer Reports and this one was rated well. The sound reception is ok - a little static. The Telezapper feature is wonderful - we eliminated 99% of our junk calls in about 2 weeks. The talk/stand by time is not very long and the warning for battery is quick. The base unit does not display number of calls and you cannot skip through calls, but has great sound. The handset is comfortable and easy to use. Over all a good buy if you are not a "gadgets" person who needs bells a whistles. Good basic cordless phone w/ answerer.

We bought this phone because my daughter thought it was cool looking and it was the right color. Beyond that, this phone was inexpensive and is a decent performer.

You are not paying for fancy features, or digital clarity and security. And you don't get those for free. If you desire a great phone then you need to spend more. Sound quality is acceptable, though there is a constant hiss in the background, regardless of how far from the base you are. The hiss is not a problem at the lowest volume setting, but it gets worth as the volume goes up.

For us the bottom line is that color and coolness are more important, so this one is a keeper.

I bought one of these and had to have the company send me a new one. All that I had was constant static and the caller id call waiting didn't work. I decided to return the first one and send the second one back to the company. Save your money and time and aggravation. Don't buy this.

Let me start off by saying that I'm a research hound. I spent hours researching phones that were a decent price [] but still had the 2.4 GHz - and even though this Vtech phone had one bad review, I was still willing to try it out because I loved the extra features and how it would light up when you had a call come in.

Unfortunately, the first night we tried it, the phone poppped and crackled and had interferance. It was awful trying to listen to it, and as far as we could tell, there was nothing interferring with the phone connection to the base.

This phone might definately work for you in your home, but I was very disappointed that we had to take such a fun phone back because of the poor quality in sound.

After reading the reviews I was a bit skeptical about purchasing the phone,even though I have had good luck with Vtech before. While I was debating the issue I received one for Christmas. I love this phone. One thing is you *must* follow the instructions exactly on battery installation, if you don't the wire doesn't lay at the bottom left and will not work. Once I re-consulted the instructions and followed them it worked perfectly. Those who's phone never worked might want to check this.<br /> <br /> I did have to return the phone initially because of a static problem, (to the local target store) but they let me keep the charged battery and when I got home the new phone worked perfectly.<br /> <br /> I think it's like any mass produced item, occasionally you may get a dud, but this phone really works great! I love being able to distinguish the cordless ring from the others so I can find it easily, and I'm not running around looking for it because my kids have laid it down somewhere. Also the flashing lights are great for that as well.<br /> <br /> I would definitely buy this brand and model again if I need another cordless phone. The only thing I wish was that I could get a green or dk blue face plate and that other ringtones were available for download or purchase. The composer software they offer to download onto your pc really doesn't convert *any* midi as claimed, at least not correctly.<br /> <br /> but other than that a terrific phone!!

For the price and reliability the Gigaset 2420 phone is a rip off. I purchased one new at considerable expense a few years ago. The LCD screen failed during the warranty period. The LCD on the replacement phone failed. I purchased several of these units used. Every LCD has eventually failed. The portable handsets still work, but are useless without the base. I invested a fair amount of money into handsets, and they are now worthless. Totally unreliable base unit. Don't buy Siemens, as you can't get parts from them and they do not support the phone.

Based on the many positive (and some mixed) reviews of this product I decided to jump in any try the Siemens Gigaset system in my home. We have two phone lines and five bedrooms on three floors. And we desperately needed the intercom and phone solution promised by Siemens.

I setup a Gigaset 2420 and two additional handsets through out the house. Setup was relatively easy and ease of use was very good. Initially the base station was located in an office in the 3rd floor loft area. But some of the handsets would report the three beep "out of range" warning all too frequently. Especially if you walk around while talking on the phone.

The other problem was that sometimes the extension phone reception would be garbled like a bad digital cellphone signal. This wouldn't be obvious to the person using the extension handset, but the person on the other end of the line would sometimes find the conversation uninteligable.

We have used other cordless phones both 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz and have never experienced range or signal quality problems to this extent.

In an attempt to fix these problems I relocated the base station to the main middle floor. But still the problems with out-of-range warnings and occasional garbled speech persisted (even with the extension handset less than 50 feet from the base station.

So the Gigaset is getting packed up and sent to the auction.

I would recommend this system for a small office where the range is not too great. The ergonomics, styling and features are great. It does exactly what it is supposed to do. But in a large home or larger area business installation the poor signal quality and range make it unsatisfactory. It seems strange that a phone system that can handle 8 extension handsets wouldn't have a better range. Unless those extensions are all adjoining cubicles it doesn't work from my experience.

Overall, this seems to be an excellent system.

First, let me correct a few inaccuracies in the other reviews.

Mr. Mehlman states that you can't repeat or skip messages in the answering system remotely. The manual clearly states that you can. He also claims that you can't play back messages from the cordless handsets, but the manual also says that is possible.

Mr. Szymonik and Mr. Doumet both claim that you can't transfer phone directories between the base and handsets, but I have done just that.

What don't I like? First, there are no voicemail boxes in the answering system. Each line can answer separately, but you can't have boxes for different people on the same phone line.

Second, while you can control the ringing frequency and volume for calls placed to different lines and the intercom, you can't change the ringing pattern. I would like one long ring for Line #1, two short rings for Line #2, and three shorter rings for the Intercom, for example.

Third, the desk unit handset is so sleek and rounded that it's difficult to hold between your ear and shoulder.

Fourth, the phone's user interface isn't intuitive at times or even consistent. For example, to add a new entry to the directory or send the directory, you hit the Dir button, then have to select a name, then scroll through the action list to find the appropriate action. Selecting a name should not be required for global actions.

As another example, to page another intercom station from the handset, the menu shows the extension number and part of the name, but to send a directory to another station, you must enter the number without seeing the names.

However, except for the lack of voicemail boxes, these are fairly minor issues, and should not detract from the review.

These phones do not last for more than 2 years. At the end of 2 years, Siemens would like you to buy another one. Do you feel like making money for Siemens just to get a cool phone? I hope not.

I have had nothing but reception problems with this system. I have to keep to handsets near me, just in case a bad channel clicks in when I start a conversation. My family members are begging me to by something different, but after spending $300 on a base and a couple of handsets, I am nervous about what to get next.

Caller ID works about 50% of the time, and if you have another caller ID phone (I have an AT&T corded) it pretty much cuts that down to no CIDs coming through.

Save your money, and hassle, and look elsewhere.

I think this is a phone that you either love or hate. It's like a high performance sports car that has a few quirks, and it's not going to please everyone.

The reasons I like this phone are:

1. Ultra-cool styling. I bought the white version. It has the look and feel of a modern cellular phone, and I love the fact that there's no antenna to break off. The handset is very lightweight, and I can talk comfortably on it for a very long time without resorting to a headset.

2. High security. Unlike the Panasonic 2.4GHz phones, the Siemens' system is based on a European 1.9 GHz technology called Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DCET), which stresses clarity and security over distance. It utilizes true Digital Spread Spectrum (DSS) which hops frequencies over 100 times a second. What this means to you is, no one is going to be able to pick up your conversation with a radio scanner, and interference from other phones won't be a problem.

3. Ability to add handsets without additional cabling. This is great if you want to add a phone in a room that has no phone jack. Just place a handset there, and you're done. No wiring to mess with.

4. Gobs of features built in. It has nearly all the features of a cell phone, and then some. These include a phone book, caller ID, handset settings, room monitor, and intercom, just to mention a few. If you're the type that loves to tinker with things (like me), then you'll love the programmability of this phone.

5. A usable headset jack. Unlike some phones I've used in the past, the volume level to the headset is nice and loud so that you can hear your calls clearly. I should mention that while on the headset, all of my calls have sounded just like on a quality corded phone.

Now, here are some quirks that I've noticed in the past couple of months using this phone:

1. I have noticed a slight hiss in the background while using the handset. However, I must point out that the volume of my callers is sufficiently loud to comparatively drown out this noise. I only notice it during moments of silence, and it completely disappears when I use the headset. Still, I feel it's the best sounding cordless phone I have ever used.

2. Poor battery life with the included NiCads. This problem is easily solved. I replaced the NiCads with two inexpensive NiMH AA batteries, and now the phone lasts for days on standby and hours talking. I recommend that other marathon talkers do the same, and you might even want to power off the phone when you're not at home to conserve the battery life.

3. Usable range, but not the absolute best I have seen. For all practical purposes, this phone suits me fine. I can take it to my mailbox or the neighbor's house, but I wouldn't go much further with it. The Siemens technology sacrifices distance for clarity and security, and I can live with the tradeoff.

4. Relatively pricey. If you don't need all the fancy features of this phone, there are other good cordless phones available at substantially lower cost. Siemens designed this phone for the high-end market, and it's priced appropriately.

5. The plastic cover over the digital display is strategically located to smudge the oil from your face. A minor annoyance, but I find myself wiping grease from the display after each call.

6. All numbers dialed during a call remains in the call log. I hate this "feature" when I have to make calls where I need to punch in my credit card number, social security number, PIN number, etc. I don't want that info to remain on the phone, especially if other people have access to it. I recommend making those calls on a different phone if security is an issue for you, or set a password on the phone.

In short, if you're willing to live with its quirks then you just might fall in love with this phone. However, if you're looking for a no-frills phone without the bells & whistles, you might want to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the majority of reviewers that the battery on this phone is junk. Mine lasted about 10-12 months before dying - completely - it will no longer charge at all. I replaced the battery... twice and it still wouldn't power up. I even took it apart and tried to see if there was a problem with the battery charger but it appeared normal.

However, that very big negative aspect aside, I absolutely loved this phone while it worked. Hands down the best phone I ever used. Crystal clear, loud, easy to use great features, etc. And prior to the end of the phone's life, the battery lasted a long time between charges.

All in all, I'm very disappointed with the charging problems because this was such a great phone while it lasted. If you can believe it, I was seriously considering buying another one -knowing it wouldn't last more than a year. I hoped the phone I had was just a lemon, but judging by all the other "bad battery" reviews, it sounds as if my phone was right in line with the rest of this make/model.

First of all, I must mention that I got a Used model - I bought the KX-TG2583B (black model) over a year ago.
Here's what I think of my unit -
Pros:
1) The quality of the sound (handset) during a conversation is great - sounds just like a corded phone.
2) I tested the reach of the handset from the base - it's excellent! I could literally go 100 feet away from the house and the signal was crystal clear!
3) I like the fact that you can listen to your messages using the handset.
4) It is definitely very sturdy, I've dropped the handset a few times with no problems!
Cons:
a) The 'duplex' speaker-phone on the base is not very good. When I use it, people on the other end cannot hear me clearly. I think it is not true 'duplex' since both parties can't really talk at the same time.
b) The answering machine could do with a lot of improvements. You can remotely access your messages from another phone, but you have very limited options on playback, deleting messages, or leaving a new message. Even when you listen to the messages from the base, you don't have some nice features like 'instant review' - if you missed something in the message, you have to start all over from the beginning of the message. You also can't 'fast forward' while playing a message - you have to listen to the whole thing in the normal speed.

Overall I'm still happy with my unit which is at least 1 year old. Everything works just the same as it did a year ago and I feel the pros certainly outweigh the cons!

I have dropped this phone on concrete, and used it in the shower. It still sounds as good as new.

The most outstanding features about this phone are:

1. Incredible range. I can drive around my block (in San Francisco) and not lose the signal until the end of the block. I'm not sure if this is typical. The salesman at Tweeter said, "this phone will overpower all the other phones in your apartment complex. And isn't that what it's all about?"

2. Sound quality. Indistinguishable from a land line. Have not experienced interference. Volume levels are generous- Loud and clear at the lowest handset level, up to painfully loud at the highest speakerphone volume.

3. Features. Very good sounding full duplex speaker phone in the base. A fully functioning phone in the base- great when you want to call customer service and hold for 45 minutes while doing your work. The usual caller ID, user directory, and digital answerer functions.

4. Ease of use. Voice menus, screen menus are clear and functional. Display scrolls quickly, updates quickly. No need to read the manual here. Very sensibly laid out and efficient. Ignore what the other reviewer said about being complex. This is as simple as it gets. A complicated phone would be the Siemens 4215, which you should not buy.

5. Quality. You can abuse this phone without worry.

Downsides:

1. This phone gets a little warm with continued use. Use a handsfree headphone or headset if you talk for a long time.

2. It looks a little like a pokemon character with the twin antennas in the base.

There are really no other serious criticisms.

You'll be very happy owning and using this phone, and it should last a good while.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the majority of reviewers that the battery on this phone is junk. Mine lasted about 10-12 months before dying - completely - it will no longer charge at all. I replaced the battery... twice and it still wouldn't power up. I even took it apart and tried to see if there was a problem with the battery charger but it appeared normal.

However, that very big negative aspect aside, I absolutely loved this phone while it worked. Hands down the best phone I ever used. Crystal clear, loud, easy to use great features, etc. And prior to the end of the phone's life, the battery lasted a long time between charges.

All in all, I'm very disappointed with the charging problems because this was such a great phone while it lasted. If you can believe it, I was seriously considering buying another one -knowing it wouldn't last more than a year. I hoped the phone I had was just a lemon, but judging by all the other "bad battery" reviews, it sounds as if my phone was right in line with the rest of this make/model.

First of all, I must mention that I got a Used model - I bought the KX-TG2583B (black model) over a year ago.
Here's what I think of my unit -
Pros:
1) The quality of the sound (handset) during a conversation is great - sounds just like a corded phone.
2) I tested the reach of the handset from the base - it's excellent! I could literally go 100 feet away from the house and the signal was crystal clear!
3) I like the fact that you can listen to your messages using the handset.
4) It is definitely very sturdy, I've dropped the handset a few times with no problems!
Cons:
a) The 'duplex' speaker-phone on the base is not very good. When I use it, people on the other end cannot hear me clearly. I think it is not true 'duplex' since both parties can't really talk at the same time.
b) The answering machine could do with a lot of improvements. You can remotely access your messages from another phone, but you have very limited options on playback, deleting messages, or leaving a new message. Even when you listen to the messages from the base, you don't have some nice features like 'instant review' - if you missed something in the message, you have to start all over from the beginning of the message. You also can't 'fast forward' while playing a message - you have to listen to the whole thing in the normal speed.

Overall I'm still happy with my unit which is at least 1 year old. Everything works just the same as it did a year ago and I feel the pros certainly outweigh the cons!

I have dropped this phone on concrete, and used it in the shower. It still sounds as good as new.

The most outstanding features about this phone are:

1. Incredible range. I can drive around my block (in San Francisco) and not lose the signal until the end of the block. I'm not sure if this is typical. The salesman at Tweeter said, "this phone will overpower all the other phones in your apartment complex. And isn't that what it's all about?"

2. Sound quality. Indistinguishable from a land line. Have not experienced interference. Volume levels are generous- Loud and clear at the lowest handset level, up to painfully loud at the highest speakerphone volume.

3. Features. Very good sounding full duplex speaker phone in the base. A fully functioning phone in the base- great when you want to call customer service and hold for 45 minutes while doing your work. The usual caller ID, user directory, and digital answerer functions.

4. Ease of use. Voice menus, screen menus are clear and functional. Display scrolls quickly, updates quickly. No need to read the manual here. Very sensibly laid out and efficient. Ignore what the other reviewer said about being complex. This is as simple as it gets. A complicated phone would be the Siemens 4215, which you should not buy.

5. Quality. You can abuse this phone without worry.

Downsides:

1. This phone gets a little warm with continued use. Use a handsfree headphone or headset if you talk for a long time.

2. It looks a little like a pokemon character with the twin antennas in the base.

There are really no other serious criticisms.

You'll be very happy owning and using this phone, and it should last a good while.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the majority of reviewers that the battery on this phone is junk. Mine lasted about 10-12 months before dying - completely - it will no longer charge at all. I replaced the battery... twice and it still wouldn't power up. I even took it apart and tried to see if there was a problem with the battery charger but it appeared normal.

However, that very big negative aspect aside, I absolutely loved this phone while it worked. Hands down the best phone I ever used. Crystal clear, loud, easy to use great features, etc. And prior to the end of the phone's life, the battery lasted a long time between charges.

All in all, I'm very disappointed with the charging problems because this was such a great phone while it lasted. If you can believe it, I was seriously considering buying another one -knowing it wouldn't last more than a year. I hoped the phone I had was just a lemon, but judging by all the other "bad battery" reviews, it sounds as if my phone was right in line with the rest of this make/model.

First of all, I must mention that I got a Used model - I bought the KX-TG2583B (black model) over a year ago.
Here's what I think of my unit -
Pros:
1) The quality of the sound (handset) during a conversation is great - sounds just like a corded phone.
2) I tested the reach of the handset from the base - it's excellent! I could literally go 100 feet away from the house and the signal was crystal clear!
3) I like the fact that you can listen to your messages using the handset.
4) It is definitely very sturdy, I've dropped the handset a few times with no problems!
Cons:
a) The 'duplex' speaker-phone on the base is not very good. When I use it, people on the other end cannot hear me clearly. I think it is not true 'duplex' since both parties can't really talk at the same time.
b) The answering machine could do with a lot of improvements. You can remotely access your messages from another phone, but you have very limited options on playback, deleting messages, or leaving a new message. Even when you listen to the messages from the base, you don't have some nice features like 'instant review' - if you missed something in the message, you have to start all over from the beginning of the message. You also can't 'fast forward' while playing a message - you have to listen to the whole thing in the normal speed.

Overall I'm still happy with my unit which is at least 1 year old. Everything works just the same as it did a year ago and I feel the pros certainly outweigh the cons!

I have dropped this phone on concrete, and used it in the shower. It still sounds as good as new.

The most outstanding features about this phone are:

1. Incredible range. I can drive around my block (in San Francisco) and not lose the signal until the end of the block. I'm not sure if this is typical. The salesman at Tweeter said, "this phone will overpower all the other phones in your apartment complex. And isn't that what it's all about?"

2. Sound quality. Indistinguishable from a land line. Have not experienced interference. Volume levels are generous- Loud and clear at the lowest handset level, up to painfully loud at the highest speakerphone volume.

3. Features. Very good sounding full duplex speaker phone in the base. A fully functioning phone in the base- great when you want to call customer service and hold for 45 minutes while doing your work. The usual caller ID, user directory, and digital answerer functions.

4. Ease of use. Voice menus, screen menus are clear and functional. Display scrolls quickly, updates quickly. No need to read the manual here. Very sensibly laid out and efficient. Ignore what the other reviewer said about being complex. This is as simple as it gets. A complicated phone would be the Siemens 4215, which you should not buy.

5. Quality. You can abuse this phone without worry.

Downsides:

1. This phone gets a little warm with continued use. Use a handsfree headphone or headset if you talk for a long time.

2. It looks a little like a pokemon character with the twin antennas in the base.

There are really no other serious criticisms.

You'll be very happy owning and using this phone, and it should last a good while.

I have the main system and two extensions, and I haven'tnoticed any problems in sound quality. I have accidentally hung up onpeople, though. This has happened in two situations, when I pushed the TALK button on a ringing phone in the cradle, and when I try to hold the phone with my shoulder. This type of thing was less of a problem as I got more familiar with the handset. They left out a part of the instructions to register additional handsets, but I quickly got someone on the phone who walked me through it. That being said, I really like the phone system. The phone is light and fits very comfortably next to my ear. I really wanted the caller ID and call waiting ID features, and as I live in a three story townhouse, I like being able to easily identify and retrieve messages from any of the three units. I also like the fact that I can copy my directory (120 total entries max) to all three phones. This is an extremely convenient feature. The fact that the extensions only have to be plugged into an electrical outlet is very nice, as well. It is also an intercom system, and has a room monitor feature that I use with my small son. It has a keypad lock that I use so I can clean the phone without inadvertantly dialing out, a call timer, and calls can be put on hold. This is a well thought out phone, and although it's a little pricey, it's jam packed with features. END

Honestly, after reading the reviews of this phone on here, I was totally afraid to purchase this phone because some people spoke badly of it. Yet other people said this was the best phone they've ever bought. So, just to be safe, I bought it from a local store (Office Depot) so that I could easily return it if not satisfied. I'm happy to say that I won't be standing in Office Depot's return line! This phone is INCREDIBLE! .... In a nutshell, all Siemens phones are the same, they all use the same handsets, the buttons are all the same, and everything is interchangable. The main difference is that each phone has a different set of features to distinguish it from the other models. To tell you the truth, if I knew that Siemens phones were this good, I would have gone for the really fancy [price] one! I mainly got this one for its good price, so that I could try out the Siemens brand without breaking the bank. (Besides, my old Panasonic answering machine from the 1980's could use a replacement, BAD!) One of the biggest complaints I see from people is that they say these Siemens phones are hard to use. Granted, they're not your typical phone, where you pick up the line and dial a number, then hang up when done. But are they overly complex? Far from it. Basically, what Siemens' aim seems to be, is to make a cordless phone behave more like a cell phone. A lot of the phone's functions are accessed through a set of menus on the phone. Anybody who has used a Nokia cell phone would have absolutely no problem with these Siemens phones, and would in fact probably feel right at home. (Sorry, the Siemens phones don't have a snake game built in!) :) Another complaint I've heard is that people say these phones are noisy. There may be a little bit, it sounds kind of "digital" but it's really not that bad, it's a lot better than those dang Vtech phones that cut out and crackle all the time. To sum it up, I love this phone, and my next cordless will be another Siemens! .... :)

i bought this phone 3 years ago and loved it.wonderful german design.very european.handset comfortable to hold and when touching the ear.(some other phones are painful)the sound is clean and solid.(compared to panasonic)120 name directory.AA batteries is very convenient to replace.then i saw the newer siemens,4015 and 4215.
i loved the 2415 so much that i went and bought both the 4015 and 4215.what i found different!!!
contrary to some,describing those new ones as nice looking,i see them very generic design,even though they are made in germany.the 2415 is made in usa,but has an unmistakeable german look.as german as a mercedes.
the sound of 2415 is far superior and cleaner.the 4015 and 4215 sound definitely cheaper.
the 4215 is meant to be inside your palm.this does not make it more comfortable.please siemens!they even make smaller phones.
speaker phone on the 4215 as well on other brands i tried is a joke.it cuts off when you move the phone around!i will not consider a speaker phone feature at this time.
the 2415 is solid color,the 4015 and 4215 are painted.they will peel through usage and look ugly.not the 2415 the color is solid through.
my advice!!!!
run and buy the 2415 before it's too late.
they are the real german siemens .
and for all who gave this model a bad review.i wonder if they did it just to harm siemens.
for me i just compared 3 different siemens.and the 2415 is a classic.