Telephone Reviews

This phone is not a good phone if you are looking for quality sound. Lot of static and very poor sound quality. Will not buy again.

ok, I bought this VTech 2428 2.4 HGz Analog cordless phone wihtout understanding what the numbers and abbreviations really meant. I am quite satisfied- I have had this phone for 6 months and it does what it described. It sits in the spare bedroom. The phone rings,communicates a message to the caller, and then a message to me/guest from the caller with the caller's number on the caller ID screen. We either listen to the messages or delete depending upon our mood at the time. The phone asks for little- to be plugged in and connected to the telephone line. This is all quite simple- for a little bit of money, I have a phone for the guest room- it works and so do we.

Hey, for 30 bucks with these features - who wouldn't buy this phone. Had it for 6 months, and love it - have had NO problems.
Phone Directory for 40 entries. Of course the price has fallen 10 bucks since I bought it.
Distinctive ring for any Phone Directroy Entry.
Call Waiting, Caller ID.
Caller ID.
Call Waiting History Name and Number Display for 99 entries.
Ten number speed dial.
Electronic Hold.
Four ring tones.
Redial last number dialed.
Message waiting indicator for Call Notes from Telco.
Clock Display at all times.
Phone Status Display at all times.
What a deal, huh? I thought the receiver was weak until I discovered the other day that I was holding the speaker about a quarter inch too low and when I moved it over my ear - wow, what a difference - very loud and clear.
Only dislike is hard to read display, but hey, what other thirty dollar phone has an extra bright one. I'll use my red LED display from Radio Shack that I can see from across my living room to see who is calling. Nothing wrong with this deal, let me tell you!

Do not, under any circumstances, buy this phone. When I first got it, it seemed to work perfectly. The CallerID, phonebook, you name it had me wowed. One week after the manufacturer's warranty expired, it started giving me "Out of Range" messages whenever I attempted to access the Caller ID list. Oddly enough, I could still make phone calls. Fiddling with the menus didn't help. Reading the manual didn't help. Customer support was a joke. I will never by another Panasonic piece of equipment again for as long as I live.

I've owned 5 different Panasonic cordless phones over the years and you know when this came out I just had to have it... I got the Cobalt Blue one before they were even available in stores. I loved the idea of the joystick/mouse key. I loved the look of it. 2.4 Ghz was what I wanted. When I got it, I was a little disappointed. My problems with it are based on my experience with other Panasonic and vtech cordless phones and how this one didn't quite measure up... 1. The earpiece gets really hot if you're talking for more than 20-30 mins. I have to switch phones if I'm on a long call... too hot. 2. This thing has no range... I can go really far with it, but I hear static from more than 15 feet away or if there is a wall between me and the base. I tried putting the base in a room with no electronic equipment at all and I could get 25 feet without hearing static - but once I got something inbetween me and the base - like a toaster - static again. 3. This thing doesn't hold much of a charge... it doesn't last more than a few days off the charger before I have to put it back again. 4. The menu system to set up the features is difficult to use. 5. Sometimes I can be sitting 2 feet from the base and hit talk and get nothing - I have to set it in the base so it can find itself again. 6. Wobbly - the thing falls over at the slightest bump - poor design - can't wall mount it.

*-*-*-*-*
Would be a great phone (4 Stars) except for a FATAL FLAW. Does Panasonic get kickbacks from battery manufacturers?

***OH*** Panasonic makes ITS OWN batteries.

BEWARE the manual's advice that this phone "may be always kept on the charging base." Its batteries are NICADs! NiCads have memories!!! So be sure to leave the phone off the charger until it requires recharging. Otherwise your battery will last only a month or two (I am totally serious---happened to me).

If you're lucky and the battery dies at the 29-day stage, AND you have every single plastic bag, twist-tie, styrofoam piece, receipt etc., take the ENTIRE unit back to the store and they have to exchange it. The store won't just give you a new battery. After 30 days, a replacement battery will cost you $20 & up. "Ching"

PS I called Panasonic and guess what? Everybody complains about this. And I thought America wasn't full of geeks. Good work everyone, now--if we can just get the MFR to improve their product.

Bought*******Fry's Electronics

Lasted*******Twoish years so far. Am aiming for the sky here...

Range*******Great. No static.

Durability*****Drop-resistant if you have carpets, else resist.
Buttons never wear out or through that I have seen. (Unit gives out before buttons do.)

Speakers*****Fine, both in-ear and speakerphone.
***Great feature---handset has own speakerphone, stands up nicely on flat hard surface as long as you don't touch it;
***Poor feature ---like most phones these days does not fit comfortably against my ear & lacks any but minimal curve, which mars hand-holding in my opinion.

Caller-ID*****Is some proprietary version you have to pay additional for.

Placement****One version hangs on the wall; its handset can be placed facing either in OR out and still charge, i.e. foolproof.

Flash********This feature won't disconnect the line, making multiple redialing (to win those tickets or speak with Rush Limbaugh) more not less difficult.

Maybe that's GOOD!

Redial*******This feature only works after 'Off' but does call up a list of numbers.

Do not, under any circumstances, buy this phone. When I first got it, it seemed to work perfectly. The CallerID, phonebook, you name it had me wowed. One week after the manufacturer's warranty expired, it started giving me "Out of Range" messages whenever I attempted to access the Caller ID list. Oddly enough, I could still make phone calls. Fiddling with the menus didn't help. Reading the manual didn't help. Customer support was a joke. I will never by another Panasonic piece of equipment again for as long as I live.

I've owned 5 different Panasonic cordless phones over the years and you know when this came out I just had to have it... I got the Cobalt Blue one before they were even available in stores. I loved the idea of the joystick/mouse key. I loved the look of it. 2.4 Ghz was what I wanted. When I got it, I was a little disappointed. My problems with it are based on my experience with other Panasonic and vtech cordless phones and how this one didn't quite measure up... 1. The earpiece gets really hot if you're talking for more than 20-30 mins. I have to switch phones if I'm on a long call... too hot. 2. This thing has no range... I can go really far with it, but I hear static from more than 15 feet away or if there is a wall between me and the base. I tried putting the base in a room with no electronic equipment at all and I could get 25 feet without hearing static - but once I got something inbetween me and the base - like a toaster - static again. 3. This thing doesn't hold much of a charge... it doesn't last more than a few days off the charger before I have to put it back again. 4. The menu system to set up the features is difficult to use. 5. Sometimes I can be sitting 2 feet from the base and hit talk and get nothing - I have to set it in the base so it can find itself again. 6. Wobbly - the thing falls over at the slightest bump - poor design - can't wall mount it.

*-*-*-*-*
Would be a great phone (4 Stars) except for a FATAL FLAW. Does Panasonic get kickbacks from battery manufacturers?

***OH*** Panasonic makes ITS OWN batteries.

BEWARE the manual's advice that this phone "may be always kept on the charging base." Its batteries are NICADs! NiCads have memories!!! So be sure to leave the phone off the charger until it requires recharging. Otherwise your battery will last only a month or two (I am totally serious---happened to me).

If you're lucky and the battery dies at the 29-day stage, AND you have every single plastic bag, twist-tie, styrofoam piece, receipt etc., take the ENTIRE unit back to the store and they have to exchange it. The store won't just give you a new battery. After 30 days, a replacement battery will cost you $20 & up. "Ching"

PS I called Panasonic and guess what? Everybody complains about this. And I thought America wasn't full of geeks. Good work everyone, now--if we can just get the MFR to improve their product.

Bought*******Fry's Electronics

Lasted*******Twoish years so far. Am aiming for the sky here...

Range*******Great. No static.

Durability*****Drop-resistant if you have carpets, else resist.
Buttons never wear out or through that I have seen. (Unit gives out before buttons do.)

Speakers*****Fine, both in-ear and speakerphone.
***Great feature---handset has own speakerphone, stands up nicely on flat hard surface as long as you don't touch it;
***Poor feature ---like most phones these days does not fit comfortably against my ear & lacks any but minimal curve, which mars hand-holding in my opinion.

Caller-ID*****Is some proprietary version you have to pay additional for.

Placement****One version hangs on the wall; its handset can be placed facing either in OR out and still charge, i.e. foolproof.

Flash********This feature won't disconnect the line, making multiple redialing (to win those tickets or speak with Rush Limbaugh) more not less difficult.

Maybe that's GOOD!

Redial*******This feature only works after 'Off' but does call up a list of numbers.

I loved this phone at first, even though the sound quality was poor on the answering machine, both incoming and outgoing. Sometimes I couldn't even understand what the caller said the sound was so muffled. Running a business from home, this was unacceptable. But I was willing to live with it because of the investment and I loved the handset caller ID and the directory that was very handy in the handset. Now, however, approx. 9 months after purchase, it constantly does this "channel searching" while I'm talking, and it mutes what I'm saying and what I'm hearing until it "finds" a channel, even though there was no need for the "channel searching" because the connection was good. There is no way to turn this feature off. I even bought a new battery hoping that would solve the problem but it did not. Now the LED readout on the handset is blank sometimes. In short, DONT waste your money on this. What a disappointment from Sony.

I have had this phone for just over two years. There are some good and some NOT so good features regarding this phone/message machine.
The good part is the ease of the built in telephone directory which can store up to 50 numbers. I always had clear connections and no problems with the batteries (still have the original). I could talk for over an hour and not get a low battery signal.
The bad part is that with ANY power outage, the date and time setting had to be reset. This would happen often enough that I just kept the instruction manual underneath the phone base for easy reference on how to reset. The machine would also count every incoming message, even if the caller hung up and not leave one (like a telemarketer)-so at times I came home to find I had seven messages or so, but after playing them back found no actual message was left.
Last Sunday (for no reason) the phone handset display began to alternately flash "Searching for Channel" and "Channel Found" even though I was sitting next to the base. I disconnected the unit and reset it (per Sony's instructions) to no avail. Sony suggests I get it repaired. Of course being out of warranty I'm sure it's not worth the expense.
I had an ancient Panasonic machine that lasted over 15 years-this deal lasted just two. I know it will not be replaced by another SONY. It's a shame. I think SONY makes a great TV and VCR, but obviously they should stay out of the telephone/answering business. Unless you find this at a yard sale for a good price, stay away from the SPP-A973.

Reviewers who don't like this phone are unbelieveable. I have had this phone for almost 4 years and have never had issue with it. I just wish that the handset ringer could be turned off. That is why I am at this sight. Batteries in all cordless phones need to be replaced at some point. I replaced mine for the first time about 6 months ago. You just go to radio shack, or some place like it, to get a new one.

Batteries die after a extremely short life. Customer service says that a Nickle Metal Hydride battery should be used instead. Well, if that was the case, why didn't they supply one with the phone? The handset gets very warm when charging unless placed face-down on the base. When the battery dies, the handset/base get very hot and might pose a fire hazard; they should all be recalled and replaced with a better design.

While this phone basically does what it advertises to do, it fails to impress because of a certain amount of thoughtlessness in the details.

For example, it is, in fact, imbued with a reliable caller ID service, speed dialing, and a helpful caller log. But the LED screen isn't backlit. As a result all those neat features aren't usable at night, when you perhaps need them most. Likewise, its small size at first seems a convenience-until you remember that comfort is more important in a home phone than portability. Bigger phones are better around the house, where you tend to want a phone you can actually rest on your shoulder.

But its bigger offenses, I think, have to do with the way it performs its most basic functions: power and reception.

It requires much more recharge time on the base than much older phones, and that charge evaporates quite quickly-even when the phone is not in active use. Worse, my particular unit-and maybe all of them--doesn't reliably snap into the base. It's possible to put the phone in the cradle and yet not have the contacts touch. As a result, the phone could spend hours in the cradle without recharging at all.

Its reception, too, is baffling. While does have a fair range, it seems to pick up background noise more clearly than the sound of my voice--clearly the opposite of how you want a phone to work.

I don't mean to sound too negative, here. Most of the time it works like it's supposed to. But I can't help feeling if it had been tweaked with a little more market research, Seimens might have come up with a more practical product.

My wife calls me a "Gadget Man"; yes, over the past 20 years I have owned at least 20 cordless phones: 46/49,900 MHz Analog and Digital, DSS,2.4G,Uniden,Panasonic,Sony,ATT,VTech etc. If it's new, I have to have it. This Siemens 242 is by far the very BEST. (In regard to all preceding negative reviews: they either pertain to the 2410/2415, are from people who forgot to subscribe to Caller-ID from their phone service, wear 10 pound earrings (or have cauliflower ears), did not read the manual, are not used to high-tech and therefore hold the phone upsidedown, need to replace their hearing-aid battery, in short,ignore those so-called "reviews" ).
The 242 now is a truly state-of-the-art:I first experienced Siemens' trendsetting 2.4Ghz technology over 3 years ago in Europe and it only has improved over time (DSS, design that now combines form with function).It handles superbly,is very ergonomic,has a very logical menu, supplies true "corded-sound" quality in both send/receive mode
and deserves to be on display next to the famous Movado Watch and B&O's HiFi stereo unit.
Granted: it will NOT win any "long-range" contests, but if you really need more than 100 yards, than either get a 2.4/900 MHz Panasonic, which base looks like a porcupine, or, better yet, ...get a cellular phone !!!

Batteries die after a extremely short life. Customer service says that a Nickle Metal Hydride battery should be used instead. Well, if that was the case, why didn't they supply one with the phone? The handset gets very warm when charging unless placed face-down on the base. When the battery dies, the handset/base get very hot and might pose a fire hazard; they should all be recalled and replaced with a better design.

While this phone basically does what it advertises to do, it fails to impress because of a certain amount of thoughtlessness in the details.

For example, it is, in fact, imbued with a reliable caller ID service, speed dialing, and a helpful caller log. But the LED screen isn't backlit. As a result all those neat features aren't usable at night, when you perhaps need them most. Likewise, its small size at first seems a convenience-until you remember that comfort is more important in a home phone than portability. Bigger phones are better around the house, where you tend to want a phone you can actually rest on your shoulder.

But its bigger offenses, I think, have to do with the way it performs its most basic functions: power and reception.

It requires much more recharge time on the base than much older phones, and that charge evaporates quite quickly-even when the phone is not in active use. Worse, my particular unit-and maybe all of them--doesn't reliably snap into the base. It's possible to put the phone in the cradle and yet not have the contacts touch. As a result, the phone could spend hours in the cradle without recharging at all.

Its reception, too, is baffling. While does have a fair range, it seems to pick up background noise more clearly than the sound of my voice--clearly the opposite of how you want a phone to work.

I don't mean to sound too negative, here. Most of the time it works like it's supposed to. But I can't help feeling if it had been tweaked with a little more market research, Seimens might have come up with a more practical product.

My wife calls me a "Gadget Man"; yes, over the past 20 years I have owned at least 20 cordless phones: 46/49,900 MHz Analog and Digital, DSS,2.4G,Uniden,Panasonic,Sony,ATT,VTech etc. If it's new, I have to have it. This Siemens 242 is by far the very BEST. (In regard to all preceding negative reviews: they either pertain to the 2410/2415, are from people who forgot to subscribe to Caller-ID from their phone service, wear 10 pound earrings (or have cauliflower ears), did not read the manual, are not used to high-tech and therefore hold the phone upsidedown, need to replace their hearing-aid battery, in short,ignore those so-called "reviews" ).
The 242 now is a truly state-of-the-art:I first experienced Siemens' trendsetting 2.4Ghz technology over 3 years ago in Europe and it only has improved over time (DSS, design that now combines form with function).It handles superbly,is very ergonomic,has a very logical menu, supplies true "corded-sound" quality in both send/receive mode
and deserves to be on display next to the famous Movado Watch and B&O's HiFi stereo unit.
Granted: it will NOT win any "long-range" contests, but if you really need more than 100 yards, than either get a 2.4/900 MHz Panasonic, which base looks like a porcupine, or, better yet, ...get a cellular phone !!!

I purchased this phone because I thought the range would better that of my 900mHz DSS phone by Sony. Boy was I wrong. Not only is the range not even near that of my previous phone, even when I am in range, the sound quality is terrible - the reception is choppy, resulting in a stutter in the sound of my voice to whoever I am talking to. Also, about 1 in 3 calls, the caller can barely hear me when I am speaking directly into the handset microphone. This appears to be more than an isolated problem, as I am on my second one and both have had exactly the same problems. Hope this helps.

Though I gave it 2 stars ,it is a very good phone (I find AT&T usually is) if it only cost $... (maybe)and you didn't have a need for the added extensions.
I purchased this phone (... new)not knowing that it had already been discontinued. Had I known this I wouldn't have bought it unless I could have purchased the extension units at the same time. I have search all over the net including here for at least one extension. No such luck, not even used. I got in contact with ... and was told that if I still couldn't find it they would refund 65% of my purchase price. Now I do realize that I've had the phone for 3 months and had I bought it elsewhere I probably wouldn't have even been offered that. However not only do I lose a big hunk of my purchase price I also lose the amount I paid for the extended warranty I also purchased, even if I just exchange for another phone. So, no matter how good the quality, the only reason to purchase it would be a drastic price cut.

I've been using this product, with two handsets, for almost two years. It has been in every part of my home, which is over 3,000 sq ft. in addition to the basement, garage and front and rear yards. I can't say that I've ever experience anything less than first class service. I have no complaints and I don't hesitate in recommending it.

Extremely disappointed with this product. The handset volume is too low, even though the setting is set to receive the maximum volume. The handset speakerphone performed ok initially, but since is practically inoperable. The slightest backround noise cancels conversation with the other end and replaces talk with silence. Impossible to rest the phone on a shoulder to talk without depressing the off button on your cheek. The handset is a little small. No problems with answering machine. Fortunately I never purchased additional handsets for the unit. I wanted this phone to perform considering I took my time researching several products and thought I selected a good one. I defended my choice for a while, although every person who used the phone had their complaints about volume, etc. Should have listened to them and returned while I had the chance, however I did not use the phone much to form an solid opinion.

I originally bought this Panasonic and returned it because of poor sound quality. But before I returned it, I purchased the new V-tech model available for $... at target. It had all the same features, and I was going to compare the two. They are the *exact* same phone. Same display, same menus, same rings, even the synthesized voice on the voicemail system is the same. There is a curious difference though, the V-tech has way better sound quality.

Don't throw your money away on the Panasonic. But the V-tech for less and get better sound. I opened up the phone, and the components are the same. Panasonic and V-tech are probably just buying these from a 3rd party, putting custom cases on them, and reselling them. Maybe the V-tech has a better speaker and mic though, because it's much better sounding.

We've had this phone for years. In pre-wireless times, we had a Panasonic phone/answering machine combo. Our experience with Panasonic phones is that they're incredibly reliable, and have useful features that are intuitive to program. I only spotted all the crummy reviews because I was about to buy another handset. Yes, that's how much we like the phone. We're not throwing it away or trading it in. FINALLY, if you can't hear anyone, there's a pair of little buttons on the main base labeled "VOLUME"; if you push the one with the up arrow a couple of times, not only with you be able to hear better, but the little display will show you the volume level (1=quiet; 8=loudest). Hope this helps.

My fiancee bought this for me a year and 1/2 ago for my home office. Too bad we invested a few hundred dollars in extra handsets with most of them sounding underwater.

How depressing!

I would give this phone/answering machine a mixed review. The answering machine is reliable, fairly simple to operate, and the quality of message playback is very high. I would rate the sound quality of the handset, however, as mediocre at best. There's always a little audible static (white noise or hiss) in the background, no matter how near or far you are from the base unit. Also, I've noticed a strange "echo" or feedback effect, particularly when the person on the other end of the line is on a digital cell phone (strange as that may seem). Frankly, my old Panasonic 900 MHz cordless has clearer reception. Finally, the menu system that controls all of the phone's features and settings (accessed through the handset) seems to me unnecessarily complex, and the controls on the handset don't function intuitively.

On the other hand, the operating range of the handset is very good. Furthermore, the expandability of the Siemens system is great. It is nice to be able to place an extension unit (handset/charger base) in any room even if it lacks a phone jack.

Bottom line - buy this system if you need its expandability (and its decent answering machine); otherwise, you might want to pass.

I loved this phone from the moment I opened the box! First thing I noticed is that it uses standard rechargable AA batteries (no propriatary format). Battery life is excellent, provided you take care of them. The handset is sleek and light with more features than I have seen on any other cordless phone. Most are easy to use: the more advanced ones take a bit of learning (If you don't like them, don't use them). Answering machine controls are intuitive and easy to use as well (double speed playback works great!). I also appreciate being able to view the status of and retrieve my messages from the hanset without having to go to the base. Expandabliliy to multiple handsets is unique at this price range and, coupled with intercom, conferencing, and room monitoring features a definite plus

As for reception: I did experience white noise on the handset with the factory-set frequency. Siemens' web site prominently displays their customer service number 2 clicks in (when was the last time you saw that?), which was well staffed and provided me with a resolution in minutes. If you hear "white noise" on the handset: 1) deregister the handset, 2) disconnet power to the base unit, 3) disconnect power to the handset, 4) wait 5 minutes, 5) restore power to the base unit FIRST, 6) restore power to the hanseet, 7) re-register the hanset. This will force the system to search for and establish the best frequency to use between the base and the handset. This technique gabe me crystal clear reception. It seems like one should loose all settings, but in my case this did not happen. I was impressed by how quickly Siemens helped me root cause and resolve this issue (far faster than returning/buying another phone!)

The only improvements I would make to this phone would be to add battery backup to the base. Other than that, I would give it my rare rating of "Almost Perfect"!

I have 4 of these phones, all have failed within 14 months of purchase. They all seam to have lost communication with their base. No signal to or from headset. Replaced all 4 with Panasonic phones with great results.
Also, the IBM 3455 has very low maximum volume, sound not amplified enough to hear clearly even on the highest setting. all 4 phones were identical.
Found no support so far from IBM online so far as far as any recalls or known repairs. I guess they are bound for the trash.

This is a great for for the money. Reception is clear and the range is nice - even in my apartment complex. The buttons on the handset require a slightly firmer press than most phones, which means that you won't accidentally disconnect the call when cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder. Even though the feature set is somewhat limited, everything on the phone actually works; for example, the Panasonic 2.4GHz phone that this replaced *didn't* support 10-digital dialing (only dialed 1+AC+number or 7-digit number only), so the "caller ID callback" feature was useless. Nothing like that on this phone. Also, the phone has a very logical setup - unlike the Panasonic that required unnatural key combinations to add a caller to your phonebook, the IBM is so easy that you won't even need the manual. Only downside is that there's no backlight on the LCD.

I've had multiple cordless phones over the years, and this has turned out to be by far the best at the best price. Most of my other phones didn't have sufficient volume control for me to hear the caller on the other end. The clarity of this phone is great. I have also found the headset volume and clarity to be good as well. You must read the directions and make sure you do not place it near other electronic equipment, especially a microwave. It is susceptible to interference (as was every other cell phone I've had). Once I moved it, it has performed fabulously. It is light and very easy to program and add numbers. It is also very nice to be able to block ringing of unavailable and private calls.