As, MS management has just created this category I am transferring my old review here, because it is mainly about choosing a cordless, and not just about a specific model. Since I have bought 4, I think I can write a bit about them
I’ve always loved cordless phones, once you start using one; you get hooked to the freedom of moving around and working while you talk. Nowadays with most people having mobiles, this might not seem like much of a novelty, but for those using a landline, it still is a boon!
I bought my first cordless 3 years ago, it was a GE with caller ID and I loved it, I subsequently bought a GE with a corded base and a cordless handset for my mum, with battery back up and caller ID. Both phones are still going strong, especially the dual one, which has great battery life. The only problem was that it was difficult to program numbers in.
But I eventually bought a Panasonic(Model KX TG 2314W), due to rave word-of-mouth reviews, so decided to try it out, and I found out first hand what Panasonic quality is all about. Sorry if this begins to sound like a print ad for Panasonic, but I feel it is THAT good!
Frequency:
Most early cordless models came out in the 49 Mega Hz frequency, and my first 2 cordless phones are 49 MHz. They tend to have poorer signal clarity, fizzling and popping during conversation and the range is a little less. Don’t swallow that load that the salesman will try on you, saying that 2.4 GHz gives you 1 km range, blah, blah… Higher frequency is mainly to increase clarity and not to increase range, though there is a significant boost. You can easily go out in the front/back yard or to the roof with one of these babies…
The new Panasonic I bought is in the 2.4 Giga Hertz range, which affords much more signal clarity and no pops and hisses. The latest is 5.6 GHz, which is not easily available in India. The main Achilles heel of 2.4 GHz is that wireless fidelity routers(Wi-Fi) also utilize this frequency and there are concerns of interference between the two if you use a 2.4 GHz cordless and a Wi-Fi router at home. I don’t, so I don’t know firsthand.
The 900 Mhz models are also available, but they are usually imported/grey market handsets, as, apparently, 900 MHz is reserved for cell phones in India and one of my sources does not recommend their use. However, friends using the 900 MHz phones have reported no complaints, so I guess you would have to try it out.
Battery Life:
Unlike in a mobile phone, battery life isn’t a key issue as most cordless phones rest on their charger cradles when not in use. However, a word of caution, if you want to maximize battery life-since most cordless phones use Nickel Cadmium rechargables and not Lithium Ion as in newer cell phones, they are supposed to possess what is termed “memory”. This means, if you charge the battery without using it up completely(discharging), apparently the non-usable charge accumulates and the battery life comes down after a year or so. If you discharge the battery regularly before charging it might last you a few more months.
Personally, I feel it is worth keeping the phone always charged. You can always buy a new battery, but having the charge run out would be downright irritating
Battery Back up:
This is an important issue. If you’ve never used a cordless, be warned that if power fails suddenly or otherwise(as is quite common in India, as most MS readers would be aware of :-)), you just get cut off. So you need:
1.An ordinary line to call and receive during power cuts
- A cordless with battery backup, this acts as a small reservoir of power, so you never get cut off, is available with the Beetel combo phone(which I bought my mum under the GE brand name), and some Sanyo models, Not available in most Panasonics I saw. This is a great feature, as you do not need another backup phone and you wont get cut off during a power failure.
3.An inverter/generator backup at home
Caller ID:
I find this feature indispensable, even more than an answering machine. It is my(probably false) impression, that most people here in India, do not like leaving messages. Perhaps it is mainly due to the fact that so few use answering machines, and one feels a little awkward talking to a machine. The commonest response to the recorded” Please leave your message at the tone” is to hang up. Maybe it’s to save money, maybe just a reflex. And a few(like my grandma) might not understand that they were talking to a recording.
Caller ID does away with this. When you are at home you can see who’s calling and choose to take or not to take the call, when you are away, you can see who called and at what time and date(you can see all this in the Panasonic, including the name if it is programmed in your phone book) Then you can call them back, if you want.
To activate caller ID in BSNL line, you have to submit a letter to the exchange. It’ll take a couple of days. Used to cost Rs.50/month a few years ago, it is free now.
Answering machines:
Raise the cost from 2-3 K to 5-6K and above. Might be useful for a person who takes a lot of calls. Could be redundant in this mobile world. Besides caller ID is more useful, I feel(Vide Supra)
Phone Book:
Ah! Phone Book. To those of us weaned on cell phones, this is an indispensable facility. My Panasonic can store 30 names and numbers. My old GE had only 9(9 keys:1 each)
I wish there were more. This enables you to rest your hippocampus(where long term memory resides) and dial direct. It also allows you to see who is calling and if you have call waiting(Panasonic has it) you can see who is waiting and if you also have Voice caller ID, it TELLS you who is calling when it rings…. Oh. Technology!
Backlight:
This needs to be available for the keypad and the screen(if caller ID is available) try calling or answering in the night and you will appreciate what I mean. The Panasonic I bought has it.
Hands free Speakerphone.
This is a blessing you won’t appreciate till you’ve tried it. Have you got a plain cordless and tried to talk while chopping vegetables, or carrying the baby or going to the loo? You might develop a crick in the neck, drop the kid/phone or mess up, if you don’t have speakerphone. Did you wish you didn’t have to hold the phone during long, long conversations with your girlfriend or you mum? You don’t have to, with speakerphone.
Did you ever wish all of you could listen in and talk to your sister living 6000 miles across the sea at the same time? You can with speakerphone.
Get it. It’s worth it. It’s there in the Panasonic. It should be good quality though, or you’ll wind up sounding distant, literally!
Ease of use:
This is very important too! My GE phones were a little difficult to program and retrieve phone numbers, the panasonic is so user friendly, even my 5 year old daughter can do it! It has a sensible, intuitive menu. Beware of complicated ones which make you sometimes tear your hair out!
Cost:
80 dollars in the US, 3200 Rs for the single handset black model available in india. Well worth it I feel!
I guess this covers what I know and feel is important. The Panasonic KX TG 2314W(W stands for white, I think!) has it. It even has dual handsets, but the Indian version is single handset, but will do and is available in black. White tends to yellow a bit after a few years
So, to summarize, go for a higher frequency, caller id, battery backup(if available), Speakerphone and backlight when you buy that cordless, you won’t regret it!.