’’Hello’’
’’Hello’’... (hiss hiss) ... ’’Helloooo’’
’’Helllooooo, can’t hear you, speak aloud, hello’’
’’Damn this line, wait I’ll talk on the other phone’’
How many times have you really experienced such problems with your cordless phone - Hissing sound, bad reception, poor speech clarity? Well chances are if you have a Panasonic or a Sony - then the answer is not a single time. Good! But then how many last dialed numbers can you dial or should I ask redial? One! Only one! How many ring tones does it have? One.
Precisely with my Panasonic cordless, my answer wouldn’t be any different. Even I wonder, when such small devices called cell phones, can have such wonderful features, several ring tones, a phone diary, basic memory, quick dialing and what not, why are cordless phones so primitive? Of course we do have some with answering machines, but then they are in a different league, altogether. The basic phone often only has one or two memory settings, only the last number dialed is available in the redial option. Some phones may have the caller-id, a must utility nowadays, especially for beautiful babes who I keep giving blank calls...(kidding!).
But that is not the whole truth. I only realized it when I visited my aunt’s place, at Shivaji Park. I had to intimate my parents that I was at her place and wouldn’t be home for dinner as Aunty was insisting that I dine with them. I would have passed it off as just another cordless, but there was something very peculiar - it did not have any antenna. I have seen many cordless handsets that look typically like mobile phones, but this was different. It was long and big like cordless phones are, but without the antenna. This increased my curiosity enough to know more about it and mind you, what I found is by far very impressive.
The phone I am talking about is Philips Onis 2. The phone is enriched in features.
«« Ad - ONIS »»
The handset look strong and well sculpted like my muscles...(what say Azhar?). Hence I thought of adding the letters ’’Ad’’ before ’’Onis’’. The gentle curved and sloping base is very similar to my Panasonic KX 1800B cordless. While most handsets rest on the base stations with the belly (button side) down, this one rests on its back. Though convenient for dialing straight of without lifting the handset, there is always the risk of dust between the keys or dropping of something on the handset. The handset is light and the rubber buttons are fun to press. It has an LCD screen. But without the antenna the length becomes nice and short. Overall, looks are slim and sexy.
«« RING RING »»
No, unlike other phones, this does not just ring. It sings! I mean there are three ringer melodies to chose from. One can always adjust the volume. Something different, na?
«« REDIAL »»
Maybe some of you feel that 3 ringer tones - just a frill. But this cordless-antenna less wonder allows you to redial last 5 dialed ones compared to choice of only the last number in other phones. Wonder utility!
«« PHONE BOOK »»
Nopes, the utility does not stop there. This one has a phone book facility. Probably the first time any Indian found some use of the alphabets on the phone. What I mean is that unlike in other countries the phone numbers here are pure numbers. Hence, most people fail to understand why we have ’’ABC’’ on the key ’’2’’ and ’’DEF’’ on the key ’’3’’. But now this can be used to store the names and numbers on phone. The capacity is small with only 40 names and numbers, comparable to mobile phones that allow at least 200, but much bigger, considering other cordless phones.
«« RECEIVED CALLS »»
Another mobile phone like feature. In fact it excels over mobile phones here. Why? The cell phones often shows last 10 received calls. This one shows 20. I haven’t heard of any other cordless offering such a feature.
«« CALLER ID »»
There Pooj, Anu (angel) and other cute fem MSians, good news for the beautiful you. Now no more mysterious blank calls. Philips Onis 2 has caller id. Of course you need to subscribe it from the phone provider (MTNL in my case). With phone diary feature, it also shows names if caller is recorded in the diary.
«« EMERGENCY CALL »»
An emergency number can be stored for that quick one touch dialing.
«« LOOK MA - NO HANDS »»
Well it also has hands free operation, due to the speakerphone, both on the phone base as well as the handset.
«« RANGE-RECEPTION »»
Well, from what my aunty describes, it is clear in all the rooms and even galleries. She even talks of uncle having carried the phone right up to the building lift.
«« BATTERY LIFE »»
They have used this for slightly less than a year and haven’t changed the battery. But then their handset lies on the base most of the times, so the battery is always charged full.
«« DECT »»It talks of something called DECT. I don’t know for sure what it means but uncle says that other DECT compatible handsets can use the same phone base. But they don’t find any such use of their phone.
Overall, I would say that if only I knew of this phone before, I wouldn’t have purchased my Panasonic which is only a phone compared to Philips Onis 2 - a wonder cordless-antenna less phone.