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Reviews February 2004 • Vol.2 Issue 2 Page(s) 34-37 in print issue |
CE Face-Off Dial In To 5.8GHz Cordless Phones | ||
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Remember your first cordless phone and how cool it was to be able to just walk around while you talked? No more contorting yourself around a springy cord or tying yourself to one room. We've come a long way since those heady (and now quaint) days. This collection of phones underscores just how far. They collectively represent the state of the art in cordless phone technology: the 5.8GHz telephone. Over the past 15 to 20 years, cordless phone technology steadily progressed as weaknesses became apparent in early models and the at-home spectrum became more crowded. But the basics have always been the same: connect the phone line to a base, which converts the telephone signal to radio waves and sends them to a remote handset, which converts them back to sound for your ears and reverses the entire process to carry your voice back to the base and out through the phone line. The trick has always been to manage that communication securely, with clarity, and over a wide enough range to be useful. The latest iteration of cordless technology relies on the 5.8GHz frequency to carry radio signals between base and receiver. The important things to know about 5.8GHz are that it's relatively free of interference, has great range (potentially up to a mile), and is currently the main area of innovation in cordless phones. The devices' digital technology also provides exceptional clarity. In addition to using the 5.8GHz frequency, all the phones covered here offer call waiting/caller ID, phone number storage, and built-in messaging systems. Most include support for multiple handsets, speakerphones on both the base and handsets, and DSS (digital spread spectrum) security. DSS is most important as a security technology. It breaks up the signal into millions of tiny pieces and spreads them across the spectrum, making it nearly impossible to intercept and reconstruct the signal. We tested all the models, ran them through their paces, and then judged them for feature sets, performance (including ease-of-use, signal quality, and reliability), and value. The basics of cordless phone technology are well established; we found that features and ease-of-use are the primary distinguishing characteristics. This group offers plenty of variety in those areas.   VTech i5881 $159.95 www.vtech.com VTech's i5881 system supports up to six handsets, includes a digital answering system with three mailboxes, and holds up to 50 numbers in its phone book (and another 50 in its caller ID memory). Choose among eight ringers and several volume settings on both the handset and base. A Sound Select feature lets you personalize the handset's audio to one of four preset profiles (Bass, Mid, Treble, or Natural). VTech's accessory handsets include the new i5801 ($79.95), with a large color screen on which you can display wallpaper or images assigned to phone book or caller ID numbers. The i5801 also includes a musical ringer. You can record or download audio files for up to nine ring tones, assignable to individual phone book entries. Both the handset and base have large LCD screens, which provide a wealth of information, and the phone's menus are easy to navigate. We didn't have any trouble setting up the clock, managing the phone book, or recording mailbox greetings, and we found the Quick Start guide to be very helpful. We wish VTech had added some sort of speed-dial options to this phone; the phone book is large, and as it fills up you'll get tired of scrolling or searching to find a number. The speakerphone performed decently in our tests. The phone's signal was strong and clear, and the i5881 had one of the better speakerphones of the group. The handset has a nice feel to it, though the base's button layout is somewhat chaotic. The rounded unit is compact, loaded with features, and a good value at $159.95. VTech's move to add features by introducing compatible upgrade handsets (rather than entire new systems) is also encouraging. You can protect your investment while still upgrading capabilities.  AT&T 5840 $159.95 telephones.att.com Like the VTech i5881 phone, AT&T's 5840 can be expanded to six handsets and has a three-mailbox answering system. And its menu and ringers are identical to the VTech i5881. That may come as no surprise, as VTech purchased the AT&T brand for telephone manufacturing a couple years ago. The 5840, however, has less storage than the VTech in its answering system (15 minutes as opposed to 25) and only holds 10 entries in the phone book. But it does have a spare battery-charging compartment, which can serve as an alternate power source when the unit is without normal power. The 5840 sets up the same way as the VTech i5881. The only noticeable difference is that the talking menus had different voices. The 5840's documentation is excellent, with a clear, concise, and well-illustrated users manual. AT&T's phonebook doesn't include a speed dial, however. You can toggle the answering machine on and off with the push of a button, though the lack of a keypad on the base makes the 5840's speakerphone almost worthless unless you use the Caller ID entries in the phonebook to dial someone. The audio quality of the 5840's handset was pretty good, and the base's speakerphone sounded clear. The base microphone (for the speakerphone function) didn't sound that great, however. We didn't expect professional-quality speakerphones, but the sound quality shouldn't be distracting. Though similar to the VTech i5881 in many ways, the AT&T 5840 offers a weaker feature set for the same price. It's probably worth going with the stronger model.  Panasonic KX-TG5100M $179.95 www.panasonic.com Supporting up to eight handsets ($89.95 each), Panasonic's TG5100M is the most expandable model we reviewed. Its answering system holds a respectable 15 minutes of messages and offers three mailboxes. The TG5100M lets you choose among six ringtones, and offers five-way conferencing (one outside line with multiple handsets). The Navigator Key dial makes setup easy. The setup menus are intuitive, and it takes just minutes to set up the phone. It's also easy to record answering machine messages and memos, and the handset offers easy access to all three mailboxes. Phonebook entries are also easy to add and access. The Panasonic has the longest battery life of any of the phones here; the included nickel-cadmium battery boasts an 11-day standby and 4.5-hour talk time. (See the "Cordless Phones At A Glance" chart for standby and talk times for other models.) The handset's sound was clear, though speakerphone quality was disappointing. The unit itself was bulky all around. Both the handset and base seem to be bigger than we thought necessary. The TG5100M's large size does make room for nice big buttons on the handset, except for the Talk and Off buttons. The two most important buttons are inexplicably small. The TG5100M is one of the most expensive units we reviewed, and it also offers the most expandability. But, unless you need the extra few handsets, it's hard to justify the TG5100M's extra price on the basis of its features, which are comparable to other (cheaper) models.  Motorola MD681 $179.99 direct.motorola.com Motorola's MD681 works with up to six handsets, with eight ringers for each, and a backup battery pack so you can use the phone even during a power outage. Join two handsets during an outside call to establish three-way conferencing, or use the intercom to converse between handsets and/or the base. The MD681 has a 50-number phone book and a Caller ID log of 50 calls on the handset (and a whopping 99 on the base). The MD681 also includes a digital messaging service with three mailboxes and 15 minutes of storage. As with many of the phones we reviewed, we had no trouble setting up the MD681. You can record a message following the same easy process as the AT&T and VTech models. Again, though, a lack of speed dial will make the phone's large phone book unwieldy. Entering phone book entries is a piece of cake, however. The LCD screen automatically lights whenever the phone is active; without the backlight, the display doesn't have enough contrast to be easily readable. The handset's sound quality wasn't as clear as some other models, though the speakerphone performed better than most. Apparently, no one can perfect both the handset and speakerphone technology. The rectangular handset is stylish but not all that comfortable, though the buttons are of good size and well laid out. The base is nicely slim, though not cramped. As with the Panasonic, a comparable feature set and higher price don't necessarily add up to a good deal. The Motorola compares well with the other models in this review as far as features are concerned, though it's hard to see the value you get for the extra cost.  GE 25830GE3 & GE 25893GE3 $79.99 & $99.99 home-electronics.net General Electrics' GE 25830GE3 and GE 25893-GE3 are the only phone models we reviewed that don't al-low for multiple handsets. The 25893, a step up from the 25830, offers digital messaging with a single mailbox and 14 minutes of storage. These are also the only models without speakerphones. And both the Caller ID log and phone books were among the smallest of any models here. One nice thing about a simplified feature set is that setup is always easy. The 25830 is more or less plug and play, and programming the phone book is fairly straightforward. At least GE included speed-dial functionality (up to 10 numbers, which is the total numbers the phone book can store), a feature its more expensive competitors should emulate. The 25830 performed respectably. The handset's audio was clear and free of static. We liked the fact that a single button starts and ends a call. Separate Talk and Off buttons are unnecessary and clutter the interface. Both phones avoid this fate with a nice design. At significantly lower prices than any other model, the 25830 and 25893 are attractive options for users who simply want a high-quality cordless phone without any frills. If you don't require multiple handsets, a speakerphone, and an extensive phone book, the GE models are the way to go.  Uniden TRU5865 & TRU5885 $119.99 & $144.99 www.uniden.com Uniden's TRU5865 and TRU5885 models are available in dual-handset packages (the TRU5865-2 and TRU5885-2). Both systems only support a maximum of two handsets, however. You can transfer calls between them, though, and choose from 10 ringer options. The most unique feature of the TRU5865 and TRU5885 is the way they handle the phone book and Caller ID log. Both features share memory, and you can store 100 numbers between them. The flexibility is nice: sacrifice Caller ID records for a bigger phonebook, or vice versa. The TRU5885 adds a single-mailbox digital messaging system, with 10 minutes of storage. For the most part, setup for both phones is simple. Some of the buttons are confusing, with too many functions and unclear labeling, but the phone's menus are intuitive. You can easily program the phone book on the handset, and the 10 speed-dial options are a nice touch. The handset's sound quality was inconsistent, and the speakerphone microphone was pretty weak. The Talk and Off buttons aren't well sized or well laid out, though the handset is comfortable to hold. The base has no display, a design flaw that makes menus and other features harder to use. With limited expandability and slightly weaker usability, the Uniden's price is hard to justify. For an extra $15 to $30, you can pick up a lot more features or step down to a simpler model and save about $50. Find The Phone For You When you're dealing with state-of-the-art technology, distinctions between good and great products are often fine, and we found that to be the case here. The technology and sound quality of the phones we reviewed is similar across all models, so we had to rely primarily on features and price to distinguish among the offerings. The product that's right for you will depend on the features that are important to you and the price you're willing to pay. Overall, though, we felt that VTech's i5881 system provided the best value for the money, and would be a good starting point for shopping around.  by Gregory Anderson
View the chart "Cordless Phones At A Glance" (NOTE: These pages are PDF (Portable Document Format) files. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view these pages. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader)
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