Exceeds Every Expectation!
Written: Mar 03 '02 (Updated Mar 09 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Talking caller-id, computerized phone directory, total customization, what an amazing phone!
Cons: I have found none. When you see it, you'll really believe it!
The Bottom Line: This phone is impressive. It is a bit pricey, but it has so many time-saving features that make it well worth the price. I sincerely love mine.
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| grygomaca's Full Review: Panasonic KX TG2680N 2.4 GHz 1-Line Cordless Phone |
Why I bought the Panasonic KX-TG2680N 2.4GHz GigaRange Elite SST Cordless Phone:
My husband and I love any piece of technology that makes life easier. This phone is truly the best investment in a phone we've ever made. I know what you may be thinking, a phone for $200 is crazy. But let me assure you, if you had this phone in your home for a day...you'd want to keep it forever. Despite it's price.
We get calls from telemarketers like you wouldn't believe! They call what seems to be ten times a day, which has been slowly driving me insane. About a week ago, I was rudely awoken at 7am on my day off by a jerk of a telemarketer. We do have a cordless in our bedroom, but I was just livid about the fact that I even had to get up to get the phone - just to find that it was no-one I wanted to speak to. We have caller-ID, but I still had to run to the phone just to see who it was. I immediately called my husband and told him we had to do something major about this daily nuisance. I called our phone company to find out if there was a service to block these people, but since they call anonymously sometimes and others are from valid company names, there was nothing I could do (other than get a TeleZapper that only works for autodialer machine calls). Then my husband suggested this great new phone with talking caller-ID. My prayers were answered! A few hours later, he came home from work and headed for Best Buy and bought the Panasonic KX-TG2680N for nearly $300. I just wanted to see what it was like, with intentions of returning it. After all, a phone for $300?? That's steep, even if it IS a nice phone. That phone better talk to me for that kind of money - hey, it did! I must add, we had been having problems with our current cordless which we've had for 3 years anyway. So, this was a solution to a few different problems we were having.
While I browsed the manual for the phone, my husband went online and searched for a cheaper price. We were in luck! We ordered the SAME phone from Etronics.com for $180 (minus another $20 for a mail-in rebate). We returned the first phone to Best Buy, hooked-up our new phone from Etronics and let me tell you about it!
Appearance & Measurements:
This phone looks like the most modern phone ever made. But the thing is, it's not one of those cheap looking plastic-like phones that they're selling all over the place. You can just hold it and you'll see that it's made of quality materials. It's silver in color, but the manufacturer calls it "champagne gold." But trust me, it's not at all gold. It is actually silver with black and grey accents. The base unit has black, silver and grey buttons and the cordless unit has black and silver buttons with translucent white keypad buttons. The base unit can be either hung on a wall or kept sitting on a counter-top. Ours is sitting on our kitchen counter-top. The way it sits is on a bit of an angle, making it easier to see. The measurements of the base unit are 8" wide, 4.5" deep and between 1.25" and 2.25" tall (that angle I mentioned - lower in front, taller in back). The cordless unit is 2" wide, 5.25" tall and roughly 1" thick with a retractable 3" antenna. The cordless unit weighs less than 1/2 lb.
Features:
This phone is a 2.4 gigahertz cordless with an all digital answering system. There are SO many features, it's just unbelievable!! It does offer the normal features of cordless phones and answering machines, so I will be addressing the most appealing, interesting and unique features.
Let's start with the most revolutionary one (which is the real appeal of this phone)..."talking caller-ID." The talking caller-ID speaks from BOTH the base unit and the cordless phone unit. The talking caller-ID feature works like this. When a call is received, the caller’s name and number are displayed on both the base and cordless units after the first ring. And after the second ring and between each ring thereafter, the caller’s name is spoken through the base and cordless units. For example, it will say "Call from Smith, Mary." The caller-ID memory holds a maximum of 50 names and numbers, which allows you to view all of the calls you’ve received in the past several weeks. You’ll also enjoy the call waiting caller-ID feature with this phone.
Aside from the infamous talking caller-ID feature, this phone has every other feature you could ask for! Not only does the cordless phone unit have a mini-computer 3-line display screen, so does the base unit! The computerized phone number directory makes dialing a cinch. Plus, you’ll never have to memorize another number again! You just select the first letter of the person’s name and there’s the number. It saves time and just makes life that much more simple. And storing names and numbers into the directory is honestly a piece of cake. And it’s visually appealing because you can use symbols along with upper and lower case letters, so it looks like it would if you typed it on a computer. You can store up to 90 names and numbers in the directory.
The call group feature allows you to distinguish certain callers from others by the ring type and the color of the display backlight when a call is received. When you receive a call, the cordless and base unit will ring with a different pattern and both unit display screens will illuminate in either orange or green. This allows you to differentiate between callers. Through the directory, you select who you want to have the unique color and ring type. If you are looking for a phone that will distinguish the "good" callers (your family and friends) from the "bad" callers (telemarketers, etc) then this phone is what the doctor ordered!
You can hook either unit (base or cordless) up to a headset, which is great if you want to use it hands-free but don’t want to use the speakerphone for privacy or whatever reason. The phone comes with a belt clip as well, so hands-free calling is really easy. Both units also have handsfree speakerphone, one of my favorite features.
A feature that I think is really neat is transferring calls using the intercom, from the cordless to the base unit and vice versa. This feature is useful to us because let’s say I am upstairs in our bedroom with the cordless and my husband is of course laying on his La-Z-boy downstairs. His brother calls and I answer it upstairs. I can place the call on “intercom hold” while I page my husband downstairs on the intercom and ask him if he feels like talking to his brother. I don’t have to run down there or yell, it’s much more simple with the intercom.
It's really amazing how much control you have over the answering machine with the cordless unit. You can check your messages and record your greeting using the cordless phone, without even being near the base unit. This is a feature that I never had with my previous answering machine. It’s great because you can use the handset to record your greeting. And why is that so special? Because you won’t get that echo-like sound as you would if you spoke into a traditional answering machine. It’s a clear, concise recording.
Another very unique feature of this phone is that you can have it call your pager when you receive a phone call. That’s extremely useful if you are expecting an important call or if you just want to know who called.
Additional Information:
This Panasonic gem provides you with up to 4.5 hours of talk-time on the cordless unit and up to 11 days of standby battery life. And the cordless unit also has a lighted keypad and display screen. And yes, this cordless does have optional fashion plate snap-on color covers for those of you who like that kind of stuff.
Ease of Use:
This cordless phone and digital answering machine is extremely user friendly. I was able to set-up the general things without referencing the manual. However, once you ponder the manual, you will learn the advanced features of the phone. I would highly recommend reading it. Otherwise, you may not be aware of some great features.
I enjoy this phone because it lays everything out for you. I come home from work and the display units tell me how many people have called and how many have left messages since the last time I used the phone. And I just press a button to find out who called and what time they called. Reviewing and erasing messages is simple as well. It couldn't be easier to use.
Sound Quality:
Going from a 3 year-old 900MHz cordless to a 2.4GHz cordless, I expected to find a clear difference. But what I found was an outstanding difference! The cordless is the best I have ever used. It actually seems better than my regular non-cordless phone. I can be on one side of the house and have the base unit on the other side of the house and experience absolutely NO static whatsoever, no interference and enjoy a crystal clear conversation. The sound quality is remarkable.
Conclusion:
This phone is definitely worth the $160! I absolutely LOVE this phone! I was hesitant at first to spend that kind of money on a phone, but once I used it, I was sold. It's that amazing! Just try it out, go to your local electronics store and buy the phone. I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do. This phone is a slave, it does so much...it will save you time and headaches! I highly recommend it!
I wish you the best of luck in your search for the perfect cordless phone! But in my opinion, this one surpasses perfection. :-)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
grygomaca
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Location: Chicago
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 22 members
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