kld718's Full Review: Sony SPP A1050 900 MHz 1-Line Cordless Phone
Sony has seriously disappointed me with this product. I have been a Sony fan for years…virtually everything I own is this make. But this telephone, given to me as a gift was seriously disappointing for me. Let’s just say that it was so bad that after two weeks of trying to use it (I wanted to give it a chance), this phone ended up back in the box and then back into the store where it came from.
THE INSTRUCTIONS
This Sony APP-A1050 did come with a “Quick Start Guide” to help you set up your phone without much effort. The only thing I had to do was set up the base unit, which meant plugging the telephone and power cord into the wall and the back of the base unit. Then I had to install the battery pack into the back of the handset. The next step was to place the handset in the base unit and let it charge for the recommended time, which was 10 hours.
I found it very easy to use the actual phone. Store numbers on speed dial was a breeze compared to some phones. All I had to do was press the program button, pick a number 0-9, enter the number to be stored, and then depress the program button again.
I did not use the answering system that was included in this phone, but I did read over the instructions. Explicit instructions are given to set the time, day of the week, recording your greeting, and playing back your messages.
One feature that I did like about this phone was that if you had use of the answering service, and forgot to turn it on, you could call from another phone and turn it on. What you would have to do is call from a touch-tone phone, and let your home phone ring 10 times until it answers. There you go! Your answering system automatically turns itself on.
Another feature this phone has is that you can call and pick up your messages while you are away from your home. Simply call your phone (using a touch-tone phone), and after hearing your greeting you press the pound key and your security code. The voice guide tells you how many messages you have, you enter a control code and you have your messages. To get out of this function, you simply have to hang up. Nothing fancy, but convenient if your on-the-go and are waiting for a phone call.
~ The instructions come in both the English and Spanish language.
Telephone Features
~ 900 MHz Enhanced Reception System
~ 10 Speed Dial Presets
~ Auto Channel Scan and Select
~ Remote message retrieval
~ Any Key Answer
~ Last-number re-dial
~ Low-battery indicator
~ Digital Security System
~ Up to 7 hour talk time (yeah right!)
~ Handset locator button
~ Wall-Mountable
~ Hearing-Aid Compatible
Answering Machine Features
~ Tapeless Digital Answering System
~ Three Mail Boxes
~ 15 Minute Digital Recording Capacity
~ Variable Speed Playback
~ Voice Guidance
~ Voice Time/Day Stamp
~ Pre-recorded Outgoing Message
~ Announce-Only Mode
~ Audible Message Indicator
~ Digital Message Counter
~ Memo Message
~ Call Screening
~ Permanent Flash Memory
I found the auto channel scan and select feature totally worthless. It is supposed to scan every channel available to make your call clearer. When talking with my mother on the phone, I tried every channel to get her to hear me. Did she just not want to listen to me? NO. Even though it was long distance, it was the same problem with every channel. And the background interference while talking with someone was just plain annoying. There was no static, as this is a very good thing, because I can’t stand that.
The last-number re-dial feature did come in handy, but what is the use in this if I could not use the phone often. And it is not a unique feature, most telephone’s these days have re-dial as a standard feature. It’s almost a given.
The call screening part of the answering system would definitely come in handy for those that like to screen their calls. But, as I have Sprint caller-id, this feature would not make much difference to me.
kld718’s Experience
Well, I wanted to like this phone! I tried numerous times to use it and was disappointed every time. The first time I actually did use it, it lasted about twenty minutes before it went dead. Well, not exactly dead, but the person on the other line could not hear a thing that I was saying! And the second time I used it, the person I was calling thought that they were getting a crank call, because they couldn’t hear me at all! After this, I should have packed it back into the box and called it quits. I’m stubborn, I wanted this phone to work. But after two weeks of use, non-use actually because no one could ever hear me, I was so disgusted that I felt like throwing it straight into the trash can!
As for the answering system part of this phone, I cannot comment as I did not attempt to use it. We have Sprint voice-mail on our home telephone and it works wonderfully. I cannot imagine how this answering machine would work. But it would seem silly to keep the telephone even if the answering machine did work, as you cannot talk on the phone part of it. Well…you can, if you want to talk to yourself!
I found it funny that Sony includes this warning on the box: Keep the base unit away from TV’s, Personal Computers, and other appliances. Well, that leaves out the bedroom, the office, the kitchen…where else would I put a telephone?
I have had another Sony cordless phone for about 6 years, and haven’t had a problem with it. So I refuse to let this one incident cloud my vision.
~ One thing I found amusing is that Sony includes a letter of greeting to it’s customers. I have never received this letter with any other Sony product and am curious as to if this is just with new products. Included in the letter is this comment: Please DO NOT return this phone to the retailer.Sony gives you a 1-800 number to call instead. Yeah right! This piece of junk went right back to Circuit City.
Thanks for letting me vent!
~ Kim
~ I would love to read other’s comments, that have this phone. I hope that your experience was a lot better than mine!
Model number: SPP-A1050
Price: gift (retails at $59.95 on Sony.com)
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