My two Panasonic cordless phones have been ailing for a while and needed to be replaced badly. They have served me well, over four years. One of the phones had developed a difficulty pressing the number 9 & 5, the other doesn't charge correctly and I get an out-of-range signal even if the phone is a foot away from the base.

Several months ago, I had purchased the Panasonic KX-TG1050N
2.4 GHZ Multi-Handset Cordless Phone with Caller ID and Digital Answering Machine. It's the expandable system (up to 4 handsets) that's champagne in color. The next day, it went back to the store because there were features that were lacking (i.e. unable to share phone directories between phones, inability to retrieve messages from handset, poor voicemail recording, etc.) I have been eyeing Siemen's top of the line phone (Siemens 8825 Gigaset Cordless Telephone), but the issue of reliability has been brought up by several reviewers from Epinions and Amazon. So, all I can do is wait.

Well, the wait is over. Panasonic has released a new generation phone system that is poised to replace the one that I had returned. It's features can rival that of the Siemens phone that I had wanted to get.

Features Include:
* Call Waiting Caller ID: you can see the name & phone number of an incoming call.
* 4-Line LCD Screen with Backlighting: font is large enough to read without squinting.
* Numeric Keypad & Digital Duplex Speakerphone on base station: the station can serve as a secondary phone.
* Handset speakerphone: the included cordless phone (and optional handsets) include a digital duplex speakerphone on the handset.
* Flash Memory Backup: in the event of a power failure, all messages and greeting are saved in an IC chip.
* Memo Recording: you can leave voice notes for family members.
* Slow Talk Message Playback: the speed of playback can be decreased by 30% for those people who leave messages that talk really fast.
* 2.4 GHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology: aka Digital Spread Spectrum...originally developed by the military to prevent scanners from picking-up conversations. A scanner cannot decipher your conversation and it would come across as a digital "noise."
* Expandable to 8 Handsets: technically, you can purchase 7 more handsets because the handset that comes with the unit is considered as 1 out of 8.
* 2-Line Phone: you can plug in two separate phone lines using 2 telephone line cord or 1 cord using the special wire included in the box. The phone can also operate just using one phone line.
* Walkie-Talkie Feature: enables 2 handsets to serve as walkie-talkies without using the base (so you have to purchase an additional handset).
* Digital Answering Machine: equipped with 3 mailboxes with mailbox #2 & #3 passnumber capable.
* 50 Name Phone Directory: can be stored in each handset & base with the capability of sharing directories between the handset & base.
* Headset Jack capable: if you don't want to use the speakerphone function, a built-in headset jack is included on the handset.
* Talktime: rated up to 4.5 hours per charge with up to 11 days of standby says Panasonic.

What's in the box:
Included in the box are: the AC adaptor, 2-telephone line cord, battery pack, base unit, handset unit, wall mounting adaptor, belt clip, English & Spanish manuals with quick set-up instruction guide.

The Phone:
The base unit is approximately 3" x 9 3/4" x 5 1/2" (H x W x D), weighing in at a little over a pound. It features dual antennas for better reception. The handset weighs in at approximately 1/2 pound with the dimensions of approximately 9" x 2" x 2" (H x W x D). Unfortunately, the battery pack is only nickel cadmium which is prone to memory effects. The instruction booklet actually suggest to remove the phone from the cradle once the battery is initially charged for 15 hours until "Recharge Battery" appears on the handset to lengthen the longetivity of the battery. I attempted to check Panasonic's website to see if NiMH batteries are available, but their battery guide is somewhat non-descriptive.

The base unit has a large LCD display with an interactive menu. Buttons on the base unit include: Line 1 & 2 access, Hold, Conference, Fuction, Edit, Redial/Pause, Flash/Call Wait, Mute, Digital Speakerphone, Locator/Intercom/Transfer, Navigator Key. Specific to the answering machine includes: Mailbox 1, 2 & 3, Answer On/Off & Memo. The handset has similar features but it includes Soft Keys that changes in function depending on the state of usage (i.e. accessing the voicemail, transferring calls, etc.)

I will now highlight features that are "unique" from typical cordless phones.

The Ringer:
You can actually program the handset(s) to ring a different tone depending on which line the phone is ringing from (either line 1 or 2) to help differentiate the origin of the call. What's neat is that the handset and the base have 6 ringtones. #1 is a typical phone trill sound; #2 is a higher-pitched version of #1; #3 sounds like an antique phone ringing that has a bell-like quality, #4 sound like a low-pitched doorbell chime(ding-dong); #5 actually are birds chirping, very high-pitched; and #6 sounds like a polyphonic chime with multiple chords. You have 6 good options depending on how you want to be "annoyed" by your phone.

The Answering Machine:
For the first time, I was actually please with this model's IC chip for recording your message. My voice doesn't sound like it was compressed at all. Recorded messages are crisp and clear. You have the option to use the machine's 2 pre-recorded greetings (one for leaving messages and the other for greeting only, no messages allowed). You can also limit the amount of time your callers can record messages; choose from 1, 2, 3 minutes or greeting only. The machine is capable of recording up to 15 minutes of messages and this includes your greeting. It would have been nice if Panasonic had increased the recording time. Messages can be stored in 3 mailboxes, where mailbox 2 & 3 have an option of a secret password (actually a 2 digit number) to prevent others from listening to messages. The main reason why I purchased the phone: it allows retrieval of messages from the handset! I can be anywhere around the house and I don't have to go to the base unit to retrieve my messages. You can also check your messages remotely when you're away from home. Finally, when you picked up a call and they want to talk to somebody else other than you, you can transfer the call to the person's mailbox so that the caller can leave a message.

Booster Function:
The handset has an option called "Booster On" which helps to improve the sound quality when there's a lot of interference. The feature can be accessed using the handset's softkeys and it automatically disengages after the call is terminated, the call is placed on hold, or when making a conference call. Using this features lessens the operating time of the phone.

Digital Duplex on Handset:
It's nice to be able to engage the speakerphone without having to be tied to the base unit. I actually tried this function while talking to my sister and it worked really well. We were both talking simultaneously without cutting each other's sentences. And I was actually talking on the first floor where my furnace is located so it made a lot of background noise, but my sister was able to hear me perfectly well. The volume coming from the handset was loud enough to hear even though the furnace was on.

Edit your Caller's Phone Number:
If you want to save the name & phone number of the caller when your Caller ID picks up, you actually have the option to edit both the name & number prior to saving it in the directory. Once the name & number are saved, it can easily be edited in the future. The phone allows both upper and lower case letters, and symbols such as: # & ' ( ) * , - . /

You own handset's directory can be shared with another handset or the base station, having the option to copy all of the directory or just selected numbers.

Conference Calls/MultiHandset Features:
You can actually talk on one line, answer a second call on the other line and combine the calls. Another handset can join the call or you can page another handset to join in. However, a maximum of 3 phones (including and excluding the base unit) can work at a time. When the 4th unit attempts to join, they may get a "System is Busy. Try again Later." message. If you prefer to not let anyone join in your call, you can press the privacy soft key. If another handset tries to eavesdrop, they will be denied. The feature automatically disengages with the end of the call.

The handset(s) and base unit have a room monitor feature that can be activated or deactivated. The unit that you want to monitor will not ring. This feature is helpful if you want to check in on your baby for example.

Finally, the walkie-talkie feature. With the purchase of an additional handset, both handsets can turn into a 2-way radio without the need for the base unit. So, you can actually take the phones to the grocery, mall, etc. I have not tested this function and the instruction booklet does not mention the maximum range.

Handset Options:
Panasonic made this telephone system practical and stylish at the same time. You can purchase additional handsets. KX-TGA272S sits horizontal on its charger for the reason that it's a phone and an alarm clock, yet it still has all the features of the other handsets such as the digital duplex speakerphone. KX-TGA271V has a blue/violet accent for a touch of color. The KX-TGA271W is an all white handset where it has some clear plastic accents (a perfect complement to my iPod). Both handsets come with a white charger base and are actually slimmer than the included handset. Last but not least, KX-TGA270S is the same exact handset as the one included with the phone, it's silver with a purple/blue face plate accent. UPDATE: I was looking at the battery pack and good news! The handsets that can be purchased separately comes with Ni-MH batteries instead of Ni-CAD. It's only the base station handset that is equipped with Ni-CAD batteries.

When you purchase an additional handset, each handset after the unit that came with the phone needs to be registered to your system. The handset that came with the phone with always be handset #1, the next phone registered will be #2, and so on. What is lacking is the ability to customize the phone. All you get is an extension number on the right upper corner next to the battery meter. It would have been nice if you can specify for example, "Kitchen," "Den," "Brian's Bedroom," etc.

Overall, I think Panasonic listened to its customers on what features they would like to be included and this system does deliver. It has enough features to satisfy and yet the design is very bold and stylish. I hope this review helps you make a better decision!






Recommended: Yes