Panasonic Masters Cordless Phone Industry
Written: Jan 06 '00 (Updated Jul 10 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great design, features, value
Cons: Antenna in the way
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| dkmashino's Full Review: Panasonic KX TC1870 900 MHz - Cordless Phone |
Since before 900Mhz became the norm with cordless phones, Panasonic had been making great cordless phones. My near-10-year-old 2-line Panasonic has an LCD display, battery indicator, and even a call timer. Fast forward to 900Mhz: Panasonic has mastered the market.
My KX-TC1870B 900Mhz phone IS A WONDER! It's the ultimate in single line 900Mhz phones available. The most notable feature about this Panasonic (and all Panasonics in the line) is that they are ergonomically-designed. The handset fits great in your hand and while resting up to your ear. The ergonomics are apparently proven in that Panasonic, when designing their new line (including longer-range 2.4Ghz phones), have kept the basic shape of the handset.
LIKES:
LIGHTED HANDSET KEYPAD -Great for when using the phone when daylight is at a premium; such as when paging or checking voicemail late at night or when just getting up.
CALLER ID "PAGER CALL" -A MARVELOUS innovation. This feature sends a page to any direct-dial pager with the message of either a) the caller's ID or b) a preset code if the caller's ID is not available --and all of that whether or not the caller has left a message. This is a great feature for someone who fields numerous calls but is selective about the priority of those who will be called-back.
CALLER ID HANDSET DISPLAY -The convenience of having the caller ID display in the handset wasn't apparent to me until I house-sat and had to keep standing up to look at the stand-alone caller ID box receiver on the kitchen counter before I wanted to answer a call.
RANGE/CLARITY -All-in-all, of all the different types of cordless phones I've used at friends' and relatives' homes, the Panasonic is top-notch and second to none. The signal bounces through our home which is constructed mostly of concrete. Not only does it create a signal strong enough for it to be used in the entire house, it works at the beginning of our cul-de-sac and that's a good 40 feet away from our front door.
DIGITAL ANSWERER -Everyone knows about this concept by now. A tapeless (for outgoing and incoming) message machine that is "power failure proof."
REMOTE ANSWERER HANDSET OPERATION -This feature is offered with most all other medium- or high-grade cordless phones, but the Panasonic features are notable. With the handset, users can check messages and maneuver most parts of the digital answerer. The greatest feature about the remote answerer operation is that when a message has been received while the handset is not in the cradle, the handset will chirp to alert the user to a new message.
FLASH MEMORY -For those who don't have Panasonics or other devices with flash-type memory, this is a MUST. As with computers that use ROM flash cards that basically "burn" data onto a memory card for storage indefinitely until it is replaced, the Panasonic uses that technology for the outgoing and incoming messages for its answerer in the event of a power failure. That is to say, since the messages are "burned" onto a ROM flash chip when they are recorded, regardless of the time that will elapse in a power failure, when the power is restored, those messages will be restored.
SPARE BATTERY CHARGER -Beneath the area that cradles the handset, Panasonic provides a receptacle to charge an additional (which is purchased separately; aside from the phone) battery.
BATTERY LIFE -Under normal use, my phone can stay off the cradle in stand-by for up to a week. And with a continuous conversation, the battery (from full charge) will last for a good 5-6 hours. Even with the more than 5-hour conversation I had on a fully-charged battery, after the low battery indicator started beeping, I still had a good 45 minutes to an hour to keep going.
DISLIKES/QUESTIONABLES:
NECESSARY ANTENNA? -I've heard before that antennas especially in cordless and cellular phones are not necessary for carriage of a signal. If that's true, I think the Panasonic design would benefit more from a "nub" of roughly 0.5" high than the 2-3.5" stalk that they now use.
GHOST ANSWERING MACHINE -In some instances when I've finished listening to messages and have pressed <Exit> or <End>, the button/indicator that turns the answering machine on or off will sometimes switch to the off position without my guidance. In some form of (possibly purposeful) mitigation, the absence of the indicator light (being on when the machine should be on) looks peculiar if you're used to having it on; however, having the answerer turn on or off without my direction is a nuisance that I figure Panasonic could fix.
I'm not sure of the difference but I have only used Panasonic cordless phones manufactured in Japan. There are other models in the line-up that are manufactured in Malaysia. The only reason I make this point is that the battery packs in the handset are very different in appearance; the Japanese models use a hard-case battery pack, while the Malaysian models have what looks like 3 AA-size batteries shrink-wrapped in black plastic. Making specific mention of the various models' battery packs' design differences, necessarily, is not a negative point. However, using cars as a comparison, the hard-case battery pack might be worth the extra dollars if there is a more-than-nominal price difference. That is to say, in cars, every effort --especially in higher-end, luxury makes --is made to keep the car's battery from heat which lessens its life. To that end, if the hard-case battery pack might protect itself from discharging prematurely, then it might be worth the money.
With all of its features: 900Mhz clarity, caller ID, call-waiting caller ID, caller ID "Pager Call", digital answering machine, great battery life, and nice design, I WOULD RECOMMEND ANY PANASONIC 900MHZ CORDLESS PHONE to anyone!
Compared against other models, the Panasonic line is a bit costly. I think their durability and reliability are worth the extra price.
Again: Panasonic has MASTERED the cordless phone market!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dkmashino
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Location: Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 2 members
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