How to choose Cordless phones

Cordless phones are adapting to a world increasingly crowded with wireless and Internet-based devices. New phones can happily coexist with home networks or let you place calls over your cell phone service or the Internet.

One of the most promising developments is the arrival of phones that operate in a different frequency band than WiFi networks, Bluetooth, baby monitors, and other wireless devices. Skirting the congested 2.4- and 5.8-gigahertz (GHz) bands, these phones use the 1.9-GHz band, which is reserved for voice applications. The goal is to eliminate interference with other devices--and our tests showed it did exactly that. The new technology, called Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT, sometimes called DECT 6.0), also deliver much longer talk time than we've seen before. DECT phones from Philips, Panasonic, GE, and VTech are already on the market. You're likely to see more of these phones, possibly at lower prices, in coming months. Even phones in the heavily trafficked 2.4-GHz band have tackled some of the interference problem. In our tests, "wireless-network-friendly phones," from AT&T minimized or eliminated interference by avoiding portions of the band used by WiFi networks (though they still may cause interference to other wireless products).

In another trend, a few cordless models can stand in for your cell phone. By placing your cell phone near the cordless phone's base, you can access your wireless service via Bluetooth technology and use your cordless handset to make or take cell calls. Besides the convenience of using one cordless handset for all your calls, you may get better cell-phone reception within your home. (For example, if you don't get cell service in you basement, you may be able to make or take calls from there using the cordless handset.) It also makes it easier to use whichever account offers unused talk time.

Other cordless models let you switch between traditional landline and Internet phone service, also known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Such phones have a regular phone jack and an Ethernet jack for hookup to your home network. Heavy long-distance users can save big with VoIP if they have the required high-speed Internet access. Plans offered by cable companies typically include unlimited domestic calls for about $20 a month, plus comparatively low-cost international calls. Some phones have VoIP service, such as Skype, built in. Unlike cable-based VoIP services, Skype is a peer-to-peer service that lets you call any Skype subscriber in the world for free. Connecting with non-Skypers in the U.S. is also a bargain-$90 a year.

These new phones have just begun to trickle into the marketplace, so they represent only a few of the models in our Ratings. If you don't have to be on the cutting edge, you'll find plenty of other solid choices at good prices in our Ratings.



WHAT'S AVAILABLE

AT&T, GE, Panasonic, Uniden, and VTech account for most of the market. VTech owns the AT&T Consumer Products Division and now makes phones under the AT&T brand as well as its own name. The current trends include phones that support two or more handsets with one base, less expensive 2.4- and 5.8-GHz analog phones, and full-featured 1.9, 2.4 and 5.8-GHz digital phones. Many phones now include an additional handset with a charging cradle, often with an option to add more (digital models only). More than a third of the cordless phones sold include a digital answering machine. Price range: $15 and up for single-handset phones, $50 and up with built-in answering machine; $25 and up for multiple-handset phones, $80 and up with built-in answering machine.



HOW TO CHOOSE

Consider the following when shopping for a phone:

Choose analog or digital technology. A main distinction among cordless phones is the way they transmit their signals. Here are some terms that you may see while shopping and what they mean for you.

Analog phones are the least expensive type and tend to have better voice quality than digital models, though their range is somewhat shorter. They are also unlikely to cause interference with other wireless products. But analog transmission isn't very secure; anyone with an RF scanner or comparable wireless device might be able to listen in. Analog phones are also more likely than digital phones to suffer occasional static and RF interference from other wireless products. Also, multiple-handset capable phones can't conference handsets with an outside party, and the number of handsets that can be supported by the base unit is typically limited to two.

Digital phones provide an added measure of security and more immunity to RF interference. Their range may be slightly better than that of analog phones. Note that some phones-usually the 2.4-GHz or the multiple-handset capable phones with handset conferencing capabilities-use such a wide swath of the spectrum even in standby mode that they may interfere with wireless LAN, baby monitors and other wireless products operating in the same frequency band. The latest phones use a technology called Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication (DECT), which addresses the interference problem by using the 1.9-GHz frequency band that was recently reserved by the FCC for voice-only applications. DECT phones also tend to have the longest talk time. Some digital models support up to 10 handsets from one base and allow conferencing of handsets.

To be sure you're actually getting a digital model, check the packaging carefully. Look for wording such as "digital phone," "digital spread spectrum (DSS)," "frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS)," or digital enhanced cordless telecommunication or telephone (DECT). Phrases such as "phone with digital security code," "phone with all-digital answerer," or "spread spectrum technology" (not digital spread spectrum) all denote phones that are less secure. Phones that use dual-band transmission may indicate the higher frequency in a larger print on the packaging. If you want a true 5.8- or 2.4-GHz phone, check the fine print. If only the frequency is prominently shown on the package, it's probably analog.

Pick a Frequency. Cordless phones use one or two of the four available frequency bands: 5.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 1.9 GHz, and 900 MHz. Many phones are dual-band, which means they transmit between base and handset in one frequency band and receive in another; you can't switch to or choose one band or another. Dual-band phones use the 5.8-GHz, 2.4-GHz and 900-MHz frequency bands. Since 1.9-GHz phones are relatively new, expect only the major manufacturers to offer them. A few manufacturers still make inexpensive, 900-MHz phones, usually analog. They are fine for many households, but they are dwindling. This band is now mainly used along with 5.8- or 2.4-GHz analog transmission dual-band phones.

Phones that use the 2.4-GHz band, unfortunately, share their frequency with many other wireless products, including baby monitors, wireless computer networks, Bluetooth devices, home security monitors, wireless speakers, and microwaves ovens. Analog phones that use the 2.4-GHz band are inherently susceptible to RF interference from these devices, while their digital counterparts may actually interfere with them. Interference can cause static on your cordless phone, a baby monitor, or wireless speakers; it can disrupt a wireless computer network or the video on a home security or baby monitor. If you have few or no wireless devices near your phone, a 2.4-GHz phone would be fine for you. Otherwise consider a phone billed as "wireless network friendly" or "802.11-friendly." These phones use portions of the 2.4-GHz band that are less likely to interfere or be interfered with by wireless home networks.

Decide on number of extensions. A single-handset phone is best suited for smaller homes where you're never far from the phone. If your home is too large for that, give first consideration to multiple-handset phones, which support (and usually include) multiple handsets from one base; each extra handset sits in its own charging cradle, without the need of a phone jack, making it easier to station the handset where you want it. With some models, it's possible to buy replacement handset and charging cradle in case one breaks. With others, you'll have to purchase an entirely new system to keep that extension. Handset conferencing, available only on digital phones, lets two or more handsets participate on an outside call.

Settle on the features you want. You can expect caller ID, a headset jack, and a base that can be wall-mounted. See Important Features for others. Also check the phone's packaging or download the instruction manual from the manufacturer's Web site to confirm you're getting the features you want. As a rule, the more feature-laden the phone, the higher its price.

Decide which performance nuances matter most to you. Our tests show that most new cordless phones have very good overall voice quality. Some are excellent, approaching the voice quality of the best corded phones. In our latest tests, most fully charged batteries provided 8 hours or more of continuous conversation before they needed recharging. DECT phones averaged more than twice as long. Most manufacturers claim that a fully charged battery will hold its charge at least a week in standby mode. When the battery can no longer hold a charge, a replacement battery, usually proprietary, costs about $10 to $25. Some phones use less-expensive AA or AAA rechargeable batteries. (To find stores that recycle used cordless phone batteries, call 800-822-8837 or go to the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.'s site at www.rbrc.org. Our Web site www.GreenerChoices.org also has advice on this topic.)

Decide whether you want an answerer. Many people still do, despite the ubiquity of cell phones with voice-mail capability. Both single- and multiple-handset phones come in versions with a built-in answerer. Such phones often cost little more than comparable phone-only models and take up about the same space. If you're considering an answerer, you need to make these two additional decisions: Try out the handset if possible. In the store, hold the handset to see whether it fits the contours of your face. The earpiece should have rounded edges and a recessed center that fits nicely over the middle of your ear. Check the buttons and controls to make sure they're reasonably sized and legible.

Don't discard your corded phones. It's a good idea to keep at least one corded phone with traditional landline service in your home, if only for emergencies. Cordless phones--and even corded models connected to VoIP services or fiber-optic networks--may not work if you lose electrical power. Neither will a cell phone if you can't get a signal or the circuits are full.

Make sure you can return it. Before buying, check the return policy in case you encounter unexpected problems at home that you can't resolve, such as wireless interference.