One of the first things that became apparent was that the call quality – the sound you get through the earpiece – is essentially identical. So I looked elsewhere for points of difference: design, functionality and ease of use. In the past internet service providers needed a landline to transfer data to and from your router. However, with fibre optic broadband becoming much more commonplace, even that necessity is dying out. Fibre optic broadband is an entirely separate kind of cabling, thus making it unnecessary to have a landline to use the internet.

One nice feature is an illuminated keypad to simplify use when the lights are low. The enhanced user interface offers a choice of simple mode and expert mode, so if the phone is going to a technophobic household you can hide any unwanted complexity from view. The most compelling reason to buy a landline, as mentioned above, is to call the emergency services during a powercut when your mobile phone is dead or out of signal but unless you’re literally a character in a horror movie, that seems like a pretty specific and unlikely set of circumstances to be in. The feature specification of DECT models is remarkably uniform, and, as you’ll see from our recommendations, the market is now dominated by just a couple of big household brands. I’m going to cover these as one because they’re basically exactly the same (except for a few little bits that I’ll go over at the end of this review) and are both really good phones. Why we like it: At a bargain price point this phone offers tonnes of functionality in a sleek handsetThe KX-TGK222 also includes a number of additional features to make it even more useful. A Do Not Disturb mode ensures the phone won’t ring between set hours unless the call comes from a predefined VIP number. If you are concerned about potentially harmful radiation, then this handset also features an eco mode which can be toggled on or off. Why Should You Buy This Cordless Phone? In the unlikely event that your product has arrived damaged by the courier, we would request you to notify them of delivery as an official notice to the carrier and advise us immediately. I marginally preferred the look and functions of the Panasonic, which is why the BT models come second in my list – but we’re talking degrees of difference rather than a gulf. A worthy runner up.

You can also personalise this set. There’s a choice of 10 polyphonic and five monophonic ringtones. Speaker and ringer volume can be managed, so you can adjust it to suit where you’ve installed the phone, for example close at hand or in a hallway. Talk time is 16 hours on full charge, with 180 hours on standby. It’s not the only problem, either. This is the only phone I reviewed that doesn’t have an answering machine. A baffling exclusion if you ask me. Older people are the very generation who still use answering machine messages!As a phone specifically designed for older people, this one gets a lot of stuff right. It certainly lives up to its name with nice big buttons that should be easy to read for those with visual impairments. The text on the screen is also large enough to be easily legible and the few menu buttons are self-explanatory enough. The handset is nice and chunky but probably slightly heavier than most of the other devices on this list. The repair of products does not apply to faults caused by commercial use, wear and tear, accidental damage, neglect, misuse, damage resulting from exposure to sand and water, or failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. At 16 hours of talktime and 200hr on standby, the battery life is standard; and the range of 100m should be big enough for most homes. The benefit of Smartphone Connect is that you can make and answer landline calls with your mobile – handy when you don’t have to make a dash to wherever your landline phone is parked. You can even listen to any recorded calls or the system’s answer phone on your smartphone. Clever huh?

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DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) is a worldwide standard for digital wireless voice application. It’s the core technology powering wireless home phones. And therein lies a problem. The instruction manual for the Big Button isn’t great. It seems to have been written for people who are more well-versed in technology than this phone’s target audience. In addition, some features of the phone aren’t mentioned in the instructions at all, forcing users to go online to find out how to do certain things. The truth is that no home phone is ever going to be mega exciting – we’re not talking cutting edge 4K TVs here; the design has hardly changed in the past ten years – so you’re looking for something that does the job at a friendly price. To my eyes, that product is the Panasonic KX-TGD622 (catchy name, isn’t it?).

A one-touch eco-mode keeps the phone in standby until a call is received or made. The only caveat is the slightly limited talk time. At just 11 hours (and 150 on standby), this Smartphone Connect will require charging more often than non-smart rivals. As you can appreciate, we shall not be liable to you, for any failure or delay in the performance of our contract if it is due to an event beyond our reasonable control. Including, without limitation, acts of God, war, industrial dispute, fire, flood, tempest and national emergencies and if so delayed, we shall be entitled to a reasonable extension of time for performing such obligations. Also, the elegant colour and modest size of the incoming call LED indicator matches your bedroom in particular.There are 40 polyphonic ringtones, plus an eco mode plus, which ensures the base unit remains off until a call comes in, or the handset lifted. If there was ever a cordless phone to lust over, this is it. Buying tip: Using a technology called Smartphone Connect, you can integrate your smartphone with your landline. After registering your mobile to your cordless phone base station, you can take, and make, landline calls on your smartphone. This only works with Smartphone Connect-enabled cordless phones. This phone’s upright style and small footprint help it blend seamlessly with your interior. And its sophisticated silver finish exudes luxury. The BT4600 is also supplied with an inductive coupler and earpiece volume control, designed to make it easier for hearing aid users to take and make phone calls. It has an outdoor wireless range of up to 300m too, and an indoor range of up to 50m.