Rating: 
Summary: OK, has some room for improvement - and it's discontinued
Review: My husband and I bought this phone a couple of years ago to replace an AT&T brand 900 mHz phone - we needed the extra oomph in our new home.It has many features that are nice, most especially the speakerphone capabilities. It's very clear when used "handsfree" and since the handset itself is a speakerphone, you can still wander away from the base. The caller ID log is kind of hard to find within the menus, and then once you do, finding the way to redial a number is kind of ridiculously user unfriendly. I know how, but a guest picking up the phone has to be guided through it entirely, even those who are very technically capable. It does have some other room for improvement compared even to our 5 year old AT&T phone. The caller ID and memory functions don't talk to each other. Our old phone would recognize the number on caller ID as the number in our memory bank, and so would come up as "mom and dad" or whatever, instead of the number from the regular caller ID. Not a big deal, but it was kind of cool. This is also a very common cell phone feature - and has been forever, so why isn't it included? Also, and this was more of an issue for me, the answering machine doesn't talk to either caller ID or memory bank. The older phone we had could allow us to leave a specific message for a number if it came in on caller ID, so that if we wanted to tell everyone but my parents the normal message, but say, "Hey, Mom, I'm at the store, try my cell phone," when her number came in, it would do that. I really miss that feature, and for a newer, supposedly cooler and better phone, I was sad that it wasn't there. We were very excited about having the ability to add extra handsets. However, we bought one and it just gets no good reception, no matter where we plug it in. I called customer support, and even though it would still be under warranty, (my fault for not calling sooner, but it's been less than a year) because the model is discontinued, they would only replace it with a newer model - and that would NOT be compatible with the 2461 base unit, so we're stuck with an extra handset that is pointless. All in all, I've been pretty happy with it, but it's just not as full of features as you'd hope. Also, be aware if you're buying one now that their newer models are not compatible and so if you have a repair issue, you might have to get a whole new system.
Rating: 
Summary: One year of great function
Review: We've had this phone for over a year now with no complaints. We have a second handset in another bedroom. Both have separate, adjustable ringer volumes. Medium loud can be heard easily, loud can be heard over a vacuum. The answering machine is reliable and you can delete a message mid-way thru if needed. It stops recording when a phone is picked up, too. I needed an extra battery for the 2nd handset and had to wait on hold for 10 minutes, then they were out of stock. Took one month to get it, but that is the only negative to be said about this great phone.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible!
Review: I'm on my third "repaired" phone now and it is now having issues with the answering system just like it's predecessors. Sure Vtech will gladly replace\repair them at no charge, but what good is the phone if it's always in for service. I would recommend anyone looking for a phone to avoid Vtech and go elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Died 1 week after the warranty ended
Review: I bought this because I have 2 rooms that need phones and I don't want to bother with running wire to them - so I have handsets for them.
The sound quality has been great, I haven't had any of the sound problems that others report.
Now, 1 week after a year (the warranty period), the answering machine has died - the LED displays "--" and flashes on and off. The worst part about this is that it makes a clicking sound that can be heard on the handset. Now I have to decide if I want to keep my 'investment' (2 other handsets) alive and buy another 2461 or a 2431 (if so I may buy the extended warranty)...or put it to bed.
Rating:
Summary: This phone CAN be used with phone card
Review: I've own this phone for almost one and a half years. Many people said this phone cannot be used with phone card because it cannot save the numbers separately. Some other person provides a solution by saving two or multiple numbers into one number. THEY ARE WRONG. I have figured out how to use this phone with phone card. The phone PIN number, company number, and the destination number can be saved separately and used with phone card. I have used it to call Taiwan many times with the phone card. NO Problem. The sound quality is good for me. I am very happy that I've got the phone with such a modern and stylish look. And, I got this phone for only [$$$] ... . It's a wonderful deal!
Rating: 
Summary: Worked OK for a year then broke.
Review: This phone worked well for a year before the base station and answering machine went out. The phone is difficult to balance on the shoulder. It has a number of nice features including the in-handset speakerphone. The voice quality is fair at best.
Rating:
Summary: Vtech vs Panasonic
Review: I read many of the reviews here and at several other locations regarding the VTech VT2461 and the Panasonic KX-TG2730S and the camps seemed to be very divided. You loved one and hated the other. So I took a chance, and bought them both! My plan was to figure out which one was better and return the other. For me, the VTech is on it's way back. It is not that I didn't like the phone, I just think in my side-by-side one week test, the Panasonic is better. The VTech is less substancial than the Panasonic and just seemed less well built and the answering machine was harder to understand than the Panasonic. However, I did not have any of the "white noise" issues I read about but that could be because I live in a pretty rural area with little interference. The hand unit is much smaller than the Panasonic, which I found with 2 kids made it easier to lose, also the speaker was in a funny location and I had to position it on my ear in an uncomfortable location. The phone is very modern looking and seemed more at home in a contemporary, chrome New York apartment than my country kitchen. I will admit that it is very easy to set up but not quite what this red-neck was looking for in features, feel and functionality. Which leads me to the Panasonic KX-TG2730S. Very nice phone! The set up was a little more time consuming but worth the investment. The reception and sound is great and after 2 weeks, I still have not had to recharge the phone. What battery problem? The first time I lost a bar on the battery indicator was when I programmed 50 telephone numbers into the handset after using it for 3 days. Now don't think I took it easy on this phone, I alternated between it and the VTech for incoming and outgoing calls and we make and receive lots of calls at my house. So to recap, the VTech is a good phone but not what I would call a family phone it is less rugged, easier to lose, and the sound on the answering machine too digital and harder to understand, and the look is too modern. I did not notice the "white noise" problem on this phone. The Panasonic was the full featured phone I was looking for that met my needs and my families needs. So if you are considering these two phones, I hope this helps.
Rating:
Summary: I'm looking to buy a new phone now.
Review: I've had this model (with an additional handset) for about 2 years or more and the sound quality has only gotten worse. After 2 years of use most calls are drowned out by static, so much so that you can't hear the other person. Our second handset just stopped working - when you answer it you can hear the other person but they can't hear you. Another problem: when you use speakerphone the sound fades in and out. In the beginning we could deal with the poor sound quality but at this point we need a new phone. I'm not going to buy a vtech again...our's just didn't last.
Rating:
Summary: A great phone for the money
Review: Pros:
Small, lightweight
Digital answering machine with multiple mailboxes
Speakerphone in BOTH the base, and the handset
Sleek design (come on, that's why you are checking it out ;)
Expandable with additional handsets
Programmable memory - you can save calls that have come in via Caller ID. Cons:
2.4 GHz may not be enough if you have a large home
Small display So, I have a small 2 bedroom apartment, and this phone is PLENTY for my uses. If you have a sprawling estate, you may need the range of a 5.8 GHz phone. Also the display size is sacrificed to keep the unit compact. These are not major gripes. Reception has been crystal clear since I began using the phone. The handset speakerphone is awesome. If you are not a fan of headsets that are cumbersome, you can understand. I sit with my phone in my lap and put on make-up, or use it while I'm cooking, washing my hands, etc. The other swell thing about this phone is that you can purchase additional handsets and plug them in anywhere (you just need an electrical outlet - no phone jack, it reads the base signal). That means that you can have an extra handset anywhere, and you can program numbers into either of them, because they share the same memory! Overall, far more pros than cons. A great phone for the money.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT phone, ignore the bad reviews!
Review: You know I have owned only 2 (not counting this one) cordless phones in my life and never had a problem with any of them (until they got OLD).. People, stop whining, if you want a "perfect" phone I do not think you will find one, if ya do, let me know please so I can see this miracle! Reception is NEVER perfect on a cordless, this one is just fine! My outgoing/incoming messages sound just like any other tae recorder so I don't understand why others are whining about that one. This is a way kewl phone for an awesome price! I would never in my life spend more than this on a phone..even with the most expensive phones people are complaining about the exact same things, so why bother? Who the heck walks 2 miles with their phone to talk? NOT ME..LOL..Thats what my cell phone is for;o) Lets face it, want a decent phone with some great features and easy to use with decent reception? Then this is a nice one..Also love the fact that it is not a big phone and fits nicely into my hand.
TTFN..
KC
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