Rating: 
Summary: Excellent phone, but not perfect
Review: After evalutating the 5.8 GHz phones on the market, it came down to the Motorola MD671 and Panasonic KX-TG5100M. I tried both and at the end decided to go with the MD671. I agree with the Pros and Cons of the other reviews already posted about this phone and have the following to add:One thing that irks me about the MD671 is that caller ID numbers are not looked up in your phonebook entries. That is to say, if an incoming call matches a phonebook entry, the name is NOT displayed -- only the phone number is displayed. I don't understand why they left this out. All of my old (cheaper) phones did lookups... sigh. However, at the end the Pros outweigh the Cons. The MD671 has a nice feel to it (although the KX-TG5100M is thicker and thus is easier to keep between your head and shoulder), and it comes with a NiMH battery and not NiCd. The voicemail indicator and blue glow is nice too. :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Great sound offset by poor range and lack of features
Review: After researching the options in expandable systems I narrowed my choices to Panasonic KX-TG5230M and Motorola MD-671. So this review is also a comparison of the two.
Handset Sound Quality: I found Motorola to have the best sound quality of any cordless I've ever used. It was rivaling the sound of a corded phone and it was much better than the good sounding 900MHz and 2.4GHz phones I currently own. Panasonic, on the other hand, while not terrible - had a muffled sound and the callers on the other end found its sound muted compared to my other phones. I even exchanged the first set thinking that it could be defective. The voice enhancer provided only a marginal improvement.
Speakerphone Sound Quality: Both bases were excellent. Handsets performed identical to earpiece mode.
Range: I was disappointed with both. I would estimate it at about 80 feet. Both units lost the signal as I approached the front of a neighbor's house. Panasonic did a little better but not by much.
System Wide Features: Nether system excels but this is one area where Panasonic is a clear winner. With Motorola the concept of the phone system appears to be an after-thought. Essentially all it has is an intercom between handsets and a base and the ability to transfer calls. But you cannot rename the handsets, so you have to memorize where Handset N is. Everything else is individual to each piece. There is no way to share phonebook entries between handsets and only the base has the voicemail indicator.
Panasonic expands on Motorola with a room monitor feature and voicemail indicators on handsets. In addition, the handsets IDs are customizable. While I would prefer the base as a central phone book repository, Panasonic at least has the ability to copy phonebook entries between handsets.
As for the looks, I prefer Panasonic multicolor design and overall shape. Motorola looks good by itself but next to Panasonic it appears cheap. However, if you plan to wall mount the base Panasonic's design is less than optimal. Ergonomically I found Motorola slim but long handset very comfortable. Panasonic was also good but for longer conversations I preferred Motorola. Both phones rely heavily on menus and soft keys but Panasonic offers more essential hard keys its menus are more intuitive and easier to navigate. Panasonic's base is shallow on features with no LCD and thus no phonebook ability. I don't think talking caller ID compensates for this omission. Motorola's base has its own LCD and phonebook, but lacks the programmable key to call voice mail. In addition, Motorola base can accepts an optional backup battery that allows the system to operate during power outages.
Motorola systems can be extended to six handsets. Panasonic is limited to four.
In the end, I cannot recommend either system. Motorola's gets kudos for the excellent sound quality but falls short on system wide features and clunky interface. Panasonic's poor sound quality nullifies the otherwise nice expandable system.
Rating: 
Summary: Update to my last review
Review: After using this phone system for the last few weeks, I have some minor updates to provide to my original review. PROS
• WHAT A BATTERY! I decided to use one handset for a variety of calls over however long it took to run it down. After two days, with approximately 20 average calls, each probably between 5 and 20 min with about half of them on the speakerphone, the battery ran down. Compared to my previous phones, this level of performance is unprecedented and unexpected. You should buy this phone for this reason alone.
• While on the topic of batteries, I noticed that the charge indicator shows a faster motion while doing a full-rate charge, and it shows a slower motion for the trickle charge. This feature will assure you when the battery is fully charged. NEUTRAL
• I am still troubled by the lack of system-level features that I would expect from this kind of a phone. Namely, the phonebook in each handset and in the base unit is an individual directory that cannot be shared with the rest of the system elements. To have all of the elements in this system have the same directory, you must key in all of your numbers repeatedly. However, there is a "cheat" for those with caller ID (CID). If the person, whose phonebook entry you desire, were to call you, each handset and base unit will record the number and name of the caller in its CID register. One of the softkey menu selections is to save the CID information into the phonebook on that handset or base unit. Although there are repeated operations, the number of keystrokes is greatly decreased. Note that you need CID to perform this kind of phonebook entry. CONS
• When using CID, a message of how many new calls is displayed on each handset and on the base unit. It sure would be nice if clearing the display on one of the system elements would clear the rest of the system. Motorola should reconsider some of the system-level features for their future releases. This "feature" is the one thing that still annoys me.
Rating:
Summary: Well designed phone
Review: As some have mentioned, finding a suitable cordless phone can be a chore...surprising given the number of manufacturers out there. After looking at the 5.8ghz AT&T phone, I settled on the Motorola MD671. I needed a 5.8ghz system to avoid wireless LAN interference, and multiple handsets because I am using this with VoIP service. PLUSES:
First, it is apparent that this phone was actually designed by designers and not engineers; and that is a good thing. It is the most aesthetically pleasing phone on the market (in my opinion, of course). Vtech phones are little to much "bling-bling" for me, and the Panasonic phones are awash in buttons. The handset is not cluttered with buttons for each function, and I was able to easily use the phone and access all of its features without looking at the manual. The phone uses "soft" buttons which allow the buttons to have various functions depending on the display. The shape of the handset is just about perfect. It is fairly long, but flat. When resting on its face, the rubber buttons raise the phone off the surface enough so that it will remain stationary and not move around. When resting on its back, the raised battery cover and beltclip allow the phone to lay flat and let the speaker phone work well. Very nice. The blue back light is very pleasing and a nice change from Panasonic "green". The font display is rather large so it is easy to see. Both the handsets and the base unit are backlit (including the key pad -- not on the base unit keypad, however, just the display). I use voicemail service, so I needed a voicemail indicator light which this phone has on the base. I was concerned that the light was only on the base, because that is in the basement. I have learned, however, that there is also a small blue light on the handset that also flashes if you have voicemail (this is not mentioned in the manual). Very nice. Sound quality has been excellent, both on the handsets and the base unit speaker phone. Each handset can page either another handset, or the base unit, or all of them. So, the phone can be used as a "walkie talkie". Good battery life and a better NiMH battery not a NiCD. Base unit battery backup is a nice touch. The phone features 8 ringtones which can be set differently for each handset and the base. The vibrating feature is nice. Overall, the unit has a quality feel. However, I had to return my first one because of small problem with the base unit display (not a functionality problem...dust under the cover). It would be a shame and an insult to the designers if manufacturing does not produce a quality product. ISSUES:
As mentioned, you cannot share phone book entries among handsets. However, I can see how some customers may not want phone book entries to be shared. Perhaps the ability to mark some entries as "private" and allow others to be shared would solve the problem for everyone. The phone does not match caller ID number to phonebook entries. Not a huge problem, but it would be nice. Fortunately, my VoIP service allows me to set "nicknames" for callers and displays that name when they call. A global caller ID clearing function would also be helpful. Clearing it for each handset and the base unit is a pain. The manual and the web site does not have complete information on the phone. I can understand if the manual was written before all features on the phone had been finalized, but for a shipping product, the web site should be complete. Nowhere does it list COMPLETE specs (such as 5.8ghz from base to handset, but 2.4ghz from handset to base -- this preserves battery life), number of channels, frequency hopping functionality, etc. And no mention of the voicemail light on the handset is just sloppy. Oh, and it is not an inexpensive system. While competitively priced with other 5.8ghz phones, it is on the higher end of the price ladder. Overall, I would actually give this phone 4.5 stars...but it is not perfect. As I mentioned, this is the best designed phone on the market and I hope the quality lives up to the aesthetic. So far, so good.
Rating:
Summary: Works well for me
Review: Bought the phone base, and one handset, and am now buying two more handsets. This is the first cordless phone I ever owned that I can actually use. Almost no noise, interference or fade. The intercom and speakerphone features on the handsets are great, and the range, at least for me- is easily 50 yards.
Only drawback- it would have been so cool if numbers stored on one phone could be transferred to all the other sets.....
Rating:
Summary: Looked great, but did not perform
Review: features looked great, form factor was great...
However, my old 2.4 Ghz phone sounded better. This Motorola unfortunately kept cutting in and out (quite frequently).
Rating:
Summary: Close to landline quality
Review: Great phone with superior reception and voice quality. Stylish and more compact then the picture reflects. Large display on the base. My only complaint is that I have to clear the caller ID's for the handset and base independently. Would be nice if I could do both at the same time. Might be one of the pricier models, but worth it!
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing Information
Review: I am in the process of buying a 5.8 GHz Cordless Phone and its a real pain. Consumer reports has some helpful information, but for the most part it is out-dated and not focused on newer 5.8 GHz technology. The corded Analog phones and 900 MHz have better sound, but are not secure and the 2.4 GHz have interference problems.
NiMH batteries are best. However, finding out which the MD671 has is confusing. Amazon gives a product review which states the phone has the less desirable NiCD battery, but the technical information and some reviewers state it has a NiMH battery! The extra handset MD61, however, states that it has a NiCD battery! I guess I'll have to physically go to the stores and check the boxes!
Anyway, I'm still looking at VTech and Uniden (no more Panasonic), but it seems none of these phones are pure 5.8 GHz. FH(D)SS [Frequency Hopping Digital Spread Spectrum] seem to be common and are supposed to be good for non interference of wireless systems or with microwaves. Basically, look for features that you can't do without, look at it in person, buy it and cross your fingers and save the box and your receipt.
Rating:
Summary: Very Pleased
Review: I did considerable research on cordless phones, with part emphasis on the reviews left here on Amazon. I won't re-invent the wheel here since most of the pros and cons are so well described in the earlier reviews. Personally, I think it looks amazing and has terrific range. In short, I love the blue theme of the LDC display, I love the range, and I love the battery life (if taken care of correctly). What I also think is a great trait, unlike recent Panasonics, is the ability to recall a number from your caller ID, and modify it prior to calling it back, say for example if you need to dial a 1 or an area code, etc. The only thing I'd say I prefer less, is the shape of the hand held phone (very flat and not quite condusive to holding it against your neck), and the fact that the handheld and the base keep an unsychronized account of calling id data. I'd rather not have to constantly clear out numbers from both; however, a backup is never a terribly bad idea. Certainly worth the money here, in comparison to other similar products.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Sound Quality
Review: I have owned a lot of other phone brands. Used to own mostly Panasonics, tried a few Unidens, and a few random others. This phone has by far the best sound quality of any I have tried. Great range, no interference with the wireless network. Highly recommended.
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