Rating: 
Summary: Great potential features, poorly implemented
Review: There's a lot to like about this phone. Unfortunately, there's much more to dislike about it.The great features are the voice dialing, the reception (more on that later), the voice call announcement, small size, solid construction, that it operates from standard rechargeable batteries, locking keypad, multi-phone support, and the speakerphone, of course. The speakerphone, in particular, is excellent for a phone of this size, and voice dialing has thus far been flawless. On the downside are a lack of a headphone jack, something I use daily (and, admittedly my mistake, never thought to "check for" on the box since essentially all phones in this price-range have one, as did this phone's predecessor). It doesn't have volume keys, this function's performed through a menu, so to change volume in mid-call requires you to: Say "Excuse me a second," and take the phone from your head; Hit "Menu," hit "Handset Volume", adjust the volume with the keypad arrows, hit "Ok," which puts you back to the "Handset Volume" menu. You then hit the return arrow to get back to the call. But wait! On occasion when you first hit "Menu" to change the volume you're put you into a different screen with additional options that weren't there earlier. So now you have the added steps of scrolling down to "Handset Volume," and repeating the above. And, amusingly, the first option you're provided in this second menu is to "Auto-Redial" the call you're currently ON! Before I go on, let me say here that I'm a gadget-fan, and enjoy digging into manuals and just plain "tinkering" to find, and use, obscure features of a product. For instance, I have a remote control that can only be programmed via a PC, and it's wonderfully complex, but powerful because of that complexity. And this is where I find the greatest fault in the Siemens phone. It too is complex and powerful, but at the expense of being confusing and inconsistent. As my previous "volume" example shows, the menus seem to operate in arbitrary ways. Throughout, for instance, you are presented with "End," "Return Arrow," or "Ok" when making changes or selections. Sometimes you save a change by pressing "Ok." But other times you're given a "Save" option instead. That's fine, of course, "Save" is the logical choice. But why not always present the user with "Save" instead of occasionally using "Ok" in its place? Want to edit a number? There are a few ways to do it, but when you do, and hit "Save," you're right back editing the number again. To escape you have to now use "End" which brings you up to the default screen. In other editing cases you hit "Ok" to save, and it jumps you back to a previous menu. So at various times you "Save" a setting or change, or "Ok" the setting or change, or "End" from the setting or change. Hitting the wrong key ("End") when it expects something else from you drops you seemingly-randomly to some other screen, may undo your changes, or may put you back where you're trying to escape from. Occasionally you're presented with multiple options of these keys that now do the identical function. For example, if you're in "Main Menu 3," you have the displayed return arrow and "End" keys that both now jump you up one level. And in the "Appointments/Dates" menu, you are now given a return arrow, a new "Go Back" menu item, and "End," and this time they all operate all in the same way! (up one level). Three options to do the same function. Unless you spend a LOT of time with this thing, you'll have to guess at what any of the buttons do in a given situation. And in another case (listening to a recorded voice), selecting "Ok" plays the voice, then jumps you back two levels instead of back to the current level! Last, when selecting an option to change, and you need to bring up that options menu of options, sometimes you're presented with an "Ok" button, while other times this button reads "Menu". They both bring up the option's menu, so why use different terms, especially since "Ok" is used for so many other functions? I'm half-convinced the UI was written by six engineers who were mad at each other... It violates most tenets of usability, with the primary violation being lack of consistency. And the phone uses a "Directory" structure which is fine for a PC, but not for a phone, especially with the limited display. And some of the terminology is poorly chosen. For example, when you "Transfer" an entry from your "Speech" directory to the default, it really does a "copy". The original stays in the speech directory. I'd love to have the same people write the "Transfer Funds" code for my bank accounts! While I was excited about the voice announcement for numbers you've stored voices for, as someone else wrote, the volume isn't suitable to hear from any distance. Other quirks: A freshly charged set of batteries register "1/3" charge no matter what I do (NiMH). And, the keys themselves "rock" when you press them, aiding to miskeying. And to fully use this phone, you'll be hitting the keys a LOT. Last, as other's have reported, it "clicks" occasionally. And while the distance was terrific, and I stayed connected, the clicking and garbling rendered the audio unintelligible when I'd strolled far enough away. I was excited by this phone's promise, but without a simple way to USE its many advanced features, along with lacking basic features such as a headphone jack and dedicated volume buttons, it's simply much more work than it's worth.
Rating: 
Summary: Great gadget phone
Review: This is a phone packed with features. It's actually closer to what you expect on a cell phone instead of a home phone really. It has an internal directory so you can save all your numbers in the phone and you can see the names on the lcd screen as you scroll through it instead of memorizing that you saved the speed dial for work in memory slot 6. Call display on the handset is great! I no longer have to go look at the base unit of my old phone to see who is calling. And the best feature of this phone over it's cheaper cousin the 4010 is the speakerphone feature on the handset. If you ever have to wait on hold for a long time then it's great to just turn on the speaker phone and do something else. It's very rare to see a portable with a speaker phone in the handset but it's a great feature. Quality of the calls with the speaker phone are pretty good too. It doesn't clip off the beginning of the conversation when you start to speak like most speakerphones I've used. Biggest drawbacks that some people will find is that it doesn't have a headset jack and it's only a single line unit. They do sell an expensive 2 line office phone/portable base if you need it but it's more than double the price. Also it comes with a belt clip that is totally useless. The clip is curved in the opposite direction of your waist so it's nearly impossible to put on without the clip popping off. User interface is pretty good with 2 soft keys under the LCD display that change depending on what is displayed and it uses the round arrow pad to navigate up, down, forward, and back through the menus. There is one UI problem in that there are 3 types of phone directories. There is the main directory that will have most of your numbers stored, there is a speech directory which holds entries with speech prompts and there is a mem directory for speed dial entries that you can dial by holding down one of the 9 numbers on the keypad. They should just integrate these other directories into the main list. Also if you subscribe to call waiting or other advanced call management features from the phone company you will need to read the manual to find out that you hold the mem key down for about 2 seconds to switch calls in call waiting or for activating 3 way calling. Oh and oddest feature of the phone has to be the room monitor. If you buy one of the expansion handsets you can leave one handset in a room say with the baby and when a certain amount of noise level is reached it will dial the other set so you can hear what is going on through the speakerphone feature. If you don't have another handset you can even tell it to dial a number say for your cell phone to monitor the room. Heck, it could be a lame security or evesdropping tool with this feature. I guess there is a use for it but I still found room monitor a bit funny. Would be nice if you could turn it off remotely though, once setup it will just keep calling you when it detects noises and you can't talk back.
Rating: 
Summary: Well designed, but....
Review: This is by far the clearist cordless phone that I've ever owned. Although I returned mine today, it is indeed a well engineered phone by the Germans. The reason I did not keep this phone is for the following reasons: 1) There is still some annoying clicking noises. At this price it should've been fixed. 2) It is WAY TOO COMPLICATED to use. I have a college degree and am applying to medical school. I consider myself pretty tech savvy until I purchased this phone. This phone is 10X more complicated than any other cordless phone I've seen. Its even more complicated than my Motorola Startec. 3) Although I owned it for nearly 3 weeks, I still cannot figure out how the voice activated dialing works. As far as I can tell, its just an extra useless addition. I do not think it can dial on command. You have to punch in a bunch useless keys and it just plays your recorded voice and you still have to enter something afterwards. It is useless. 4) It did not offer a phone jack that can be found on many of the cheaper models. In all, it is a good phone with perhaps too many options. It is confusing to operate and it is expensive. I hope this helps.
Rating: 
Summary: Phantastic
Review: This is certainly the best cordless phone I ever used. The basic functions are very simple to understand (I almost never had to use the manual yet). The battery works excellent, we had no problems with it at all. The answering machine is great. Superior sound quality. No problems with interference in NYC. Extremely reliable phone. There is one little drawback: If you have misplaced the phone and want to use the alarm function you have to look for the button on the bottom of the base station.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst cordless phone EVER.
Review: This is the most annoying phone I have ever owned. If you get too far from the base the clicking begins and it wont stop until you hang up the call and redial. Now I know why every previous phone I have ever owned had a rescan feature, although it was always unneeded. Okay, so the reception is bad. Then there's the matter of the irritating tone delay when dialing. It takes the phone over one second, sometimes a bit more to register that you've pressed a number on the pad, which can be annoying when entering account numbers or menu options into VRUs. Let's see, what else...the menu is cumbersome and not the least bit intuitive. The only thing this phone has going for it is that the portable handset has speakerphone. The only problem is that there is no way to put it on mute which can be extremely limiting when on a conference call from home. So anyway, this would be a great phone if I lived alone in a studio apartment and didnt dial my bank or credit card company or anyone else that expects you to enter options into a voice response unit. Just say no to the good looks of this phone and either buy somthing else, or wait for something equally attractive to come on the market. I cant wait to get rid of mine.
Rating:
Summary: Some nice features, but...
Review: This phone has some nice features, such as voice dialing and copying phonebook to other handsets, but it is missing two very important feature in my book:
1. No headset jack. I really miss using a headset for long conference calls or talking and typing.
2. No easy muting for attending conference calls and not adding your background noise to the call. I regularly participate in or listen to conference calls and do not find the lack of mute very helpful. I would have seriously reconsidered this phone if I had realized these two features where missing.
Rating:
Summary: Some nice features, but...
Review: This phone has some nice features, such as voice dialing and copying phonebook to other handsets, but it is missing two very important feature in my book:
1. No headset jack. I really miss using a headset for long conference calls or talking and typing.
2. No easy muting for attending conference calls and not adding your background noise to the call. I regularly participate in or listen to conference calls and do not find the lack of mute very helpful. I would have seriously reconsidered this phone if I had realized these two features where missing.
Rating:
Summary: We say it can, but we couldn't do it...
Review: This phone is a technical nightmare. It has so many features that it is overly complicated. Just picking it up could send it off to some menu that takes a rocket scientist to figure out how to get out so that you can use the phone. The most frustrating part is the one simple thing that I wanted it to do, announce the caller from the base station. I checked the manual to make sure it would do this before I bought it and it states very plainly that it can. But after two hours of trying to make it work, I called Siemens customer service and they said, "It was supposed to do that, but we couldn't make it work." I wanted a phone to work as a phone, not this techno-nightmare that does way more that needed, and not what is needed. Also, the phone's voice dialing feature failed after I used it three times. Rubic's Cube has nothing on this phone.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, featureful, quality cordless phone system
Review: Those of you who have read my reviews of other various products know that I'm as honest as possible. I've read all of the awful reviews about this phone, and let me tell you that I ignored all of them and am almost 100% satisfied that I did. Here goes... First the good...
- This phone has quite an incredible range. Note that I followed it's instructions and recommendations of putting it someplace high up (in a room on our second floor), away from electronic equipment. I live in a new townhouse development, and I can walk all the way to the mailboxes (which are 8 units away!) and still be using the phone!
- The quality is superb, except that sometimes there is a faintish (very faint at that) white noise, but apon further inspection, all other cordless phones have it too...
- It has neat, easily distinguishable ringers to aid in determining which phone line is ringing.
- And quickly summing up the other gadgets, voice dialing which has worked beautifully -- hasn't misdialed at all, night-time ringer volume, speakerphone, etc etc etc! Here's why I gave this phone one star less than perfect. One of the features I bought this phone for was the night-time silent ringing mode. Haven't managed to get that working, but I also haven't called their tech support which I hear is great. The other thing is the lack of headphone port. Would have been nice to have that when I need handsfree outdoors, but those times are rare. As a quick added note, I didn't even use the battery it came with, I replaced them with NiMh batteries which give me a talk time of about 6 good hours...sometimes 7. Speakerphone is less as it should be. I also have a wireless LAN (802.11b), and it gets along mostly well except for when I'm literally inches from the wireless base/hub. Works better than other 2.4ghz phones around microwaves as well. Just down sit down in front of one cooking a 15-20 minute meal! To sum up this phone in a nutshell. It has received very bad reviews from certain people. I love gadgets and I love this phone. If you buy it, get it somewhere that has a return policy in case it isn't for you. All features except the night-mode for ring volume work great in my opinion and the phone is VERY solidly built. The screen is simple to read, and even the way it was packed reflects its quality. Its up to you, but I recommend that you give this phone a chance.
Rating:
Summary: Best cordless I've ever had
Review: Very good sound quality, except the click every few minutes that previous reviewers noted. But there's no annoying echo or bad duplexing effect at all, like the previous cordless phones I've had (Sony, Panasonic, GE ... )
The compact size is great -- very easy to throw into the pocket as I'm working in the yard or sitting on the deck.
The menus make sense to me, but I was broken in by the Motorola StarTac cell phones, where the menus are a lot more complicated.
The voice dial feature doesn't get used -- seems easier just to scroll down through the list of names. But the voice announce is cool, even if not quite loud enough.
Very, very happy, even after having to surgically remove it from my eleven-year old's hands.
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