Rating: 
Summary: Great features, poor quality
Review: I really like the design of this phone and the features it offers. I found it easy to configure and use. You can put 4 AAA batteries in the base station to keep it going through a power failure. However, the audio quality on both the answering machine and the handset is terrible. Messages that are left are barely intelligible. If the person you're talking to is speaking LOUDLY, then audio quality is acceptable, although there is some static. If the other person isn't loud, though, it requires a lot of concentration to listen to them. No doubt part of my problem is that I also have a wireless LAN, which shares the 2.4GHz frequency. If my laptop is on and communicating with the wireless LAN, the phone becomes unusable, even though the phone base station and the LAN base station are at opposite ends of the house *and* on different floors! I've been a long time fan of Motorola products, but this is one that I'm going to be returning.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of Features
Review: I've been using this phone for about a week now and am very hapy with it. I especially love the fact that you can have a different ring tone for people in your phone book. I always hated jumping up for the phone only to see that it was a telemarketer. Now I know when to jump and when to ignore. There are a few cons: I also don't like that the base and handset don't talk to eachother (you have to program each separately and erase call logs separately). And, my old cordless silenced the ringing headset when I pressed "off." Unfortunately this one doesn't do that. However, the ringer is much more pleasant and can be programmed to different volumes/tones. Overall, I'm very happy with my new phone. I've gone through numerous cordless/caller ID/answering machine combos and this is definitely the best so far. Hopefully it will last longer than the others. :-) Just to add a note to another user's post... you CAN hear messages as they are being left (screen calls). I almost didn't buy the phone because of this comment, but was happy to find that it was not true.
Rating:
Summary: An okay phone if you don't talk long.
Review: I've had this phone for 6 months. The reception and features are great. It would be nice if you didn't need to program info on both the phone and base separatlty though. The biggest problems are that the shape of the phone hurts your ear after a few seconds of use and the battery life is horrable. My old corless AT&T from 1992 lasts me a week off the hook. This one lasts 1-2 days. So much for technology! My 1992 AT&T is still in perfect working order. We'll see about this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Phone -- Neat Features and Highly Recommended
Review: I've searched for quite a while to find a phone with all of these great features and the Motorola definitely wins hands down. Motorola really has thought of everything on this phone and gotten all the details just right: -- There is a speakerphone built right into the handset that works incredibly well. Friends can barely tell I'm on a handset speakerphone. Really helpful when you're trying to talk and write/type. -- You can see that you have messages on the handset and then listen to them without going to the base. This is great so that I don't have to run downstairs all the time just to hear messages. -- You can using the intercom to page someone around the house. You can even use it as a baby monitor if you need. -- Add callers to your phone book quickly and easily using Caller ID. In general, the phone feels sturdy and comfortable. The rubber sidegrips are great. And the usability is great -- lots of features, but not too hard to figure them out. And finally, battery life that seems decent compared to some others (like my old AT&T cordless which never could hold a charge).
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying Buzz, not comfortable
Review: If you have DSL on your line (even with the filters) I had an annoying buzz on the phone. The handset is not comfortable to hold against your ear for long conversations. Additional handsets do not share the phonebook. Another big dissapointment from Motorola. You can't beat Panasonic or Sony the line clarity.
Rating:
Summary: Motorola MD480
Review: Impressive design with an abundance of different functionalities. We bought it because of their track record with cell phones.
Pros: unique design, handset speaker phones, great reception, different ring tones, sturdy.
Cons: Packaging is a nightmare - battery door is taped. After peeling off the tape, sticky stuff is hard to get off.
I've had the phone for a week now, it's still sticky in the back.
We returned our first one last week, but we were told all of their packaging is the same. Deleting Caller ID-stored numbers has to be done with both - hand set and base.
Almost a great phone, just a few minor complaints.
Rating:
Summary: Whole house answering machine
Review: My favorite feature is having access to all features, including all answering machine functions, from the handset. Although I don't yet have any of the MD41 expansion handsets - those will also be able to get the messages off of the base unit's answering machine. Throw in all the other features like paging other handsets, handset to handset intercom and monitor, a handset handsfree feature that works as well as any speakerphone I have ever used and the days of needing phone line run in every room are over. The software is very well thought out throughout the feature set. Quality of calls is excellent although I have yet to be on the receiving end of a call from the MD 481. Two dislikes would be that the useful belt clip can NOT be removed and the warning stickers on the back left a goey residue that was nearly impossible to remove. I would also not describe battery life as spectacular. Warning: If you want to keep the silver paint on the back of the handset don't use Goo B Gone to remove the sticky residue.
Rating:
Summary: Cool phone - Decent overall
Review: The design in my opinion was the best out of all the phones I looked at. Modern, stylish, cool in general. Fit real well with my apartment. Features are high and functional. The speaker phones, caller ids, ringers, night time - day time ringers are all good. Dialing from the caller id was nice becuase you could program how to call depending on your phone service. Basically you could include or exclude the area code automatically which was a problem with my old phone. Big plus. Couple of issues that I didn't like are that the handset and the base don't really talk to each other. So if I check the caller id on the handset it still says I have a couple new calls on the base station. No biggie. The audio is fine. Not the best but its alright. For families it has the expandable capabilities and restricted phone books to a handset for privacy. Along with transferring calls and walkie-talkies. Nice. I'd buy it again.
Rating:
Summary: High quality phone/answering machine w/ great features
Review: The Motorola MD481 is a great phone! I decided to upgrade my phone once I got caller ID service. Motorola wasn't my first choice, but I was instantly attracted to them b/c of the stylish appearance of the MD481. However, this phone is not just about looks! The Motorola MD481 is a quality product! I have had the phone for only a few days, but here's what I think: Sound Quality = excellent. The sound is crisp and clear. It truly seems like I'm on a corded phone instead of the digital 2.4GHz MD481. Range = excellent. No static in different rooms away from the base. Haven't gone too far away from the base yet. So far, range is excellent. Ergonomics = excellent. The handset feels comfortable in your hand. It has rubber grips which ensure a firm hold, as well. The menu is very easy to navigate. The designers really spent time making this phone user-friendly. Features = excellent. This phone is a digital 2.4GHz phone. It has a digital answering machine that let's you record your OGM or use a prerecorded one. There is a keypad on the base. And there is a speakerphone option from the base or handset. The display is a FOUR LINE display which is great for caller ID. In addition, the backlight display is an orange/amber hue which is unique and nice. There are many different musical ring tones to choose from. You can even program a different ring tone to sound if the caller is one from your phone book (i.e. a friendly call), so you can immediately tell if the caller is known to you. The ringer volume can be set to low or off from 9 PM to 6 AM. There is a headphone jack of course. The base takes 4 AA batteries as backup for power outages. And, finally, the phone is expandable and additional handsets can be added. Each handset can share the same phonebooks (no need to program numbers for each) or you can have a phonebook unique to the handset. Minor criticisms: The base has a keypad that is not backlit (although it does have a display on the base that is). The belt clip is permanently attached to the handset (you really don't notice it; no fumbling around to slide on the belt clip, so maybe this is really an advantage....). I've only seen the phone in titanium color, but black would be nice too. Can't figure out how to organize phone numbers alphabetically, so perhaps it is impossible. Bottom line: This is a sleek phone w/ great features. I am very impressed and would definitely buy it again. It's not the most perfect phone in creation, but I can easily accept it as it is. Love this phone! Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Short Battery Life
Review: The phone is great except for the battery life. It is very clear, and the hands free option is wonderful. I really like the ability to add additional handsets so you do not need a phone jack in every room. Well, it's been a month and my additional handset does not even stay charged for 24hrs. This is without talking on the phone. If you talk on the phone, good luck running to your second handset. I guess this is why they added the feature to transfer your call to another handset. Trust me, you will need it. I had never had a cordless phone that has such a short battery life. It's such a shame because everything else about the phone is great. Too bad I ALWAYS have to place the phone back on the charger after a phone call or risk the phone turning off due to the short battery life.
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