walkah: Where are the cool cordless phones?

3 Jan 2007

Where are the cool cordless phones?

I just read an interesting post by Allan Leinwand over on GigaOm about the lack of cool (and "internet") features on cordless phones. He says:

Here’s the irony – mobility and Internet features and functions have lured consumers away from using home cordless phones. Could the Internet on your cordless home phone lure you away from your mobile phones?

While I think "the internet" on cordless phones would be a nice feature, most people have easily available internet access in their home from a computer where the interface is much more pleasant (mobile browsing, while really handy when you don't have other options, just isn't ideal). However, there are a *lot* of features standard on most all mobile phones that I would really like to see in cordless phones.

I am no longer a "mobile only" phone user. Two reasons (yes, I'm glaring at you, Rogers): first, my reception at home stinks. Second, the rate plans are ridiculously out of whack here in Canada - and just can't compete with Vonage, et al. But there are lots of things I'd love to have on my home phone:

  • Address book syncing. I have a pretty extensive address book (read: anyone that's going to call me that I'm interested in hearing from is in there), including face pictures for most of them. I love that on my cell phone I can glance down and see who is calling in.
  • Clicker integration. OK, it wouldn't have to be clicker : but I like when the phone rings - having my iTunes automatically pause, perhaps my Adium status set to "on phone", etc.
  • Bluetooth headset usage. I have a headset I love, but I can only use it with skype (or my laptop) and my mobile phone.

Essentially, I want my cordless phone to work more like my mobile. I mean ideally, it'd even be the same handset. Perhaps if my mobile had a SIP client that worked with vonage? Although, in the short term, I'd be very willing to shell out for a bluetooth-enabled cordless phone. Why isn't there such a thing?

sarahfelicity's picture

On the plus side...

January 4, 2007 - 4:47pm

...bad cell reception at your house is probably healthier. I've read some terrifying articles lately about not only direct cell phone radiation from handsets, but also from background waves that permeate our lives these days. Call yourself a good dad for reducing your kids' risk a bit, and stop glaring at Rogers. ;)

walkah's picture

healthy perhaps

January 4, 2007 - 7:14pm

but crazy annoying, as you might recall :) can I call myself a good dad and glare at Rogers? I think they're still very worthy of glare.

Anonymous's picture

Cordless Bluetooth phone

January 4, 2007 - 8:12pm

There was a 5.8 GHz cordless phone set from Uniden that supported Bluetooth headsets. It's one of those cordless handsets that had to interface with a base station; it was compatible with our TRU-something base as an extension to the two others we already own. I saw it at Fry's in person when I was visiting California in 2005, but unfortunately it was just too rich for me. :(

walkah's picture

Uniden bluetooth headset

January 5, 2007 - 11:00pm

I've actually read about that particular headset before... however, there are also some pretty mixed reviews of it on amazon.com . It's also, I agree, quite pricey. I think I'll end up with something much lower end for a cordless phone (right now I have a single corded phone on my vonage line). But is that uniden model really the only one? Why isn't this more common?

Anonymous's picture

Bluetooth-enabled cordless

April 7, 2007 - 11:49am

Bluetooth-enabled cordless phone: These two have the ability to use the cellphone thru bluetooth with the cordless handset. Panasonic KX-TH111 (299 at London Drugs) which I am using now - pretty good - sound quality is limited by your cell phone quality; unit syncs automatically with cell when I come home. The uniden - which I cant seem to locate here in Canada - is on sale for 99 at costco.com!

Because of the portable wireless numbers we're going to get rid of our cell number and swap it for our existing land line, I figure the 299 will pay for itself in about a year.

Hope this helps in your search!

Anonymous's picture

Harmonic Planet

April 27, 2007 - 2:01pm

Great, this is an attractive news to one & all. People who are interested to know more stuff about the effects of cell phones and electromagnetic frequencies said by medical physicians around the world.
http://www.harmonicplanet.com

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