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?