http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/ Engadget Comments for VTech's Bluetooth-packing LS6245 offers "virtual" two-line phone system http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 4:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 9:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 3:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 2:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
Read the reviews on Amazon before you buy the Panasonic. The major problems with the phones is not the Bluetooth, but dropped calls on the landline because of a connection issue between the base and the handsets.]]>Jul 27th 2009 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
And this looks cool.]]>Jul 27th 2009 3:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
I like the design. It kind of reminds me of a Bang & Olufsen phone.]]>Jul 27th 2009 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
It was this past CES... feels like it has been a year though:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/07/vtechs-new-dect-6-0-telephones-are-too-swank-for-grandma/]]>Jul 27th 2009 3:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 3:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
I've had a Vtech 5145 for a while which also has the Bluetooth/Cell phone feature...GREAT feature...very nice being able to set my cell phones down near the base unit but still be able to pick-up or make calls on the regular line or via either of the cell phones from any extension in the house. Also helped as one of the cell services that I have doesn't have the greatest reception around the house, but does near the basestation, so that's where I keep it and it really does help.

Overall I was happy with my 5145, and it has been a good/reliable phone, and I have been itching to get a newer home phone with updated features, so I've been waiting for something new from Vtech and/or Panasonic. But admittedly, I'm a bit disappointed with this one. The touch pad really seems dumb...hard enough dialing on the 5145 with the small keys as it is. The @Home integration is interesting, and happy they added it, but not sure I'll ever take advantage of that (eventhough I am a T-Mobile customer). Also happy about the DECT 6.0. And I haven't seen anyone else who does the bluetooth/cell phone connect well other than Vtech (which honestly is the one of the best features for me)...and I did look at the Panasonic before I bought the 5145 but I believe the Panasonic could only connect to one cell phone at a time, which was a deal breaker for me.

I do think the aesthetics of these units are nice (and the 6245 doesn't look far off from the 5145)...but admittedly, Vtechs and the 5145 (and the 6245 based on what I've read) do have a few problem areas:
- not very comfortable to use for long phone calls - for someone who uses the phone a lot, that lovely phone is very uncomfortable to use for calls greater than 15 mins or so.
- no headphone port...sounds dumb, but a headphone port might be nice. Granted, I think they can use a bluetooth headset, but would rather have a normal, low-tech, not-limited-by-battery-life, headphone jack.
- low handset battery life...can't vouch for the 6245, but the 5145's handset battery life is pretty poor...one hour long conf. call and it's flashing the low battery alert.

Also have a feature request list for Vtech (if they're listening):
- add addressbook sync with computer and/or cell phones - these phones allow for addressbook entries, but they are only within the handset and/or base station. No shared address books and no integration with addressbooks you may have elsewhere (e.g. cell phone, google contacts, apple address book, outlook, vCard, etc.)...this really would be a killer feature and I wish Vtech or others would add this.
- allow address books to be shared between handsets/basestation (for common numbers that all will use)
- add headphone jacks...they're cheap and very helpful for those who have to use the phone for more than 10 mins
- allow me to add my own ringtones (e.g. MP3, etc.)
- update your menuing system...it's kind of 1990s
- keep trying to innovate...please don't just regurgitate the same design over and over...and drop that whole touch crud and bring back real buttons, so folks know what buttons they're pushing.

Regardless, I don't think the 6245 will cut it for me...disappointed to see Vtech just put out what seems to be a revised face on the 5145 with few new features (none super compelling) and being crippled by touch buttons. ]]>Jul 27th 2009 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 4:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
Oh and that claim for 8 BT devices? It's marketing BS, same goes for the 12-handsets expansion. You'll need to de-register the first 2 cell phones before you pair up the next 2, and so on and so forth, besides, none of my kids would ever consider the remote possibility that their parents will pick up their cell calls, so it's just me & my wife's cell phones on the system. Finally, while 12-handsets expansion is nice, ask VTECH how many can be in operation at one time.

Too bad GE phones are no more. Now you get 3 major brands for telephones with companies based in Asia: VTECH (Hong Kong), Panasonic (Japan), and Uniden (Japan).]]>Jul 27th 2009 4:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Also do some research on Vtech quality before investing, I seen lots of poor reviews of it two years back.]]>Jul 27th 2009 4:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 4:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 5:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
2. Putting BT module in your handset completely nullifies the whole point of cellular integration at home: leave your cell phone where it's got the strongest signal and charge up. Since each base station can handle multiple handsets, you are now FREE to move around the house and answer your cell call with any handsets in the house linked to that base station. BT is a PAN device, so if you put BT in a home phone handset, you'll need to take your cell phone with you along with your home phone handset - doesn't make much sense, does it?

3. BT headset: again why would you want to tether yourself to your mobile phone? Just buy a DECT system that has a DECT headset as an accessory. You get all the long range and security of the DECT system and none of the interference potentials and short range BT headset offers.

Make sense? Now give me back the $100,000 I spent on multiple focus groups and quantitative research!]]>Jul 27th 2009 6:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 10:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 27th 2009 11:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Jul 28th 2009 1:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
I like saving the $$$ not having a landline, while still being able to take a call from anywhere in the house while my phone is on the charger.]]>Jul 28th 2009 1:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/
VTech is definitely listening and we appreciate all the feedback. We’re excited about the phone, which is the fifth generation of one of our most popular systems. It continues to evolve in terms of functionality and design every year based on our extensive R&D and past experience (for example, the older i5871 actually had the headphone jack/recordable ring tones joegpdx specifically asks about). We feel the LS6245 combines the best features many consumers are looking for, plus it’s more affordable than before. And to quickly address the concerns about whether the LS6245 can actually sync with up to eight different BT devices/12-handset expansion, we’ve tested these features and can assure you that the system is capable of both.

We’re always looking for suggestions on improvement, and welcome any ideas, feature requests or just general questions you may have! You can also find detailed specs plus the manual at http://www.vtechphones.com/vtechui/store/dsp_product.cfm?itemID=3987.

-Brad Pittmon, VTech Product Manager
]]>Jul 28th 2009 7:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/vtechs-bluetooth-packing-ls6245-offers-virtual-two-line-phone/Aug 5th 2009 3:47PM