CordlessPhone
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Panasonic KX-PRX120 offers Ice Cream Sandwich on a cordless phone
It's easy to lose perspective on such things living in a city like New York, but people do indeed still have landlines at home. And really, in a world so dominated by the smartphone, why not get one that sort of splits the difference between the two? Granted, the Panasonic KX-PRX120 has the kind of specs that would make us shake our collective heads were it positioned as a standard handset, but as far as cordless phones go, it's, well, certainly more exciting than what most people having sitting on their kitchen counters. The phone has a 3.5-inch TFT touchscreen display, a microSD slot, a WIFI / Bluetooth interface and an optional answering machine. The device runs Android 4.0 and gives you access to the Google Play store, so you can use it to Skype with help from its front-facing camera. The KX-PRX120 should run around £169 ($259).
Panasonic KX-TG7740 and KX-TG7730 cordless phones feature Link2Cell, iPhone ringtone integration
Sure, you may have long ditched the landline, but you could still be in the market for a cordless phone. Two such rigs from Panasonic let you tap your mob for a voice connection, with Link2Cell. The KX-TG7740 and KX-TG7730 can both sync up with Bluetooth-enabled phones, letting you make calls through your smartphone as it charges in another room. You can also transfer up to 3,050 address book entries to the household system, while this year's models add an extra layer of iPhone integration, enabling ringtone matching and transfer -- you'll now be able to hear that iOS jingle through any connected handset. Both models also include the standard gamut of features, including talking caller ID, call block for pre-programed numbers and a handset locator. The 7730 series ships with three handsets for $100 (TG-7733S), two handsets for $80 (7732S) or a single handset for $60 (7731S). Likewise, the 7740 adds a dial pad to the base, and is available with five handsets for $150 (7745S), three for $110 (7743S), two for $90 (7742S) or one for $70 (7741S). You'll find the full PR rundown just past the break.
Motorola HS1101 and MBP2000PU Android Home Phones get examined, detailed by the FCC
We imagine that the vast majority of Android users have since abandoned or even eliminated landline service, but if you're still tethered to the grid at the homestead, your DECT cordless might as well be running Android. Motorola demonstrated such a concept at an event way back in 2010, and it now looks like the company may finally be readying a pair of production models, dubbed the HS1101 and MBP2000PU Android Home Phones. Based on published user manuals, both of the handsets appear to be virtually identical, with the exception of color scheme -- the HS1101 is covered in a glossy black finish, while the MBP2000PU is decked out in silver and white.The WiFi-equipped handsets could be running Ice Cream Sandwich (based on a screenshot of the HS1101), and each include a 3.2-inch 400 x 240 LCD, a front-facing camera with video capture, stereo 1.5-watt speakers, microSD storage, along with micro-USB and a standard headphone port. Naturally, you'll be able to download apps (through SlideMe), while some selections, including an Aldiko e-book reader and a Digital Answer Machine come preloaded. Whether or not consumers ever plan to buy another cordless set remains to be seen, but if you're in the market, you might as well hang tight for a Motorola Android Home Phone. Both models have passed through the FCC, so the grueling wait for an ICS-powered DECT cordless may soon come to an end. Jump past the break for a closer look at both models, or hit up the source link to thumb through those meaty manuals.
Pioneer intros Hello Kitty cordless phone, calls the '90s to brag
Is your passion for cordless phones only matched by your love of Hello Kitty? Boy have we got the product for you. From a technical standpoint, the TF-FN2000 is a largely unexceptional cordless phone / answering machine combo with a display that offers up phone numbers and missed calls. This edition does has a secret weapon, however: it's pink, covered in hearts and has an image of an adorable white cat with a bow. If that's good enough for you -- and you happen to live in Japan -- the phone will be available in early October. No word yet on pricing.
Leadtek AMOR8210 videophone makes US debut at CES
Even though we're still not convinced we'd ever need a videophone, we'd be remiss if we neglected to tell you that the kids from Leadtek have announced the US launch of the AMOR8210. Already making a pretty big splash in Taiwan, this bad boy features a cordless handset, VoIP and plain ol' telephone support (via respective RJ45 and RJ11 ports), widgets (including audio and video players) and integration with surveillance and health monitoring devices. Pretty, pretty, pretty good, if you ask us. Interested? PR after the break.
Gemtek's Moorestown tablet comes with a DECT phone, runs MeeGo and controls your home
OpenPeak brought us one of the first Atom-based tabletphones at IDF 2008, but it may have passed on the torch in more ways than one -- this year, it's Gemtek's turn to show off a Moorestown machine with Linux on board that shares a host of design cues. Who-copied-whoms aside, we have to say the "IP Media Phone" is a mildly intriguing device, combining a DECT cordless handset with a 7-inch MeeGo tablet, the latter ready for both VoIP and video chat thanks to an integrated webcam and mic, and has full home automation controls thanks to 4Home software and a built-in Z-Wave radio. 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connects it to the base station / charging dock, which has room for two USB ports, an ethernet jack, and an SD card slot, while the tablet itself features mini-HDMI, mini-USB and a headset adapter plus an SD card of its own. Though the glossy fingerprint magnet of a capacitive touchscreen left much to be desired, laggy to respond to our press, we were told the tabletphone's an early prototype with wholly unfinished hardware. If history's any indication, expect to see the final form thoroughly rebranded when it likely arrives in the first half of next year. %Gallery-102383%
Telstra's landlocked T-Hub tablet phone launches in Australia (update)
A few years back, Telstra -- synonymous in Australia with "communication" -- told Apple it had no business making a cellphone. Look how that turned out. To make a long story short, the company has since repented, and is on the verge of releasing an app-filled touchscreen phone of their own, the Telstra T-Hub, on April 20th. Thing is, this tablet stays plugged into your wall. Marketed as a "family organizer," the T-Hub stores contacts, surfs Facebook, plays YouTube, displays photos, accesses personal bank accounts and even sends text messages like a smartphone, but does it all while connected to a landline telephone jack. While existing Telstra customers can get the device for $300 AUD, the company would of course prefer you get it for $35 with a 24-month service agreement... for a minimum total cost of about $1980 AUD with 2GB data per month. We're not Australian, but compared to US iPhone pricing, that doesn't sound terribly fair. Update: Telstra spokesman Craig Middleton tells us the T-Hub isn't permanently tethered to your wall. While the phone's base station does connect to a landline telephone jack, the tablet assembly itself is a portable cordless phone with WiFi for web-connected apps. He also adds that the aforementioned 2GB data plan isn't just for the T-Hub, but rather your entire home internet connection.
Landline breakthrough: VTech announces a DECT 6.0 walkie-talkie
Landline phones might be for squares and cops, but VTech hasn't give up trying to make 'em interesting: its new LS6325 set is the first DECT 6.0 push-to-talk cordless on the market. That means you can get your walkie-talkie on at up to 1,500 feet -- not bad. The three-handset pack will be $80 and the four-pack will be $90 when they launch in April. See, its not all tablet news around here -- we bring you scoops.
New VTech cordless can download cellphone address books over Bluetooth
We've seen plenty of landline phones that can also double as Bluetooth headsets, but VTech's new DS6321-3 takes it to the next level: it can also pull down your phone's address book, meaning you'll never have to remember a number again. Apart from that it's the usual cordless phone stuff, with DECT 6.0, three handsets, and -- they still have these! -- an answering machine, but it's really the Bluetooth stuff that's interesting here, so much so that VTech's even promoting this guy for use in homes without landlines. Should be out now for $100.
Sharp's JD-7C1CL/CW pairs a home phone and digiframe in fine fashion
Hey, remember that OpenFrame touchscreen home telephone that we first peeked way back in August of 2008? Seems like O2 and Verizon weren't the only ones looking to jump on that bandwagon, as Sharp has now issued a phone / frame tandem that looks eerily similar. The JD-7C1CL/CW is available in black and white to match the motifs present in 99 percent of pristine suburban domiciles, with the frame packing a 7-inch touch panel (800 x 480) that acts as a status indicator, calendar, clock, address book and (gasp!) photo frame. The phone itself doesn't look to be anything special, though the frame does include a whopping 128MB of internal memory. No word on a price or release date, but really, you shouldn't be considering a "home phone" in 2009 under any circumstances.[Via Akihabara News]
VTech's Bluetooth-packing LS6245 offers "virtual" two-line phone system
VTech's already teamed up with T-Mobile for the carrier's landline-friendly @Home service, and it looks like it now also has a slightly different solution of its own for folks using both a landline and a cellphone. At the heart of it is VTech's LS6245 base unit, which functions just fine as a standard DECT 6.0 cordless phone all by itself, and can also be paired with a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone to form a "virtual" two-line phone system -- letting you, for instance, take a landline call using the base unit's speaker phone and a cellphone call using the remote-like handset. Those really wanting to go crazy can also add up to twelve handsets to the setup (for $40 apiece), and the base unit itself ($80) will accommodate up to eight different Bluetooth devices paired to the system.[Via TestFreaks, thanks Vincent D]
Motorola intros energy-saving D10, D11 digital cordless phones
They may not do something crazy like connect to the internet, but Motorola's new D10 and D11 cordless phones do break some new ground in their own little way, with each boasting an eco mode that promises to automatically reduce power consumption based on how far the handsets are away from the base. To add a bit more green cred, Motorola also manufactured each of 'em using a minimum of 20% recycled material. Otherwise, you can expect the usual backlit display, 100-number phonebook, and speakerphone functionality from each, with a bit of SMS messaging and three-way calling thrown in on the D11 model. No word on a price just yet, but both should be available by the end of the month -- in the UK, at least.[Via Electronista]
Vtech's IS6110 cordless phone touts QWERTY keypad, IM capability
No need to bust out one of those newfangled smartphones to get your handset-based chat on -- oh no, baby boomers and their offspring can now handle IM conversations via a landline telephone. You heard right, Vtech is getting all extraordinary on us today with the industry's first instant messaging cordless phone, and sure enough, the DECT 6.0 IS6110 features a full-fledged QWERTY keypad to keep those thumbs happy. All that's required is that the phone's base station be connected via USB to a PC, after which users can have free access to MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. What better way to gently introduce your mother (hint, hint) to this millennium than by dropping $99.95 on this?
VTech announces Internet-connected cordless phones
VTech's trotted out a pair of Internet-connected phones today in anticipation of the full unveiling at CES in January, although if you think "Internet-connected" means VoIP, you may be somewhat disappointed. These are strictly landline phones, albeit tricked out with some nifty Internet-assisted features. The ip8300 infoPhone (on the left above) is a standalone unit, using an Internet portal service from Casabi to pull information like news, weather, and horoscopes off the Net and directly onto your handset, viewable on the phone's color LCD. The phone itself uses DECT 6.0 technology so it won't interfere with your WiFi router or other wireless devices, with the phone's base station capable of supporting up to five handsets. VTech's wf6972 Wi-Fi phone takes a slightly different route to get on the Internet, using (as it's name suggests) your existing WiFi network to pull information collected from an application running on your PC (Windows-only, it seems). Look for the ip8300 to be available in March for $129.95 (and $49.95 for each additional handset), with the wf6972 landing shortly thereafter in April for $179.95, with each extra handset (up to 16 of 'em) running you $79.95.[Via TG Daily]
Yet another Skype phone: Airwise's SkyAir
We don't know how many Skype phones are too many, but Airwise Technology definitely sees the need for another, showing off their SkyAir DT 190204 at the big Computex trade show that's been the source of so many gadgets we're never likely to see again. Like offerings from Panasonic and Olympia, the SkyAir will handle regular old landline calls in addition to VoIP, and features incoming caller display, phone book dialing, and SkypeOut dialing, a decently-sized 1.4-inch color display, along with all the usual features you'd expect from a cordless phone. No word on pricing or availability, unfortunately, but you know the drill about Asian gadgets, right?
Philips Messenger Phone for Microsoft VoIP
It seems that there's a new VoIP handset on the market everyday, and today is no different, although you have to be a fan of Microsoft's version of Internet telephony if you want to take full advantage of the upcoming Philips Messenger Phone. Sporting a small color display, the plug-and-play VOIP4331S allows you to make free worldwide client-to-client calls over the Windows Live Messenger service or dial standard phone numbers on the cheap via Windows Live Call, and also acts as a regular cordless phone for when you get sick and tired of the crappy audio you're getting with VoIP. Philips promises that this model -- along with a dual-handset version called the VOIP4332S -- will "soon be available" at UK e-tailer Comet, but neither company is quoting prices yet.[Thanks, Nir S.]
