Thinking about ditching your home or office phone for your mobile? Because I have just found a smart new cordless phone called the X factor that really justifies staying connected.The XDECT R055 is a high-quality cordless phone system from Japanese company Uniden. Inside the package are three handsets, and a base station that has an integrated digital answering machine and the ability to connect two lines. Also built into the system are several unique features such as call block for all those pain-in-the backside call centre spruikers.
The system is ideal for a home or small business environment because it delivers everyday functionality that a mobile cannot deliver. Calls are clearer and can be easily moved from one handset to another. It has long battery life and the handsets work over a wide distance.
With 30 minutes of recording time, the XDECT R055 has an advanced LED display in both the base station and handsets. The system also has pop-up ID that enables a user to identify an inbound call, as well as Call Block, which is a first in a cordless phone.
How this works is that when call block is on and the incoming number matches a number in the blocker memory, the phone will answer the call and announce “no one is available to take your call”, then hang up.
In addition, the integrated digital answering machine offers a Do Not Disturb function, allowing the ringer on the handset and the base to be muted at once.
The system also works over a wide area and, should you suddenly forget that you have the handset in your hand and go running out the door, it will go on working for a considerable distance from the base station. The extended coverage is achieved through the incorporation of repeater station technology that is built into each additional handset.
At the heart of this new piece of kit is a diversity antenna system and new US-developed Dect 6.0 technology, which is wrapped around a cordless phone system that not only looks good but has been well designed with slim handsets and excellent buttons that are easy to access.
I wear glasses and I have always struggled with mobile phones that have minute keypads where your fingers are almost twice the size of the key you are looking for. In the case of the new Uniden cordless phone, the design is clever and stylish, and the layout of both the base station and the 3 handsets that come with the package are well thought out.
It also has a two-line capability and is capable of seven-way handset conferencing, which makes it ideal for a business environment. The base station can support up to 13 handsets.
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I live in a house with multiple levels and, when you weigh up the cost and the convenience of a device like the new Uniden cordless, it makes sense to retain a landline, because a landline phone not only delivers a clearer signal than a mobile, it is cheaper than talking on a mobile.
Developed specifically for the Australian market, the system we tested delivered exceptional clarity and was easy to configure.
We also found that the manual for the XDECT R055 was easy to follow and well laid out. In the past we have often struggled with manuals that have been translated from a foreign language and are extremely hard to follow.
A high gain antenna allows for greater range and in my house, which is four levels, I was able to use the system throughout the entire house. It also eliminated dropout areas where previous Siemens handsets had struggled to deliver a signal.
