Cingular Go Phone: Uniden DECT 6.0 Digital Cordless Phone & Answering System Review

I've been using the 3-phone set which is this exact set plus one extra phone for about six months already. I hope that my experience with product may help others decide whether this is the set worth buying or they should be looking elsewhere. So far, the phones operated as expected and they gave me no trouble. We have a total of six phones in the house but, I suspect that these three are the ones we're using close to 100% of the time now.

The set is expandable to 6 handsets per base (that would be the answering machine) but each handset could, in fact, be registered to up to 4 different bases which would make everything extremely complicated if it was actually done.

I ended up with the Uniden DECT set after a sad experience with 'brand X' or, shall we call it 'brand V'? :) Their (more expensive) offering was so bad, I had no choice but to return it so, I'm using the Uniden now and I am happy with it.

For efficiency sake, I will start with the negatives so that anyone who cares about these (lack of) features can quickly decide that this set is not for you. Here they are, the negatives:

- The speaker volume is low. This is true for both the phones and the answering machine/base. This probably has some advantages when it comes to battery life (see below) but anyone who must have a loud speaker should be warned that these phones' speakers are anything BUT loud.
- The ring volume is also low. Seriously, anyone who has a hearing problem should NOT buy this set. I do not mind the low ring volume because too loud rings bother me but I am listing this as a negative because some could mind.
- The intercom can NOT use the speaker. It's the earpiece only for the intercom.
- Only the numeric keypad lights up when the phone rings. Some of the essential buttons: the on, off, phonebook, caller ID are not lit and that makes using the phone in the dark somewhat difficult.

The features that made me decide that this is the set for me include:

+ Long battery life. Possibly because of the low-volume, these phones seem to last forever on a charge. The manufacturer claims up to 10 hours of talk time. I'm not sure if that's the case but, so far, rarely see the 'low battery' warning yet and I am spending many hours, almost every day, on conference calls.
+ Good reception. With the base in the basement, I was able to use the phone, outside, in the backyard and in the driveway which I cannot do with my great Motorola 5.8 MHz sets.
+ Great design. These phones and the base are actually pretty in an unobtrusive, minimalistic way. They are a little on the small and light side but they can hold their own in a room full of gadgets.
+ Easy access to voice mail from the handsets. The handset keys actually have the remote-like symbols for play/stop/fast-forward, etc. so, if anyone does not feel like reading the menu options from the phone's display, you can simply use it as if you were using a remote. Very nice.
+ Belt clip - my wife loves this more than I do because I tend to be at my desk when I talk on the phone.
+ Headset jacks on all handsets - another feature that my wife loves.
+ 50 page, VERY thorough manual that was written by an English-speaker. This may sound like a trivial thing but I was actually impressed by how easy to use and how comprehensive the manual was. Every feature appears to be covered.
+ Easy to navigate, simple menus
+ Privacy mode - once on a call, you can block all other registered sets to listen on your conversation.

Other features, which I expect in any phone in this class and are well implemented include:

= Caller ID
= Call waiting
= 3-way calling
= 70 phonebook entries per set with the ability to copy individual entries or the entire phonebook from one set to another (I tried it and it was very easy)
= The ability to personalize each phonebook entry to show name (can keep the caller ID name if you don't want to complicate your life), wallpaper, ring style and display style (can't see myself doing that a lot)
= 30 caller ID number per set, in addition to the phonebook entries
= 5 'last dialed' numbers availalble to redial
= 10 ring tones (in fact 5 rings and 5 melodic tones)
= 10 display styles
= 5 wallpaper styles
= English/Spanish menus
= Independent volume controls for headset, speaker and ringer.
= The ability to set the time/date on all sets and base from one handset.
= The ability to control the answering machine, including turning it off from any handset.
= Intercom.
= Paging a lost handset from the base.

I am overall VERY happy with these phones but I must take off one star, mostly for the 'dark' buttons and the 'low volume' issue. Other than that, they come as close to 'perfect' as anything. This is, by far, the best multiple phones set I've had... ever.
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Just in case anyone cares to know what DECT is about.

DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) is a relatively new (2005) standard for cordless phones, initially developed in Europe.

Some of the advantages of DECT 6.0 include:

- easier to implement multiple handsets sharing one phone jack connection via one common base (have it on a 5.8 GHz set as well)
- easier to implement intercom features between individual handsets (have it on a 5.8 GHz set as well)
- extended range, up to 300 feet
- low power consumption and, therefore, extended battery life
- better performance in areas experiencing heavy radio traffic
- not affected by Wi-Fi or Bluetooh signals (neither are the 5.8 MHz)

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Product Description:
Uniden DECT 6.0 3080-2 Digital Cordless Phone & Answering System Clarity and convenience are the order of the day with the new Uniden DECT 6.0 3080-2 Digital Cordless Phone & Answering System! This phone system provides you with the clearest voice reception possible using the latest in DECT 6.0 technology. DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications and refers to the frequency bands with which cordless communication takes place. Without this technology, many of the amazing features Uniden has implemented in this phone system would not be possible. These impressive features include interference-free WiFi operation, multiple handsets, and the ability to make intercom calls within your own home. Don't be afraid to take advantage of this achievement in digital cordless phone technology! Specifications DECT 6.0 interference free cordless frequency Frequency: 6.0GHz 1.9GHz digital enhanced Caller ID Call waiting WiFi friendly 10+ hours of talk time Clearest voice reception Brilliant sound Large color display Blue backlit keypad 3-Way conference calling 30 Name/Number caller ID memory Advanced phonebook features 70 names Last 5 number redial Handset speakerphone Digital answering system with handset access Personalized displays for each handset Intercom or call transfer between handsets Copy phonebook from handsets Expandable to 6 handsets Maximum voice security Ultra thin form factor Personalized ringers English/Spanish menus Longer battery Life NIMH battery included One standard phone jack Includes Phone system w/ answering machine Two handsets Charging base Two rechargeable batteries Owner's manual Warranty: One year vendor warranty