Sony Goes The Long Distance With New Landline Phones
By Martha McDonald -- TWICE, 3/27/2000
Sony will join Casio and Uniden in marketing a long-distance rate-reduction feature in cordless phones as part of a landline phone strategy that focuses on 900MHz cordless phones and SOHO phones.
The company has also launched its Spring Break Promo, which hands a $10 store check to consumers who purchase a higher end Sony phone. The promotion runs through June 30 and covers 18 models costing about $50 or more, or about half of the Sony line. Consumers use the coupon to purchase any merchandise in the store where the phone was purchased.
In its new phone lineup, the company is incorporating Long Distance Call Saver service into two of three new high-power 900MHz digital-spread-spectrum phones -- the SPP-A9276 and SPP-S9226 -- both of which come with a corded handset in the base and a separate cordless handset with its own remote charging station.
"This allows you to permanently place the [cordless] handset and charging cradle anywhere in the house without being tied to a phone jack," said senior marketing manager Les Burger.
To access the service, users press the long-distance button on the phone before placing a long-distance call. The subsequent call is then routed through Call Manage Inc., which maintains a database of long-distance carriers and rate plans. Call Manage routes the call through the lowest-cost carrier in its database at the time. The company sends a monthly bill for the long-distance calls a consumer makes.
Consumers must sign up for the service, but there are no sign-up or monthly fees. It allows for savings up to 45% on domestic long-distance and international rates, Burger said.
Both models also offer dual caller ID and larger screen sizes.
The expected retail price of the SPP-A9276, which includes a digital answering machine, is $199. The expected retail of the SPP-S-9226 with dual keypad is $149. Both are scheduled to ship this summer.
The third new model in Sony's high-power digital spread-spectrum line is the SPP-A9171 with a digital answering machine and the company's Jog Dial feature for easy, one-finger access to the 100-number directory and to numbers in caller ID memory. It's scheduled to ship in the fall at an expected retail of about $149.
Sony's new line also includes the 900MHz digital SPP-A985 with a 50-number Jog Dial directory, dual keypad and speakerphone. A Memory Match Ringing feature sounds a distinctive ring if an incoming call matches one of the numbers in the phone's directory. It's expected to sell for $129 when it ships in September.
In the 900MHz analog category, Sony announced two headset phones at retail prices of $39 and $59.
Two other 900MHz analog model feature digital answerers. They are the SPP-A946 at $99 and the SPP-933 at $69. They are scheduled to ship in the spring.
In the SOHO category, Sony is focusing on multi-line corded and cordless phones. Two four-line corded models -- the IT-M704 and the IT-M804, at $129 and $159, respectively -- are launching in June with a mail-in promotion that gives purchasers a free a copy of The Home Office Expert software, valued at $30.
Multi-line cordless phones start at $89 for the SPP-M937, a two-line 900MHz analog unit with a data port, speakerphone and headset jack. The two-line digital SPP-IM982, at a selling price of $119, adds the Jog Dial feature and is scheduled to ship in October.
No related content found.
VIEW ALL GALLERIES