Home Phone Suppliers Serve Up Cellular-Like Features
By Greg Scoblete -- TWICE, 1/8/2004
LAS VEGAS — With an eye toward leveraging popular cellular phone features, cordless-phone suppliers will unveil feature-rich, style-conscious products here at CES.
Cellular-like features include picture caller ID, color displays, polyphonic ring tones, and LCD-screen wallpaper.
Multi-handset systems will also move further into the mainstream, and more systems will feature backup batteries.
Here's a look at some new products. All prices are suggested retails.
Atlinks: The Thomson subsidiary will add the RCA brand to its portfolio, joining the GE brand. The first RCA-branded Executive Series products are SOHO-targeted and ship in February. They include a conference phone (25001RE2) with full-duplex mode, three microphones, a 100 name-and-number director, and data port for $249.99. A four-line SOHO speakerphone with intercom (25403RE3) and 16-station expandability is $129.99.
The first cordless under the GE Spacemaker brand, due in March, is a 900MHz analog phone (26976GE1). It comes with a base unit and a handset unit that can be placed in any room. The handset unit features a clock radio, caller ID and ITAD at $129.99.
Audiovox: Two new models include the TL1200A, a 2.4GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) phone with an answering machine in the base. Features include caller ID, speakerphone and expandability to four handsets. It ships in March at $89.95.
The 2.4GHz DSS TL1102 ships this month and is expandable to four handsets. It features caller ID, speakerphone, and an extra handset for $99.95.
Panasonic: The company will increase its 5.8GHz DSS lineup from two models to eight. They include the KX-TG5240 ($149.95), due in April with four-handset expandability, an ITAD, talking caller ID, visual ringer/light-up antenna, handset and base speakerphone, and base-station keypad. The KX-TG5050 is a standalone 5.8GHz DSS model with handset speaker phone and caller ID for $79.95.
In 2.4GHz DSS, the company will ship the KX-TG2357-B two-handset bundle in April for $129.95. Features include visual ringer/light up antenna, an ITAD, talking caller ID, handset and base speakerphone and base keypad.
Southwestern Bell: The company will display its first 5.8GHz digital phones and drop 900MHz phones. All digital models will feature polyphonic ring tones, four-handset expandability, and handset and base speakerphone.
Among 5.8GHz digital phones, the company is launching the GH5852 at $99 with 15-minute ITAD and the GH5811 at $69 with call waiting/caller ID. In 2.4GHz digital, the GH4152 ships with two handsets, caller waiting/caller ID, and 15-minute ITAD for $79.
A 2.4GHz analog CD clock radio phone (GH3065PWT) will retail for $109. It offers base speakerphone and caller ID.
Uniden: All new cordless phones come in two variations, one with two handsets in the box (signified with a -2 in the model number) and a version with a single handset.
All new 5.8GHz DSS units will be expandable to 10 handsets and will feature caller ID/call waiting, up to 100 distinctive ring tones, and a duplex speakerphone in the base and handset.
In 5.8GHz, the top-end TRU8885-2 features an ITAD and a base keypad with LCD display for $239.99. The single handset 8885 will retail for $169.99. The TRU8880-2 loses the base keypad for $219.99. The TRU8880 single-handset SKU will retail for $149.99. The TRU8865-2 features the base keypad with LCD display and no ITAD for $189.99. The entry model, the TRU8860-2, will retail for a suggested $169, with a single handset version for $119.99.
In 2.4GHz DSS, the company will offer a system expandable to four handsets, each with handset speakerphone and caller ID/call waiting. These models will also be available in one- and two-handset versions.
The DCT646-2 at a suggested $119.99 features room/baby monitoring. A single-handset version (646) will retail for $69.99. The DCT6465-2 adds a base keypad and four-way conferencing at $129.99. The DCT648-2 adds an ITAD for a suggested $139.99 (The single-handset DCT648 is $99.99). Finally, the top-end DCT6485-2 adds a base keypad to the 648 for $169.99. A single handset DCT6485 is a suggested $129.99.
U.S. Electronics: Under the BellSouth brand, the company will introduce the GHS240 2.4GHz DSS earset cordless phone with 10-number speed dial. Also under BellSouth, the GH5861EX, 5.8GHz DSS multihandset system offers nine-handset expandability, base speakerphone, and 20-minute ITAD. Pricing and ship date weren't available.
Vtech: Under the AT&T brand, the company plans March shipment of two new 5.8GHz DSS systems, the E5860 ($169) and E5865 ($179). They are expandable to eight handsets and feature icon-driven menus, image wallpaper on the LCD screen, image caller ID, ITAD, battery backup, six polyphonic musical ring tones, handset and base speakerphone, and use of rechargeable AA batteries.
The E5865 adds a dial-in-base speakerphone. Both models work with two accessory handsets, E580-1 and E580-2, which offer preprogrammed graphics and picture caller ID. The E580-1 will retail for $79. The $99 E580-2 adds a 256-color LCD screen.
In 2.4GHz DSS, two new AT&T phones will debut: the E2525 (suggested $139) and E2555 (suggested $149). Both are expandable to eight handsets.
