Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Don't let the title fool you.I'm not totally dissatisfied with the phone.I bought the base unit and one extension handset, and there's a lot to love about the phone.Unfortunately, the little things were overlooked, hindering this from being absolute perfection.Instead of wasting your time with a drawn out review, I'll bullet it out for you and let you make your own decision.
First some background.I've been a VTech fan for years, stemming back to the old 900MHz days and that ugly clear green phone I had that required the DSL filters to work correctly.I had a VTech i5871 (I think that's the model number) for YEARS....upwards of 6 if I recall, and it served me faithfully; at least the color handset extension did (which ended up becoming my primary, since the default black and white handset's buttons have a flaw where they won't press anymore after some use).That phone had it all: Great charging, headset jack, color screen, picture uploads via USB, recordable ringtones, belt clip, voicemail, caller ID, etc.The phone wasn't perfect; it didn't have a call timer (a minor nitpick) nor did it have a way to clear all voicemails at once without listening to them one by one, even through killing power (not so minor a nitpick).I could overlook these, as the phone itself was of the utmost top quality.However it was later discontinued by VTech, and I needed a phone with one extra extension as I have a significantly larger place than I used to.Enter this model.
For reference, I bought this from BBuy, not Amazon, because for whatever reason Amazon.com does not want to stock this model or its accessory, and I'm not keen on paying ~$55 for shipping.I want to throw this disclaimer: I acknowledge that some of my CONS below may be due to ignorance on how to use the device, but I scoured both the manual and the VTech website and could not find out how these are done.
** PROS **
- The form factor is very modern and upscale.You'd think it would be more expensive than it is.
- 65K color backscreen which supports pictures and animations.
- Lots of various ringers.Some of the default ones are actually quite fabulous.
- Call Timer!!
- Bluetooth allows you to connect a cell phone and make calls using your cell plan or take cell calls using your home phone, or link up a Bluetooth headset.
- Audio quality is very good; very little white noise can be heard in the background or on the speakerphone.
- Great range.My place is 967 square feet and I get crystal clear reception no matter where I happen to be.
- Recordable ringers.
** CONS **
- No standard headset jack.Come on VTech, you've had standard headset jacks on your phones for nearly a decade; what's the problem here?? This is the second VTech I've purchased where this feature was not available."Just use a BT headset!!!" you say?Well....
- Bluetooth headset is only supported FROM THE BASE.Meaning I can pair it to the base and if I'm just calling a friend or something, that works great, but I can't pair it to any of the handsets, so I can't really move anywhere.I also can't use it in the other room.What if I'm in the bedroom and need to call someone?I can't use the headset, because I have to go to the base to dial the call."Just dial the call from the handset and transfer it to the base!!" you say?Well....
- Inability to transfer calls from one handset to another or from handset to base.I'm literally appalled by the absence of this feature.What's the point of having these extensions if I can't send calls to them???? This has been a basic selling point of these expandable phones for YEARS.
- Inability to load your own pictures (this is a nitpick).My old VTech could do it; what's the problem here???
- Inability to set your area code (this is a nitpick).Meaning, if I set a specific area code, then I can isolate local calls, so when I dial them back the phone should not append 1+area code, only the 7 digits.The problem with this is that Caller ID does not always include the 1; in fact, rarely does it.So I have to force the phone to "manipulate" the number when I'm calling them back.
- Extension handsets require manual registration (This is a nitpick).My old VTech picked up new extensions automatically and assigned them in order.What's the problem here???
- Must force the base to send audio to the BT headset.Err, this defeats the purpose of using a headset.Headsets have the built-in ability to answer and terminate calls automatically; also, if I pair a headset I expect the phone to ALWAYS send audio to it until I turn the headset off or unpair it; since I'm forced to use the base for the headset, that means I always have to be sitting near the base when using the headset which, of course, defeats the purpose of using the headset when I might as well use speaker or a handset.Basically, the headset is useless as implemented.
- VTech's refusal to implement backwards compatibility even though it's obvious that the same radios are used in these phones.If I could use the older extension model on this I'd be ecstatic, since I know I could use that phone whenever I needed headset flexibility.But noooo....
Again, I want to stress that I do like the phone, I just wish VTech had gone all the way with its true potential.But that's way too many CONS for me, which is why I had to ding them two stars.The phone doesn't suck, it's just not as great as it clearly should and could have been.
UPDATE: Another negative.The primary handset refuses to hold a charge no matter what I do.I believe it's a symptom that has long affected VTech phones...or rather, the batteries VTech chooses to use, NiMH, Nickel Metal Hydride.That battery technology is poor for "overcharging" - that is, if you leave it on the charger without allowing it to discharge, eventually the battery will be rendered useless.That's why a lot of long-term-tech vendors have moved to LiIon - Lithium Ion - battery tech, as it doesn't suffer from that defect (though LiIon suffers from something totally different...it can only be charged a finite number of times and should not be discharged).
So in summary, the battery is useless and must be replaced.It says use VTech batteries only, but since the connector is a standard one, I'm going to see if I can track down a LiIon battery to replace this one.
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Product Description:
The Vtech LS5145 5.8 GHz Digital Cordless Phone System with Bluetooth Wireless Technology offers a home office phone system with a wide range of advanced features and the possibility to expand as more handsets are needed. Operating on the 5.8 GHz spectrum, the LS5145 features better range, clarity, and security than 2.4 GHz phones. With the system's Bluetooth technology, you can connect to Bluetooth cell phones and make and receive cell phone calls. Phonebook entries and caller ID show clearly on the phone's high-resolution 64K color display. The LS5145 has enough memory to store 100 names and numbers in the phonebook directory.
The base can support up to 12 handsets as you need more. (Each handset is sold separately.) A built-in digital answering machine with 15 minutes of recording time records messages on microchips for reliable performance, instant access to messages, and the ability to selectively save and delete messages. The handset features a Speakerphone for hands-free conversations. It is capable of polyphonic music ringtones, and for the utmost personalization can even record ringtones from your PC, MP3 player, or stereo equipment. The base also has a keypad and Speakerphone.
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