Technology Shy? A guide to Buying a Cordless Phone

If you’re buying a new phone, whether it’s for home or business use, you might not think it’s that important to spend a lot of time researching the best models available. Cordless phones have come a long way since their inception, and it’s well worth your time and effort to read online reviews and do some research before you choose the right one for you. And in case you need a little help, these handy tips will help you when it comes to finding the latest and greatest cordless phone for all your business and personal needs!

Budget

Sometimes, budget is the most important factor when it comes to choosing a cordless phone. Your heart might be screaming, ‘Siemens Gigaset SL785’ whilst your wallet is shouting ‘Siemens Gigaset CS3’ – the question is, which are you going to listen to? You should always have an idea of how much you want to spend when shopping for any gadget and a new cordless phone is no exception. Set yourself a ballpark budget with a £10-£15 leeway on each side and don’t go above it, no matter how many amazing features a more expensive phone may seem to have!

Think about your usage

How will you use your cordless phone? Is it for office use or personal use at home and will you need just one handset or multiples? With expensive handsets, it can often work out cheaper to take more than one handset, particularly if you live in a two or three-storey house, as this will mean you won’t spend all your time running up and downstairs to take calls. Think about the features you need – battery life is probably one of the most important things, with call quality also high on the list. If you’re looking for a base which incorporates an answering service, or a colour screen is important to you, then you may be looking to spend a bit more.

Online reviews

Taking the time to read through online reviews can often lead you to handsets you hadn’t considered.  You’ll get a feel for what each handset is like and those reviewing them will often point out positives and negatives that you wouldn’t find out about until you purchased the phone! You can either visit review sites or read reviews on retail sites, where they will be written by those who have purchased the product – but if you’re looking for a phone with lots of features, a more technical review may be your best option, so head for one of the gadget or phone review sites online such as Which.co.uk.

Style

It might seem a bit shallow, but then who wants an ugly, bulky cordless phone? Some of the sleekest and most stylish handsets are produced by Panasonic and Siemens, with the latter creating minimalist styles that would be at home in any contemporary living room or office. It depends what type of look you’re going for – if you’re after a cordless phone handset which looks more like a smartphone, with a colour screen and a whole host of other cool features, then something like the Siemens Gigaset SL910A with its touch-screen functionality would be the perfect choice!

Ultimately, the decision is yours which cordless phone best suits your needs, but remember to prioritise call quality and battery life above all else. There is little point buying a stunning, sleek handset with a full colour touchscreen if it provides poor call quality. Luckily, if you’re buying from a leading brand such as Siemens or Panasonic, you’ll find that the call quality is usually excellent, and you can enjoy hours of conversation with friends, family or work colleagues without any interference.

So make sure that you take the time to think about which cordless phone is best for you – it’s also a good idea to shop around to compare prices at 2 or 3 different websites before you make your purchase. Prices can vary greatly from retailer to retailer, and you may be able to find one offering a special discount on the phone you are interested in! On that note, you should always make sure you buy from a reputable retailer, so do take the time to check out online reviews on the retailer if it is a brand you don’t know and trust. Look at the delivery charges and times as well as their returns and refund policy – and always check that the products they sell are new and genuine; they should also come with a standard manufacturer’s warranty.