In order to end up with the cordless phone best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of cordless phones are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a cordless phone.
Research the market: Cordless Phone essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the cordless phone market. The range of options can seem overwhelming, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Handset Numbers: How many handsets will you need to get the right kind of phone coverage in your home? Do you need one in every room or just the kitchen and bedroom? There are various options here - you can, for example, opt for a single cordless handset, a cordless handset that is linked up to a standard static phone or a system with multiple cordless handsets. In certain cases you will also be able to add handsets to your system if you find you need more later on. At the same time, you also need to consider the chargers that come with your handsets or system. You can buy a single charger unit or one for every handset.
Features: What do you want from a cordless phone? In some cases it may be enough to simply have a phone that takes and makes calls but there are other advanced features available with many cordless phones that could be useful. From an outgoing calls perspective, for example, you can get features such as address books, speed dial, memory options, hands-free and intercom or paging. From an incoming calls perspective you can look at having a built-in answering machine, caller ID and call waiting. Other features with some systems include dual keypad options and headsets.
Analogue or Digital: Do you want an analogue phone or a digital one? Analogue technology is older than digital - it'll generally work just fine but digital technology may suit you better. In most cases digital technology will give you extra security and quality.
Frequency: Is the frequency of your cordless phone an issue for you? If your home (and your neighbourhood) is packed full of devices that all work on the same frequency then you could experience interference with calls at some point. In very general terms, frequency can range from 1.7 MHz to 5.8GHz. At the moment you are less likely to have problems the higher you go in frequency.
Range and Lines: What kind of range do you need from a cordless phone? Some cordless phones offer longer range capabilities (i.e. the distance that you can use the cordless phone from its base unit) than others.
Batteries: Many cordless phones systems will come with batteries that are recharged via the charger unit. In some cases, however, you can buy cordless phones that run on standard batteries.
Cost: How much can you spend on a cordless phone system? Costs will rise according to the types of service, number of handsets and features that you want from your system.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a cordless phone. For example, will you use the cordless phone only for taking calls or do you want additional features like a built in answering service, or extra handsets?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used a cordless phone before? |
| | If you have used a cordless phone, work out what you did or didn't like about the cordless phone. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| How many cordless phone handsets will I need? |
| | You can buy cordless phones with just one handset or with more than one. You may want a charger cradle for every handset, or you might be happy with just one main charger or base-station. |
| Do I want an analogue phone or a digital one? |
| | You could choose a basic analogue cordless phone or you might want the added security and quality you'll get with a digital model. |
| What kind of features do I want with my cordless phone? |
| | You could have a built-in answering machine, basic features or more advanced ones such as call waiting and caller ID, for example. |
| How many lines do I need? |
| | You may prefer to have a cordless phone system that works on one single phone line or one that can adapt to multiple lines. |
| What kind of frequency do I want? |
| | It's possible to get a different frequency that won't cause interference issues with other devices in and outside your home. |
| What kind of batteries do I want to use? |
| | There are standard batteries or built-in rechargeable ones. |
| How much can I spend? |
| | Cordless phones range in price depending on quality, the number of handsets and any additional features offered. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of cordless phones and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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