It’s kinda hard to find a “simple” cordless phone these days — either the manufacturers want to sell you 2, 3, or 4 at once, or they want to include a bunch of extra features (answering machines, multi-line capabilities, etc.) that you don’t need.

The Panasonic here is different: It really is a “basic” phone, and the execution is superb. Voice quality is excellent, and while I might have done the user-interface slightly differently, it is at the level that anyone can pick up the phone and figure out how to, e.g., add or use address book memories without having to look at the instructions. (The full dot-matrix LCD — in a pleasing blue on gray color — helps here.)

Most of the time I use this while in front of a computer, so I use the (very inexpensive) Panasonic headset that Amazon sells (it’s just a standard 2.5mm plug, so it’ll work with most standard cell phones or cordless phones) to keep both hands free. Works great…

You can purchase additional “extension” units for this phone if you do want more than one, although in those cases it probably makes more sense (e.g., would save money) to buy one of the “multi-packs” initially.

Rating: 5 / 5

Quick Take: If you want a modestly priced, reliable phone without an answering machine, this phone is a good choice. The second handset model Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone (KX-TG6412M) is also nice for putting a phone where you don’t have a jack. (KX-TG6411 is single handset version).

DETAILS:

I am a long time user, and fan, of Panasonic wireless telephone equipment. Until recently, I was using a higher end version of their DECT wireless phones. But I had one frustration – I was unable to fully disable the answering machine function on my higher end unit. If it got enough rings, it would turn itself on. This is the first truly bone-headed feature I have seen from Panasonic. But I digress.

In order to solve my need to NOT have an answering machine, I set out looking for a phone without that feature. To my surprise, an answering machine free phone is very difficult to find! Finally, I came upon this unit. Not only did it not have the feature I didn’t want, it was a DECT technology phone (meaning it would get along well with other equipment in my home) and it was made by a brand I liked.

When I got the unit home, it just got better. I was able to register the units from my more expensive Panasonic system with the new base unit, and they worked just great.

Since there is so little difference in the typical price between the dual handset (KX-TG6412) and the single handset (KX-TG6411) why not spoil yourself? You know you’ve always wanted a phone next to your royal throne!

One final note. If you are tired of “scammer” phone calls – “auto warranties”, “credit card rate reducers”, fake “bill collectors”, fake “irs agents”, fake “charities”, and all of the other low life tricksters, this phone is for you. Just add them to the phone’s “call block list” and they will be filtered out (assuming you have caller id service). It works much better than that “fake call block” from the phone company that doesn’t accept most of the numbers you want to block.
Rating: 5 / 5

In many ways, this is a perfectly good phone. The display is easy to read. Sound quality is good. There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles, but I wasn’t looking for them.

My chief compliant is that the battery life is quite short. I bought this phone when I work from home for my job. I spend a lot of time on calls. It has a limit of about 90 minutes of steady use before it gets ready to stop working altogether. Even though I have a headset, when it’s in its charger you can’t use the phone. And it takes several hours (4 – 7) for it to get fully recharged. This just isn’t good enough.
Rating: 2 / 5

I wanted a simple cordless phone without an answering machine, without multiple handsets, without a built-in jacuzzi or bread machine or MP3 player, just a phone. This one has a nice compact design and pretty decent sound quality – although of course not as good as a corded phone. Along with many other Japanese consumer products however, especially those from Panasonic it seems, the menu system and owner’s manual are so wacky that you could entertain guests at a party just by reading the instructions out loud. Example: This phone has Caller ID. Let’s say I want to check who a missed call was from. So this is how you do it. Ready? Here we go:

Press Menu

Press #

Press 2

Press 1

Press 3

Press Down

There you are! Only SIX buttons to remember in order to look at your last missed call! And there are dozens of these three-number codes for different phone settings – but nowhere in the owner’s manual is there a chart of all of them in one place. Panasonic tends to produce reliable hardware, but their manual-writing and user interfaces are really bad. Perhaps it’s a disconnect between the culture of Japan and the US. Or perhaps they just don’t get it. Three stars.
Rating: 3 / 5

(I have rated this 4 stars because the dual handset version (5 stars) is a much better value, the unit itself is great.)

Quick Take: If you want a modestly priced, reliable phone without an answering machine, this phone is a good choice. The second handset model Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone (KX-TG6412M) is also nice for putting a phone where you don’t have a jack. (KX-TG6411 is the single handset version).

DETAILS:

I am a long time user, and fan, of Panasonic wireless telephone equipment. Until recently, I was using a higher end version of their DECT wireless phones. But I had one frustration – I was unable to fully disable the answering machine function on my higher end unit. If it got enough rings, it would turn itself on. This is the first truly bone-headed feature I have seen from Panasonic. But I digress.

In order to solve my need to NOT have an answering machine, I set out looking for a phone without that feature. To my surprise, an answering machine free phone is very difficult to find! Finally, I came upon this unit. Not only did it not have the feature I didn’t want, it was a DECT technology phone (meaning it would get along well with other equipment in my home) and it was made by a brand I liked.

When I got the unit home, it just got better. I was able to register the units from my more expensive Panasonic system with the new base unit, and they worked just great.

Since there is so little difference in they typical price between the dual handset (KX-TG6412) and the single handset (KX-TG6411) why not spoil yourself? You know you’ve always wanted a phone next to your royal throne!

One final note. If you are tired of “scammer” phone calls – “auto warranties”, “credit card rate reducers”, fake “bill collectors”, fake “irs agents”, fake “charities”, and all of the other low life tricksters, this phone is for you. Just add them to the phone’s “call block list” and they will be filtered out (assuming you have caller id service). It works much better than that “fake call block” from the phone company that doesn’t accept most of the numbers you want to block.
Rating: 4 / 5