Siemens 4215 Gigaset 2.4 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone (White and Silver)

I have gone back and forth on whether to get this phone or not, based mostly on the hot or cold reviews it has received (people seem to either hate it or love it). After using it for a while, I am very glad I bought it. I find most of the complaints about it totally unjustified. Here is my response to some of the top complaints:1. Too complicated to use: Say what? Just because it has 4 or 5 times as many features as any other cordless phone doesn't make it too complicated. The setup menus are very clear and logically organized - and if you don't like the "complicated" features, well then don't use them. For instance, it has the ability to program the ringer to be softer at night (say between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am)...kind of overkill if you ask me, but like I said, if you like it, use it, if not, forget about it. In general it works just like your cell phone, as opposed to most cordless phones which are less "complicated" (you do have a cell phone don't you).2. Sound quality: This complaint is somewhat justified, and the reason I gave the phone 4 stars instead of 5. When I first set it up, I had a lot of clicking noises, but I had the base unit right next to my 2.4 ghz wireless network router (I figured that would be a problem, but I had to try). I moved the base unit to another room, and no more clicking. That said, the voice quality is not stellar, but I would say it is adequate. I have certainly heard better, especially for a digital phone, though.3. Battery life: No problems here. I can talk for several hours without problem. I do always return the phone to the cradle afterwards though, so if you don't that might be a problem long term. The batteries are Ni-cad, but they are standard AA size, not a propietary battery. So if you need to replace them, you can buy any old rechareable ni-cad (or better yet nickel metal-hydride) batteries.4. Call waiting feature is not intuitive: This one cracks me up. The mem button (which is used to access this feature)is located all by itself at the bottom right corner of the phone. It is used to program the one touch dial feature of the phone as well as access call waiting. I assume if you rarely used call waiting, you might forget which button to use, but how is that any differnet than a cell phone (most cell phones use the send key to access call waiting...that's more intuitive?). At least the button is in a good location...if you ask me, it is more intuitive than most phones. I suppose they could have labeled it mem/cw for those who forget how to use their phones...Overall, I am very happy with this phone. It has a list of features that simply blow everything else on the market away. I wish the sound quality were a little better, but I can live with it.

I bought this phone about three weeks ago. This is indeed one of the clearist cordless phones that I've ever owned. However, the EXTREME complexity of this phone left me with little choice but to return this product.Pros:1) Sound clarity, stylish, small, German engineering.2) Everything is located on the handset.3) Good speaker-phone.Cons:1) Complicated, need engineering degree to operate.2) Random clicking noise and humming noise in the back ground.3) Awkward belt clip.4) Lack of head phone jack.5)Not truly "voice dial."After dealing out cash for a cordless phone, my expectations were very high. The previous reviews all agreed on the clarity of this phone and for the most part they were accurate. Although I did notice some interference and random clicking and low level humming noise that were a little annoying, especially considering the price tag.The German engineers packaged this phone with all kinds of neat features. Perhaps too many features, thus making the phone extremely difficult to use. The so called "voice activated dialing" is another one of the "unneccessary" options. First of all, I do not believe it is true voice dialing. As I understood it, you have to record your own voice(which is a real pain to do) and to dial, you have to search the directory, goto voice dial, select the person and the phone will just replay your recorded voice and to dial you still have to press a botton. So, if you think that it will automaticaly dial, like your cell phones, you're mistaken.Overall, it is a good phone with numerous problems, making it an average product. I hope this helps.MT

Love:-Cordless Speakerphone has amazing quality, most people do not know they are on speaker unless there is a medium/high level of background noise. I actually use the speakerphone 90% of the time, even if I don't need to. Some people complained about the lack of a headset jack, but you only need that if you want privacy.-Elegant design. Small, comfortable to hold. It stands upright on a flat surface (great for speakerphone mode).-All functionality on the phone, not the base. I Like the selection of ring tones, and the massive number of options like the intercom and room monitor.Hate:-Answering machine playback quality is terrible. I could not understand a message that I recorded.-This is not a 2 line phone. I knew that when I bought it, but that would ice the cake for me if it were.Anoying but OK:-I had trouble with the call waiting feature. I called Siemens support, and they helped me fix it. I had to adjust the 'flash' setting under the 'base settings' menu. Now it works fine.-The key delay is slightly anoying, but I have all my numbers in the directory, and voice dial (which works 75% of the time).Rebates:-Don't forget to go to the Siemens website and download [any available] rebates ....I love this phone.