Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This cordless phone and answerer are new for 2011 and the performance is outstanding. Minor changes for 2012 and 2013. Read on. You can buy this phone/answerer in five configurations: KX-TG6632B (two cordless phones and answerer), KX-TG6633B (three cordless phones and answerer), KX-TG6643B (three cordless phones and answerer WITH keypad), KX-TG6644B (four cordless phones and answerer WITH keypad), KX-TG6645B (five cordless phones and answerer WITH keypad). All have the same handsets and the answerer differs only in that some come with a keypad and others without. None of the answering machines have a hard wired handset. Otherwise the features and performance remain the same. Pluses: Near perfect display: Readable with no back-light and with the back-light on (hit any key) there is a brilliant white background with purple text using very large characters. This is the best display I've ever seen. The fonts are near perfect and the text is huge! Range - outstanding: Past cordless phones have proven unreliable just outside my garage door. I had perfect reception there and decided to experiment. My driveway is 250 feet long and I still had reception 250 feet from my house! Stunning! Yet at the farthest distances some hiss became evident. Voice quality - outstanding (yet I do wish I could turn the volume up just a bit more from its highest setting). Also there is no hiss or other audio anomalies. Battery life: the batteries are standard NIMH AAA which are easily replaced. After a few days the meter shows no discharge. However after 5 to 7 days these phones need to be recharged so I really doubt the claimed 11 days of stand-by as quoted in Panasonic's specifications. Programming: Reasonably easy although I had to consult the manual a few times. Program one phone and the rest (including the base unit) automatically update. That is a very nice feature. Even if you don't wish to do any programming the default settings are wisely chosen. Comfort: These phones are very light weight but comfortable if you like to cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder. A belt clip is included. No interference: The dect standard (1.9 GHZ) is a new frequency that does not interfere or share the same spectrum with past cordless phones or other wireless devices like routers. The "plus" designation is simply Panasonic marketing - meaning this is the second generation of Panasonic DECT phones. Tone control: Three settings - normal, high frequency boost and low frequency boost. Power outages: Keep one handset in the base and the system will function for about two hours during a power outage. The handset powers the base in this case. Features: Too many to list but every feature offered seems to provide a great deal of flexibility. For example - talking caller ID can be turned on or off at either the answerer or handset respectively. Three groups of favorite numbers are offered so three people can have separate lists and each group can be given a unique name. Minuses: Volume: The ringer, speaker phone and handset are all just a bit low on volume, at least, to my ear. At their highest settings I find the volume acceptable but I wish they all could go a bit louder. Answerer: Limited and rather basic. You can answer the phone there only by hitting the speaker phone button. You can't dial out except for three buttons which you can program. More flexibility is offered on the TG6643B which has a keypad but it still has no hardwired handset. You can only record or check your announcement at a handset but you can play back or erase messages at the answerer. Battery life: the batteries are standard NIMH AAA which can be easily replaced. After the first few days of no usage the meter shows no discharge. However within 5 to 7 days these phones need to be recharged so I really doubt the claimed 11 days of stand-by use as quoted in Panasonic's specifications. ALSO ----- if you actually spend some time TALKING on these phones - within a few hours usage they will need to be charged! To be clear - these phones are a bit weak on battery power. Conclusion: This is a near perfect cordless phone offering clarity, great range, no interference with existing cordless appliances, a wonderful display and a number of other features. It shows the maturity of the technology brought to us in 2011 Overall I highly recommend this phone. I'd strongly recommend you purchase one more handset than you think you'll need given the low cost of an additional handset when purchasing a package. Purchasing separate handsets at a later date is much more costly. Keep in mind if it does not say dect PLUS - you are looking at an older model Panasonic ---- many of which are still offered for sale on Amazon BEST DEAL: As of May, 2011 the five handset version with answerer is only $10.00 more than the three handset version. The four handset version is priced higher than either of those. Go figure. Having an extra handset or two you'll never regret! UPDATE 2012: (November 2012) I just purchased the newer 2012 Panasonic KX-TG4745B for my parents. Prior to installing the system for them, I used it in my home for a week. It is even better than this fine system. It has much bigger keys, it is louder, has a dedicated rocker switch on the side of the phone to adjust volume and has the same excellent range and sound quality. The only thing missing is the ability to power the base unit with a handset during a power outage. I'd recommend this newer model over this one. UPDATE 2013: (April 2013) Panasonic just released literature on their 2013 phones. Most of the 2013 models will NOT be available until May/June of 2013. It may take another few months for them to start appearing on Amazon. There are only a few additional features on the 2013 models. Cordless phones have already matured to the point that companies are just playing with features! I'll add - I love my 2011 Panasonic cordless phones. Yet, some newer models offer integration with cell phones via bluetooth. If that feature appeals to you then you should look at some of the newer models (not all of them feature this capability). Looking at what will become available for May/June 2013, I'd recommend the KX-TG6845B - it is essentially the same phone as I have already reviewed here. By the way - to eliminate some confusion on Panasonic model numbers - the last number (digit) relates to the number of handsets provided with the basic model so a KX-TG6845B has 5 handsets, a KX-TG6844B has 4, a KX-TG6843B - 3, etc. As of May/June 2013 buy the Panasonic KX-TG6845B assuming the model I've already reviewed is no longer available.