Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I did FAR more research than necessary looking for a something I could give my 8 month old to satisfy his constant desire to grab my cellphone or remote controls. LeapFrog typically makes good products and this one is no exception. CONSTRUCTION: Solid. At first I thought it looked too fat/deep like a really thick cellphone but its actually easier for my little guy to hold. I also liked that this design seemed the most 'drool-proof. Other than the holes for the speaker, which are recessed anyway, all the seams are pretty tight with very little room for a kid to jam food into. I don't really know what to say about the weight, its not heavy but feels solid enough in your hand to feel pretty rugged. SCREEN: This has an actual green backlit LCD display. It's not a cellphone type display but the old-school dot-matrix style. The 8 month old has not complained. The puppy that is displayed (Scout) will visually reinforce the number for each button when pressed. Press 2 and Scout speaks the number, the number is displayed on the screen, and then two dog biscuits are displayed in sequence. Same goes for the other buttons. Scout will wave, sing, and visually interact with whatever function is being triggered. Many of the other toy phones I looked at didn't have actual screens, just translucent plastic overlays with 'buttons' printed on it. With those you would press the 'button' and a light would backlight the 'button' area. Kinda lame IMO. SOUND: The sound on this is great... meaning that it isn't annoyingly loud! The high setting really isn't that loud, barely noticeable with TV or other background noise. The low is barely audible from across the room. And most importantly... it turns off silently when you switch it off. (I can't tell you how infuriating it is to have a toy that makes MORE noise when you turn it off!!!) Press the music button and Scout will sing with music for about 10 seconds FEATURES: I was aware that this will connect with the LeapFrog Scout interactive puppy doll. I was just planning on using the remote alone but turns out a grandparent bought Scout as a Christmas present! However, I have not had a chance to set it up yet. Apparently when you press the phone button it will 'call' Scout and will interact with him. Probably a neat feature for toddlers/older babies.