The Facts:

Panasonic’s cordless phone with talking caller ID is a no-hands no-brainer.  Why walk or roll to the phone to see who’s calling when you can just listen?  And if you still want to see for yourself who’s calling, the display is visible directly on the handset. 

How it Works:

The Panasonic cordless phone comes with a second handset that can be placed in another room.  The handset just needs to be plugged into an outlet; a second phone line is not required.  The caller ID and talking feature is on both the base unit and the handset; you have the option of turning the talking caller ID on or off (the factory preset is ON).  

When receiving a call, the caller’s information will be displayed first (on both the base unit and the handset), then the handset and the base unit will announce the caller’s name (call from last name, first name) following every ring.  If the caller ID is unable to receive ID information, it will announce and display the following: out of area, private caller and long distance (the manual explains what each means).

Another feature worth mentioning is Panasonic’s Voice Enhancer (VE).  This feature clarifies the voice of the person you are talking to, allowing a more natural sounding voice that is clearer and easier to understand.

Dislikes:

As with any technology, the phone is not perfect.  Here are a couple of things to mention.  First, the pronunciation of the talking caller ID, although clear, takes some getting use to. Name pronunciation varies, with the more common names being more clearly annunciated.

Second, if the name is more than 15 letters, the caller ID will not display the name or announce it correctly.  As with most caller IDs, all information is not displayed or received.  This is also true for the talking caller ID.  There will be times when you will have to check the caller ID manually either on the handset or the base unit.

Recommendation: Recommended

Overall, I would recommend this product.  The talking caller ID capability is an ideal feature for people with vision or mobility impairments.  It is also very convenient during those situations when you don’t want to get up and see who’s calling. 

Other Features:

-         Many programmable features: phone book, Caller IQ, Date & Time, etc ( the navigation menu is simple and easy to use)

-         Includes a built in Answer Machine

Note: You must subscribe to a Caller ID service in order to view numbers and use the talking Caller ID.