Digital Answer Machine

A digital answering machine is a highly useful feature for most people. Callers can simply and easily leave their details for you to call them back later. On a typical machine, you can record and review your own recorded message for the benefit of callers. Record time is an important factor to look for, a typical phone might have 30 minutes record time so that a good number of messages can be recorded. Another feature to look for is remote access (with a code number for security). This function allows you to listen to your messages from a different remote location. Other possible options include slow playback, setting a maximum length for caller's messages and even memo recording.

Wall Mounting

Some corded phones ship with a wall mounting adapter set so you can place them on the wall. This is especially useful if you want to place a second phone in the hallway of your home, for example, where you have limited space for a bench or table. Wall mounting is also often the best solution for your second phone in locations such as kitchens or workplaces. Wall mounted phones are typically units that you don't use so often, but still need on occasion.

Headset Connection

A headset can be a valuable asset in a business environment where you spend a lot of time on the phone and want to perform other important tasks simultaneously. For example, many people find it productive and convenient to work on their computers while talking on the phone to a contact or customer. A headset makes it easy to make notes about your call while it is taking place. It is also much more comfortable for conference sessions or other long phone calls. The best phones have a separate port for the headset so you can leave the handset connected.

Additional Wireless Handsets

Telephone sets with multiple phones are becoming increasingly popular. They are increasingly being used for conference calls for example. These multi-line sets contain one principal corded phone, and one or more associated cordless phones for convenience and supplementary usage. The cordless phone needs a charger for continuous and trouble free operation. These phone sets typically only require one phone jack which is used for the corded base station. The additional cordless handsets share the connectivity with the corded handset while giving you the freedom of using wireless. Set up is easy, you typically just add a battery to the cordless set, plug the charger into wall power, and test the connection. Many systems allow you to add extra cordless phones (but these have to be "registered" with the base station, the corded phone.)

Internet Telephony

Some of the latest, high end phones are internet and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) enabled. On these handsets, you can connect to your computer and access internet based phone services. Many cheap and reliable services are available online enabling you to save a significant amount of money on your phone bills. Internet ready models may feature an ethernet or USB port for easy plug-and-play connection to your computer and dedicated software. See your phone manufacturer and computer software manuals and specifications for details and information about using your corded phone to make internet phone calls locally and around the world. The details of the myriad options available in VoIP are beyond the scope of this website, and the technology in this field is expanding rapidly. But always remember, internet telephony solutions will not work during power outages, so it's wise to consider maintaining a traditional land line for emergency situations.

Hearing Aid Help

Some phone models ship with a special hearing aid compatibility feature. This practical and advanced technology is of great assistance to hearing impaired users both for social and for business reasons. These specialist phone units use an internal wire coil to transmit the call audio via electromagnetic waves to the user's hearing aid for amplification.