BT Diverse 7450 Dect Cordless Phone with Answer Machine - Black

I don't use a land-line a lot but when I do I want it to be intuitive and functional. This phone is so simple to use that the user guide is almost superfluous.

The batteries are NiMH (as are most Digital Cordless Handsets I believe) so you do need to follow the instruction to charge fully (24 hrs) before use. NiMH batteries have a memory, so failing to fully charge could mean that they never get to acheive full charge potential. They will also benefit from being allowed to fully discharge occasionally (but don't leave them discharged).

My previous phone was an iDECT V2i that I bought because it was recommended in a Which? review. Only now, having experienced the BT Diverse, can I appreciate what a rubbish phone the iDECT was.

This phone has a bit of weight to it, giving it a solid puposeful feel.
The button numerals are clear and easy to read, even without my glasses, so are the icons and menu items on the screen.
Audio quality is astonishingly good - volume and clarity without distortion

Ever had that problem where you put the phone between your shoulder and ear to free both hands for a moment and then the phone shifts slightly and you can't hear a thing because the speaker hole isn't perfectly positioned? Not a problem with the Diverse. I experimented by pressing the phone to various parts of my ear but could always hear clearly as the mic sits in a recess so doesn't get blocked.

Here's another scenario that happened to me regularly with the iDECT. You make a call and get through to an automated service - "press 1 for this, 2 for that" etc.. Having listened to the options you take the phone away from yout ear only to find the back-light has gone out and you can't see the numerals. Doh!

This isn't a problem with the Diverse. The numerals aren't back-lit, they are large and white on a black surface so easy to read in all but the dimmest of light. Even then you could probably use it blind, as the number pad is easily distinguishable from the other buttons.

The base unit has cassette style buttons for message management. Very clear and simple to use. Much less stressful than having to navigate a handset menu to find the 'Delete' option before the half-second hang-up message that someone left has finished playing and moved on. <Grrr>

There's a headset socket on the side which I won't be using and a belt-clip which may come in handy at some point. I also won't be using the SIM reader/writer feature - I only need 2 or 3 numbers on my land-line - I certainly don't want to clog up the names list with all my business numbers.

The Call Groups feature is easy to use. Without referring to the instructions I was able to assign a number to a group, rename that group and give it a unique ring-tone.

Someone mentioned that the lcd screen isn't actually the black & white that is shown in the photo but more dark-blue on white. Well that's true but if you're that fussy you need to be paying a lot more. I think this is excellent value for money and I am pleasantly surprised at the audio quality the visual clarity and the simplicity brought about by good design.

This phone could have been a whole lot better, with a little more attention to detail.
It is attractively designed, but is rather let down at the business end.
The sound quality is actually inferior to a phone i had given, some twenty years ago, for filling out an insurance quote!
At this price level, and with the advances in technology we have witnessed since, you have to say that this came as a wee bit of a surprise.
The SIM card reader is another great feature but, in my case, copied only 2, out of 18 entries?
Lastly, the advertised `white on black` text was, again in my case, a rather dismal half-white, on a navy blue background?
In the end, i opted to return the device, in exchange for the far superior Siemens Gigaset.