BT Verve 450 DECT Trio Digital Cordless Telephone and Answering Machine - Black

i was looking to update my phone as had a samsung cordless phone for 10 years and wanted 2 handsets - one for downstairs and one for the bedroom.

the handsets are very slim in design and funky looking.

they work straight out of the box and automatically configure themselves as main base unit and additional handset

you can access the answermachine from either handset if you want to access messages or record a new message without having to be by the base unit itself

the handsfree is very good and loud and allows you to dial out handsfree without lifting the handset from the base although this can be a bit fiddly sometimes

the volume is very clear and the other person could hear me clearly without me having to shout really loud down the phone to them which you sometimes find on other phones

the only minor gripe as another person has mentioned is that the keypad is not backlit although the display screen is backlt - but once you get used to the key pads this is not a major issue

if it had a backlit kepad then i would have given it 5 stars but have given it 4 instead

After reading a number of different reviews on this phone I was in two minds as to whether to get it. Some reviews on other sites said the sound quality was poor, there weren't enough ring tones, the base and the handset ring tones are different. Well after getting the phone and seeing for myself I'm glad I didn't listen to those reviews. The sound quality is crisp whether on loudspeaker or not. On loudspeaker I've had no problems except when on the other side of a 10ft room (but at that distance I was still just audible) and if you want to use your phone as a sort of announcing system then I'd suggest rebuilding your room and fitting one in. There's a good variety of ring tones from the standard ringing to classic and techno. If you're annoyed with the base unit not matching the handset you can just turn the volume down to off, however I've found it handy to have on a low simple tone in case you want to put the handset on silent and forget to turn it back on again. At least with the two tones you can be sure to not miss you calls. The answer machine is great and has three functions. You can either have it off, have it set so that someone can leave a message or have it set to notify that you're not there but so that they cannot leave a message. The only function that I couldn't really test is the text messaging as this is dependent on you service provider and being in Jersey this is not currently supported. Aside from the technical aspects, the handset itself is sleek, lightweight and straight forward to use. The symbols are pretty self explanatory, one for a the directory, messages and speakerphone. The buttons are also large and easy to press. The only thing that some may not be happy with is the fact that the keys are not back lit, but in my opinion unless you're always making calls in the dark this is a feature that can be managed without.

As well as it's pleasing design, this phone does what it's supposed to do brilliantly. Reception is perfect, and the speaker for hands free mode is very good. The buttons are clearly laid out, and for someone whose eyes aren't what they used to be, the number are clearly legible. Best of all you can easily copy all the names and numbers in your address book from one handset to the other. The only drawback is that the keys are not backlit.