E.T. never had such problems...
Written: Oct 10 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It is durable and inexpensive
Cons: If you pay any more than $20, you have paid too much
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| BunnyJav's Full Review: Southwestern Bell FF905 900MHz (FF905) Phone |
WHY I NEEDED A NEW PHONE:
About a year ago, I killed my old cordless phone. Not only did the battery die (a $25 replacement part), but I managed to snap the antenna off. Not only did I snap off the antenna, but I stripped the threading off of the hand-held, so I couldn't even buy a replacement part. Oh well! I was moving in with my two best friends, and I had my cell phone. I decided that I would use my phone line as a data line, and use my cell phone as my primary phone.
This plan worked wonderfully until we moved this past June. In our new house, I do not get cell-phone reception. If I stand by the front door, leaning against the window, standing on one foot, with the planets aligned, I can sometimes hear the person who is calling me. Aha. This posed a problem to my ingenious I-am-not-going-to-replace-my-old-coreless-phone plan!
WHY I CHOSE SOUTHWESTERN BELL:
Unfortunately, the move almost bankrupted me. Three months security deposit, plus an increase in renters and car insurance, totally drained my savings. However, with no cell-phone reception in the house, I gradually accepted the fact that I would need to buy a new cordless phone.
I went to an electronics discount store in Philadelphia (any store between 9th and 12th and Walnut, for those in Philly), where I knew I could get a cheap phone. Unfortunately, I knew that it would be just that: cheap. Sure enough, they came through for me and produced two identical phones, each for $12. Both were Southwestern Bell Freedom Phones, model number 905.
WHY I LIKE THE PHONE:
It is cheap. I know I sound like a broken record, but given my current monetary situation (see my review entitled "$40,000 in debt later..."), cheap is what I was going for. Note that I have not yet used the word "inexpensive". Key difference.
I have been fortunate in that the phone has performed its basic functions: ringing, receiving calls and placing calls. The phone has a pager function in case you lose the handset, but this is a common feature on any cordless phone anymore.
Although the casing feels like cheap plastic -- almost like a child's play-phone -- it reassures me that if I should drop the phone, the electronics would be protected by the shattering of the plastic around it. The buttons are large, easy to see, and easy to use. However, the tone that sounds when you press a key is laughably loud. You can hear me dialing in the next room!
The phone feels flimsy, but is actually rather durable. The three-year-old in our household has gotten hold of the handset on more than one occasion, and it doesn't seem any worse for the experience. Granted, he might have been calling China, but at least the phone wasn't broken when he dropped it once he was caught red-handed.
One good point about this phone is that the shape is very conducive to talking for long periods of time. It is curved nicely and is shaped well to be held against your chin. However, the plastic is so smooth that it frequently slips if I try and cradle it against my shoulder.
WHY I DON'T LIKE THIS PHONE:
The good news is that I don't use my phone that much when I am at home. I am always online, and until my computer gets along with the network we have set up in our house and allows me to share the cable modem like everyone else's computer, I will be stuck using my analog line as a data line. The bad news is, for anyone who frequently uses the phone, the Southwestern Bell FF905 would be a disasterous choice.
The reception is terrible. Although the phone boasts 25 channels, and 900 MHz technology, I have found that the reception is fuzzy at best. If you try to change channels mid-conversation, you will frequently be disconnected. The conversation is not only filled with static, but is also choppy and difficult to hear. It almost sounds like you are listening through a tin can while someone is crinkling tissue paper in your ear. I tested out the reception in my house with my housemates' cordless to see if it was the phone, or just our house. It was the phone. Everything sounded clear as a bell with their telephone.
Unlike most cordless phones, the buttons do not light up when you pick up the receiver. The only button which illuminates once you have picked up the receiver is the power/standby button. This may not be a big deal to most, but it has inconvenienced me on more than one occasion. As an example, there have been several times when I have woken up remembering something I have to do the next day and I want to leave a voice-mail message for myself at work. Without the illumination of the number keys, I can't dial my office, let alone punch in my pass-codes. A minor point, but annoying nonetheless.
The phone advertises the ability to mount it on a wall, but I can't imagine this working very well. The cradle is very shallow, and it is very easy to knock the phone off of the base. This is exacerbated by the non-retracting antenna on the handset, which sticks out well beyond the phone. Having crashed the handset to the floor several times while it was perched on my desk, I can not imaging it staying put while vertical.
THE SPECS:
These features were taken from the Southwestern Bell website. Although they do not misrepresent any of the features, if you pay attention, you will realize how laughable some of these are. You have to figure that any phone which has to advertise that it has an "In Use/Charge" LED and "volume control" is kind of sad, but here are the phone's features:
Analog 900 MHz Technology
Long Life Battery
10 Number Memory
Extended Range
Compander Noise Suppression
Automatic Call Connection
Digital Security System
Temporary Touch Tone
Handset Locator
Last Number Redial
Flash
In Use/Charge LED
Receiver Volume Control
Ringer On/Off Control
Hearing Aid Compatible
Desk/Wall Mountable
One Year Limited Warranty
Se Incluyen Instrucciones en Español
I have not yet programmed any numbers into the memory, so I can't vouch for that feature, and I have not used my phone enough to test the "extended battery" feature.
MY RECOMMENDATION:
This would be a fine infrequent-use telephone for a rec room, a child's bedroom, or anywhere that is not very high-traffic. I have been continually frustrated by how bad this phone is, but considering that I only use my phone about a half-hour per week, it has not been a huge deal. For any other rooms, or for frequent conversations, this phone gets a resounding thumbs down.
The M.S.R.P. for this phone is $59. Do not pay this price! If you can find this phone on sale for under $20, buy it as a spare phone for the rooms I mentioned above. However, if I had paid $59, I would have been furious at the extremely low quality reception and performance of this phone.
Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions or any questions about things I did not cover in this review, please email me!
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
BunnyJav
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Location: Minneapolos, MN
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 59 members
About Me:
"You're the true Lord of the Dance, no matter what those idiots at work say"
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