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Save With Cordless/Cellphone Combos

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Dec 16, 2008 8:18 pm US/Eastern

Save With Cordless/Cellphone Combos

(KDKA) Looking to cut your monthly phone bills?

Or maybe your cell phone drives you crazy because you don't have good reception at home.

Consumer Reports just tested a new type of cordless phone that could be just for you.

It's a cordless phone that can wirelessly connect to your cell phone. Consumer Reports tested ones from AT&T, GE, and Panasonic.

The phones allow you to leave your cell phone where you get reception.

That way, when a cell call does come in, you answer it on a cordless phone.

No more missed cell calls and you might be able to save some money by eliminating some of the redundancies in your phone services.

The phone systems need to be "paired"—connected wirelessly—with the cordless phone's base near the cell phone.

Consumer Reports found that the cordless-phone sets were pretty easy to pair with cell phones.

And testers say the phones compare favorably to regular phones in performance.

But phone calls that come in from your cell don't sound any better than they normally do.

And be aware, you can't use those cordless phones to access cell-phone features such as Web surfing, speed dial, or text messaging.

Testers recommend the AT&T EP5632 cordless system with Bluetooth technology.

While it only has one handset, at $100 it's a good deal.

If you need two handsets, testers recommend the $130 GE 28129FE2.

It has twice the battery life and message capacity.

GE recently announced it will stop making cordless phones, but the phone recommended in this report is still available.

Consumer Reports says if you're considering getting a cordless phone that pairs with a cell, check the return policy.

You want to be able to return it if you run into problems pairing it. 

 

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