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Motorola MD671 5.8 GHz Expandable Cordless Speakerphone with Caller ID

Motorola MD671 5.8 GHz Expandable Cordless Speakerphone with Caller ID

List Price: $179.99
Your Price: $108.94
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best cordless phone I've ever bought
Review: I just bought this phone as a replacement for a Siemens 2.4GHz phone that just died and it's great. When I first bought a Sony 900Hz DSS phone a number of years ago, I had to return it because of echo and went for a different brand without spread spectrum. When I first got the Siemens 2.4 GHz I had problems, and Siemens replaced it at least twice, upgrading me to higher end models each time.

Based on the reviews here I bought this phone and love it. It was easy to set up and use. The sound quality is great - no echo even at the highest volume. I like the phone book which I got used to on the Siemens. I also like the fact that you can charge a spare battery in the base and it will let you use the phone in the case of a power failure. I also like the fact that it uses NiMH batteries.

I only have one extension so I'm not bothered by some of the limitations that others have commented on (not being able to share phonebooks). My only minor gripe is that I wish it came in black instead of silver.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Solid product, a little light in the "system wide" features
Review: I just got this phone today, and I'm already very happy. The phone looks very sleek and is pleasing to the eye. The blue backlight is easy to read, and the menus are very easy to navigate. The function keys and menus are set up like most modern cell phones where the function of the key changes depending on which menu you are in. This reduces the clutter of useless buttons on the keypad. The speakerphone in the base unit is very clear, and most callers don't seem to notice being on speaker much. I would have given this product five stars except for a few minor negatives:

-Ability to change settings system wide
Having to set the time of day on each handset is a little annoying.

-Phonebook entries system wide
I understand how not being able to make system wide phonebook changes is a good thing, but as another reviewer suggested... for this amount of money, a public/ private feature on the phonebook would be a good feature.

-Naming of handsets
This is a very minor annoyance. Many expandable systems allow you to name each handset (Kitchen, Den, Bedroom, etc.) this system only numbers the handsets so you have to remember which room handset 3 is in if you want to use the intercom feature.

-Documentation/ website
In all honesty, I could be wrong about some of these features because the documentation is a little light. The manual is very clear, but it does not list everything that it should. Also, Motorola's website is no help. It is mainly a sales site and really offers no useful support. Since this product worked as advertised right out of the box, and setup is very strait-forward, I don't see this being a major problem.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Phone is the Best!!!
Review: I love this phone ~ I've always been a "phone snob" and have very high standards for phones and what they do and how they feel and how they look. I've been using a Uniden cordless up until now, which broke (about once a week one of the keypad numbers would stop working until I lost so many I couldn't dial anyone not in my memory list). So after much searching on the net and after reading other reveiws for this phone, I bought it. And it's awesome! It's one of the few phones out there (that I could find) that offered a speakerphone but NOT an answering machine. Most phones give you both or none. I don't want an answering machine, I am very happy with voicemail. But I do want a speakerphone. I like how the handset feels, it's a bit flat, which I thought might annoy me, but it doesn't. It's got enough weight to it to keep me happy (that's the one thing I liked about the Uniden - the handset was heavy and you felt like you were actually holding something). This phone utilizes an alphabetized phone book (like a cell phone) which is awesome, and you can easily scroll through the list or do a search by letter. I also love the lights on this phone (VERY cool) - the speakerphone circle is backlit with a cool blue indiglo-like light, so when you're on the phone, that glows. The handset has a blue light that blinks when a new call has come in, so you know from across the room when you walk in if you've been called. There's also a red light that glows when you have a voicemail waiting (which ROCKS!). This phone is well worth the money. I read in another review that the guys Motorola phone had lasted 10 years and he was buying this as a replacement. That really helped me decide on this phone, and I couldn't be happier.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Phone is the Best!!!
Review: I love this phone ~ I've always been a "phone snob" and have very high standards for phones and what they do and how they feel and how they look. I've been using a Uniden cordless up until now, which broke (about once a week one of the keypad numbers would stop working until I lost so many I couldn't dial anyone not in my memory list). So after much searching on the net and after reading other reveiws for this phone, I bought it. And it's awesome! It's one of the few phones out there (that I could find) that offered a speakerphone but NOT an answering machine. Most phones give you both or none. I don't want an answering machine, I am very happy with voicemail. But I do want a speakerphone. I like how the handset feels, it's a bit flat, which I thought might annoy me, but it doesn't. It's got enough weight to it to keep me happy (that's the one thing I liked about the Uniden - the handset was heavy and you felt like you were actually holding something). This phone utilizes an alphabetized phone book (like a cell phone) which is awesome, and you can easily scroll through the list or do a search by letter. I also love the lights on this phone (VERY cool) - the speakerphone circle is backlit with a cool blue indiglo-like light, so when you're on the phone, that glows. The handset has a blue light that blinks when a new call has come in, so you know from across the room when you walk in if you've been called. There's also a red light that glows when you have a voicemail waiting (which ROCKS!). This phone is well worth the money. I read in another review that the guys Motorola phone had lasted 10 years and he was buying this as a replacement. That really helped me decide on this phone, and I couldn't be happier.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Reliability not great and where's the service?
Review: I purchased the base unit plus an extra handset. The functions are nice, but I've had some problems that bug me. When the phone is in use, a blue light flashes on the base unit. There have been several times when the phone indicates that it is in use, even though no one is using it. I check the handsets and other phones in the house and all are properly 'hung up'. After pushing the on/off button a couple of times on the Motorola handsets, the phone 'hangs up'. This is a pretty big problem because the line is busy during this time, which means missed calls.

The second problem is with the speakerphone on the handset. Great feature, but sometimes it fades in and out, I notice this happens when the handset moves,like when you go to put it down or walk with it.

So I sent two emails to Motorola's customer care about this and have received absolutely no response.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gotta have the Motorola 5.8 GHz
Review: I recently purchased this item as well as an expandable handset. This phone has perfect clarity next to computers and microwaves. Their is no situation where this phone has failed to perform as expected. I highly recommend this phone to anyone who wants a superior phone with great options like a hands free speakerphone which works great while typing away at the computer keayboard. Motorola has hit a home run with this phone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Perfect Complement to Vonage Broadband Phone Service
Review: I selected the MD671 as the perfect complement to the feature set of Vonage, the broadband phone service. I all but insist that you buy this unit if you're going with Vonage; I highly recommend it otherwise, though you should check out the MD681 if you do not have telco-supplied voicemail.

The "candy-bar"-style handset is just the right weight and has good balance in the hand, with a rubberized grip. The LCD screen is bright (as well as the keypad) and the contrast of the former is very adjustable. The onscreen menus are functional, though not immediately intuitive. The sound (with adjustable volume) is excellent, virtually equal to a corded device; the truly amazing feature is the speakerphone built in to the handset (this is in addition to the speakerphone in the base). I was skeptical of its potential sound quality. I was wrong to be. As speakerphones go, the MD671 is excellent, and almost as good as the average corded phone in sound quality. One feature I miss already in my Lucent 9200 cordless is the ability to hang up on one call and initiate another just by hitting the "ON" button. On the MD671, this causes a "hook flash" and places the call I wanted to terminate on hold. I would have preferred a separate flash button, but I will live.

The range of the handset is stunning: On my city street of frame dwellings, I can use it four to five doors down with no noticeable decline in quality (an audible tone alerts me when I enter or exit the range)! This exceeds the range of my WiFi network by two doors, and exceeds the range of the Lucent 9200 by an order of magnitude. I thought increasing frequency decreased range, signal power being equal, but I have experienced precisely the opposite in operation, obviously due to signal power being phenomenal in the MD671.

The base unit has an excellent speakerphone, and a similar LCD display and keypad. I am disappointed that the base unit's display, unlike the handset's, cannot display the time. It would be nice to approach it and see the time before placing a call.

The piece de resistance of the MD671, however, is how well it integrates with the Vonage broadband telephone service. Vonage provides free voicemail, Caller ID Call Waiting, and the MD671 indicates the presence of voicemail on the Vonage system with LED's on both the handset and the base. Caller ID and Call Waiting are no big deal these days, but I never needed them, and were they not free, I'd still not have them. Now I do, with a phone that handles them gracefully.

Battery life on the handset is very good. I figure nigh unto a week of pure standby at least, diminished by use. The ringtones are pleasant, not cloying (if it offered "La Macarena," I was going to return it), and the volumes range widely. I cannot imagine having a different ringtone on the handset and base, but it appears to be possible. Cacophony, anyone?

With the speakerphone in the base, I don't see the need for additional handsets (it's just my wife and I--the dogs aren't allowed to use the phone without permission), sorry Amazon, but I have no doubt they would provide yeoman service. The base and handsets can also communicate with each other, intercom-style. Nice touch when the missus is out in the garden and I need someone to bring me a beer (just kidding, hon!).

Like every Motorola product I have ever owned, this is an excellent piece of engineering and design. I had to stretch to find flaws or shortcomings.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Motorola MD671 Close to Perfect
Review: I wanted to add my two cents regarding this Motorola Cordless. Although a decent phone system, I replaced my ATT 5830/5800 with the MD671 because the ATT handsets were uncomfortable to hold, felt flimsy, and that stupid antenna on the ATT made it uncomfortable to wear for long conference calls. Also, the charging bases for the 5800 handsets have a shallow depression, allowing the phones to flop out easily. Both the ATT and MD671 are VTECH phones and have virtually the same features and menus. BUT, the Motorola handsets are (a) much more comfortable to hold and use for long periods (b)the stubby antenna, and the clip design, make them a pleasure to wear (c) they are much more solid, like a brick (d) and the grippy rubber on the sides make it less likely for me to drop the phone (the ATT handsets are slippery). To me, this is a near perfect design, functional and good looking, AND it not only performs as advertised, it performs as EXPECTED. Its only flaw is that it does not operate as a "system", for example, being able to share (or not share) phonebooks, doing a system wide addition or deletion of features, etc. Then again, operating as a "system" may overly complicate the simple design, and ease of use. I am noticing in many products lately, from TVs to desktop/portable stereo systems, phones (cell and other), kitchen appliances, and many other electronics, that the designs, and colors, are approaching art (at least in some cases.) These are products that make you feel you've gotten your money's worth, and are a pleasure to own and use. In my opinion, this Motorola is one of those products. One last thing for the skeptics out there, I DON'T work for Motorola. In fact, there are many Motorola products that are terrible. Again, this is not one of them.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good phone for the money
Review: I was looking for a phone in the 5.8 GHz frequency band so as to reduce the interference with a home wireless LAN.
After using the phone for a few days I can provide some pros and cons.

PROS:
> Long battery life...thanks to a 1400 mAh Nickel Metal Hydride battery. Compared to our 2.4 GHz PANASONIC with NiCd batteries this is a marked improvement in battery life. On standby the battery lasts 3-4 days.
> Sound quality comparable to other cordless phones
> Range: Works about 500 feet away from base
> Simple setup
> Ergonomic design
> Spread spectrum technology. Makes eavesdropping harder
> Handset speakerphone in addition to speakerphone on base
> Choice of ringer tones

CONS:
> If another phone in the house is in use the speaker on the base blinks with this blue light. Motorola said it cannot be turned off. The LCD display message "Extension in use" is sufficient ...the blue light is really not required
> Not a true 5.8 GHz phone. Motorola informed me that the handset to base uses 2.4 GHz but the base to handset uses the 5.8 GHz band
> Separate Caller id. To delete the calls in your caller id list you have to delete them from the base and handset separately.
> User manual is too short. Missing: Technical specifications, detailed explanations of some features

All things considered this phone is a good buy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Motorola has a good one on their hands!
Review: I'll be honest, I didn't need a new phone. I simply loved my Siemens despite the bad reviews and even friends who had battery problems with theirs; mine worked fine. I loved the feature set, although certain things were missing that I would have liked. It was about time that I got some extension units, and I decided to look around and see if there were any new systems that tempted me.

Well, I came across this little beauty. Motorola has a good one on their hands! The lights behind the keypad illuminates a vibrant LED Blue! LED Blue! The screen itself is a pale blue/white color - very pleasing to the eye, I must say. My old siemens had no keypad backlighting so I was on my on in the dark when dialing! This unit registers new calls (CID) on each handset and the base independently, which is fine - but a big plus is that it does not blink lights when a new call has been received like the siemens! That drove me nuts...now I only see a light blink if I have voicemail (and on every single piece of this system to boot!)

The menu system is intuitive, the feature set is a bit limited compared to the siemens, but I'll survive without the voice dialing and "quiet times" that phone offered. The ringers are ok - of the 8, I would say 3 or 4 are nice, the rest are just a bit strange. Certainly not a bad thing.

Aesthetically, this phone is gorgeous. It is a true work of art and it is clear that some designers had a large part in the process! I bought a base and one handset extension for another room, although I'm thinking of getting even one more for downstairs.

The range on this phone is just about the same as my siemens (which was rather good). No problems working in "the yard" with this puppy! Battery life is VERY nice as well. Oh, and did I mention that the base and each handset light up like a Christmas Tree when someone calls? Gorgeous :-).

I also wanted to comment on some other people's reviews complaining of the phone directory. Yes, it is separately stored on each handset - but that certainly is a good option for families so that each child/person could have their own personal set of numbers stored. Me personally? I use a speed dial service from my phone company - so it is of no major concern.

Motorola has come a long way from their early analog 2.4's. Battery life, sound quality which is superb, vivid lights (I fall for anything with blue LEDs on it - as most geeks do), and long range make this phone a great buy! Built solid, simply classy styling and all-around polished features. I don't think I'll ever part with this phone...


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