To have a land line, or not to have a land line – that is the question.
My husband and I have gone back and forth for years about doing away with our land line. We actually did get rid of it because we primarily use our cellphones, but we got it back because I’m a creature of habit and I prefer having a land line. It’s easier knowing where the phone is and not have to worry about missing phone calls because you left the cellphone in your car. Or worse yet, lost it.
When I was living with my parents (pre-marriage) we had SIX phones in our house – one in the upstairs bedroom, one in the kitchen, two in the family room, one in the garage and I had my own phone line and number in my room. All of the phones in the house, with the exception of mine, were corded AND had the rotary dials. Even when phones became push button and cordless my parents refused to replace the phones in the house. Their logic was “if it’s not broke why fix it”. I can agree with them to some degree.
I was never a fan of corded phones that kept you to one spot in your home. The cords also got tangled. We had a super long cord in the kitchen and it was always getting twisted and caught on things.
I do miss the rotary dial. I love the retro look of old phones. That might stem from the fact that almost everyone in my family (except my mom) worked for the phone company – myself included (I was a long distance/international operator/in-charge).
Phones these days are so high-tech looking. Sometimes they don’t even resemble phones. I have seen home phones that look like they were taken from the future with displays as big as small TV’s and a lot of “bells and whistles”. It’s a phone! You use it to talk to someone, why do you need to have so many features and functions? Just pick up the phone, dial a number and talk. It worked just fine when I was growing up, I’m sure it will work today too. 🙂
Our current phone wasn’t working well anymore (it wouldn’t keep its charge for too long). Thankfully I was sent a phone to review. Not only was I able to toss out the old phone, but the new phone is cool looking and retro at the same time.
I received a red VTech LS6195 Retro Phone (MSRP: $69.95). This would have been ideal for Valentines Day (love the color!). Plus the color adds a splash of color to our home. I’m not really into red, per say, so this phone really “pops” out of our regular decor. It’s available in other colors too like black, white, blue and orange.
This little phone packs A LOT of features (bells & whistles!) into a small package.
- 14 minutes of recording time
- Remote access
- Caller ID/Waiting – stores up to 50 calls
- Handset and base speakerphone
- Eco-mode power conserving technology
- Quiet mode
- DECT 6.0 digital technology
- 50 name and number phonebook directory
- Voicemail Waiting Indicator
- Contemporary Retro Design
- Face-down charging
- Rotary-inspired keypad
- Backlit keypad and display
- Message retrieval from handset
- Message time and date stamp
- Call screening
- Trilingual prompts allow you to choose between English, Spanish or French
- Hearing Aid Compatible
- Call intercept
- Last 10 number redial
- Mute
- Any key Answe
- Volume Control
Remember what I said earlier about why do phone need so many “bells & whistles” when all you do is just talk to someone? I am eating my words now because after having all these handy features available to me I wonder how I ever made calls without them.
My favorite feature is the retro look. It does’t have an actual rotary dial, but it gives the appearance of one. The numbers are little buttons that you can tap on to dial the phone number. Every time I made a phone call using the base I am so tempted to dial the numbers.
My kids think this is the weirdest phone they have ever seen. They are used to their smart phones. They just don’t “get” the concept of dialing a number. 🙂
Another favorite feature is the speakerphone. When I’m in the middle of doing something I like the ability of being able to talk, but not have to hold the phone. This is also great for when I am doing interviews over the phone. The speakerphone allows me to use my hands to jot down notes or type out notes on the computer all while enjoying a conversation.
To be honest I haven’t used half the features yet. There are just so many with this phone. I’m sure over due time I’ll eventually use them all.
Unlike other cordless phones, this phone charges with the handset facing down. It adds to the retro look to the phone. Most other cordless phones charge standing upright.
Unlike old rotary phones this phone is incredibly lightweight. There is hardly anything to it, yet it has so many features. The design is not only retro but has a touch of a modern design to it too.
My photos were taken the day I took the phone out of the box. It’s made it’s way to three different locations since then. Originally it was on top of the pantry in the kitchen. We only have three phone jacks in our condo and we figured the kitchen was a good location. It ended up not working out there because it was too high up and you couldn’t see the caller ID. Next the phone ended up on one side of my desk but I kept knocking the handset off. So I eventually put it on top of my desk. I have to stand on my tippy toes to read the display, but other than that it’s working out better there.
The clarity on the phone is great. I don’t get any static or dropped calls. I can wander anywhere in my condo and the reception is just as good as it is near the base of the phone.
The caller ID feature is nice. Now I don’t have to answer the phone if I don’t recognize the phone number. I don’t have time for sales pitches. I figure if it’s important enough they will leave a message.
Oh yes! I can’t forget about the voice messages. That is another feature I love.
If you opt to hold on to your home phone (land line) and you like the retro look of the old fashion rotary phone, then the VTech LS6195 Retro Phone is for you.
To learn more about this and other VTech phones visit www.VTechPhones.com. You can also find the brand on Facebook and Twitter.
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Sandy VanHoey says
Ilike this! There’s not a lot of people who have a home phone anymore, everyone has their cell phones but 2 of my kids do have home phones. They’d love this and the retro look
Chris says
We always had several home phones floating around the house as well growing up. Although I only had a corded one for a while, I remember how cool it was to get a cordless at last. This seems like a great decorative peace to match a theme of a home. I also think having some kind of home line is important too. Not everyone answers a cell phone when they’re at home. They will answer a landline though. Hence, getting a hold of the fam was never a problem when I could call the landline when they didn’t pick up their cell phones.
Chris
Familius
Chelsea r says
We also had a few phones spread through the house. Now we each have a cell, but it’a a pain when you can’t find it or drop it, they are sensitive little buggers.
Lisa - Between the Kids says
OMG! I must have this phone. This is sooo awesome! LOVE! I love the old retro style, and this version is awesome.
Ashley Morrissey says
How cute! I love it!
ANN*H says
I like the color of this one . Its also got nice sleek looking lines . I need a new phone and I think I might get one of these. their hot . thanks for the review