Siemens Gigaset SL565 Bluetooth phone review

Siemens brings Bluetooth to the home phone, but do you need it?

11 January 2007 0:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

It was only a matter of time before landline handsets started introducing Bluetooth as part of their feature set. First was BT with its rather chav-esque BT Glide, now Siemens has waded in with the rather more stylish looking Gigaset SL565. But is it something we need?

The Siemens Gigaset SL565 is a stylish looking candy bar phone that features a multitude of features most notably the integration of Bluetooth so users can use the phone with one of those handsfree headsets that make you look like an extra out of Star Trek.

While we can fully understand the thinking behind using Bluetooth for a mobile phone we aren't sure that we are ready for it yet on our home phone.

But then the Gigaset SL565 is designed for the office not primarily the home and with that in mind it comes with so many features you may get weary looking or using all of them.

For starters there is its ability to send and receive text messages (service options applying) to four individual boxes with memory for up to 50 messages in each box for different members of your house.

Then there is its ability to store up to 250 contact entries complete with three numbers per entry (work, home and mobile presumably), plus email addresses and appointment details.

If that wasn't enough to convince, like a mobile, you can set specific ringtones or images to certain numbers so you can avoid the wife or the accountant depending on your mood and have them saved on the integrated answer machine which has a digital recording time of up to 35 minutes.

Expandable to up to six handsets all from the same base station the system can expand as you add more staff or rooms.

In use and the phone is easy to use, with a large 65k colour screen that makes reading text messages or numbers easy. It would have been nice to see a better quality screen, certainly as nice as the one in the picture (see right), but then you can't have everything.

Above the keypad, which is also easy to use are a series of quick buttons that allow you to access your messages, and options on the screen in a very similar way to a mobile phone.

Connecting a Bluetooth headset to the device was also easy and involved little effort while the Gigaset SL565 also supports you transferring contacts from another Bluetooth-enabled phone.

Gripes? Not many. We would have like to have seen a better screen, and a SIM card reader to transfer all our contacts from our mobile without having to do them one by one via Bluetooth, although both aren't going to affect you much in day to day operation.

Verdict

In use call quality both receiving and making calls was very good. As for battery life, this too wasn't a problem as the heavy silver stand doubles as the charging station.

Overall a good performer for the small office with a price that won't break the bank, however you are paying the extra for the Bluetooth capabilities and unless you plan to wear a headset most of the time then there are cheaper better alternatives out there.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Siemens
Price as reviewed: £129.99
The good: Bluetooth, phone memory, stylish looking, colour screen
The bad: Paying for the Bluetooth element, colour screen could have been better, no SIM card reader to transfer over contacts
Quick verdict: Overall a good performer for the small office with a price that won't break the bank
Score