Out of the box all looks good, with a mobile phone like handset in both dimensions and style and a base unit that is smaller than most we've seen, then there is the 5 line colour LCD screen which shows all the data you need like battery life and who's calling. There is even a nifty one push quick dial and access to a phone book and inter phone messaging system.

All sounds pretty good, well that is until you actually make a call, first up the sound quality is a bit iffy with callers sounding distant and as if they are holding the phone away from their mouth. There is a range of loud if not tuneful  ringtones and a very useable hands free system which make working from home just that bit easier.

Measuring 141 x 51 x 28mm the Gigaset S44 isn't that big but its still a little eighties like and the 120 gram weight makes it a little uncomfortable to use for calls over 30 minutes, of course you can switch to hands free as the battery should last for 10 hours before needing to return to the base station for a top up.

The Gigaset S44 base has a USB PC interface which allows it to be connected to your PC meaning new polyphonic ringtones can be downloaded but also and possibly more importantly allows the optional VOIP plugin the M34 USB to slide in. This plug in while quite pricey also comes with the required Skype drivers to make your home phone a full on DECT Skype device. The PC interface also works with the supplied software to synchronise outlook contacts straight to your handset which can store some 200 names and numbers, 30 of which can be assigned voice dial commands.

Dect phones normally excel in audio quality and also in useable range, but as we've already mentioned the S44's audio quality is not the best and its range is nowhere near the claimed indoor 50ft distance, perhaps as short as 25ft before the signal starts to fade and digital distortion starts. This isn't what we'd come to expect of a manufacturer like Siemens and also of a single handset which costs around £70.

Adding the VOIP plugin the M34 makes this a much more convincing package but adds a whopping £65 to the price meaning that it loses out big time to the more convincing Olympia DECT phone we tested a month ago. It's a real shame as the S44 looks the part and should have done the job, but poor sonic's and range plus that overall price means we'd find it hard to recommend this as a package.

Published - 17/07/2005

More DECT Phone Reviews-

[ Up ] [ Panasonic KX-TCD 517ES ] [ Siemens A245 ] [ Philips 515 DECT ] [ Siemens Gigaset S44 ] [ Philips 1211 VOIP ] [ JJT-6 Dect Handset ] [ Plantronics CS60 ]