New Product: Beauty, Brains but to little Brawn

On a recent trip to a local retailer the look of the Vtech-I5871 phone set it apart from the mass of other cordless home phones on the shelf. There is little doubt that phones have become a commodity thus most are designed with low cost as a key criterion.

I discovered that beyond its looks the Vtech phone offers some useful features, and some not so useful ones, which set it apart other phones. For starters, the form of the unit gives it an appearance of sophistication and a polished modernism. Its use of cutting edge digital spectrum technology reduces interference and blocks ease dropping. A built-in voice message system, speaker phone and digital phone book (that interfaces with Palm and Outlook software) are fashioned into a single footprint are all winners. Whereas the handset's small color screen that plays animations seems less useful.

For a handheld product, its brushed metal alloy housing will not withstand a single drop without damaging the phone's finish. The metal housing as evidenced by the model on display at the store shows the results of being dropped. All negatives with standing, I comment Vtech for rising above the commodity graveyard and producing brainy and beautiful phone.

Vtech I5871 Phone