Landline phones, long overlooked in favour of their flashy cellular counterparts, are beginning to borrow some of the high-tech functionality available to make themselves more attractive to consumers. Full colour displays were the start, then SIM-card compatibility, improved phonebooks and the ability to send and receive SMS messages; now, Thomson have borrowed some of Google’s halo for their line of GE-branded DECT 6.0 handsets, each of which has one-touch access to the search giant’s GOOG-411 free, voice-controlled directory service.
Incorporated into more than a dozen new GE phones that will be available from April, the range will start with a single handset priced at $39.99, through to a three-handset, answerphone-equipped version priced at a still-reasonable $99.99. Thomson have split the range into Premiere and Advanced, the former of which can be augmented with a wireless baby monitor unit that also functions as a speakerphone. All models have Caller ID and LCD displays.
Thomson are showing off the new GE phones at CES 2008, so keep reading PHONE Magazine for more coverage!
