Panasonic KX-TGE272S Review

Performance Comparison

Sound Quality

Sound quality made up the most important category in our scoring system, comprising 30% of the total score. The TGE272S delivered an average performance when it came to sound quality, scoring 5 out of 10. We tested the quality of each call by leaving a voicemail and then having a group of listeners rate the quality, without knowing which phone left which message. Our panel of listeners evaluated the messages left by this phone and felt that while the volume was very loud, the messages weren't terribly clear and there was a significant amount of background static. Below you can hear an audio sample from this phone, compared with our top scoring phone.

Range

This phone had an acceptable open, unobstructed range score, cutting out just 20' earlier than our top performers at 840', but significantly suffered when there were obstacles between the base and the handset. This model only made it 180' when there were 5-6 walls blocking it, just over half the distance of the top performing models.

All in all, this phone's performance netted it an overall score of 5 out of 10.

Ease of Use

The TGE272S actually tied for the top score for ease of use, with a 7 out of 10. This model, along with the Panasonic TGE-232B are both extremely easy to see, in both a dark and well lit environment. Every button except the navigational arrow keys has a backlight, as well as having a bright enough screen backlight to actually look for something. This handset also has the ability to turn off the backlight by pressing the "Off" in the beginning menu, rather than having to wait for the display to timeout and turn off.

Besides being great for reading in the dark, the display has large font, visible at 6' away in our tests. Unfortunately, this model does not hyphenate the number when placing a call, making it easier to get lost when entering a number.

We liked that you were able to press any key on the phone to answer when receiving a call. It also features the ability to block unwanted numbers under the "Settings" menu on the phone, rather than having to call a number and navigate through an automated system.

Features

This model of cordless phone can host up to 6 handsets, and does have a keypad and speaker on the main base. There is not a corded handset on the main base, and this phone will not work in the event of a power outage in a line power mode. The phonebook has the capacity for up to 3000 entries, as well as an integrated answering machine. This phone does have the ability to link to a cell phone or other compatible mobile device.

The KX-TGE272S also can act as an intercom system, and each handset has an auxiliary input jack for a headset and a belt clip for hands free use.

Battery Life

Lasting for 12 hours and 30 minutes in our talk time test, this cordless phone earned a score of 7 out of 10. This exceeded the manufacturer's claimed battery life for talk time by two and a half hours. The handset indicated that the battery was low after 11 hours and 50 minutes by flashing and producing an audible tone, as well as an on-screen prompt to charge for 7 hours. This model has a manufacturer's claimed time of lasting for 7 hours on standby mode.

Value

This model of cordless phone has decent value. It was our highest ranking, non-award winning model and scored extremely close behind both of our Editor's Choice award winner. It has the same MSRP as the top scoring phone, and only lagged behind by 5 points in the overall scores.

Conclusion