In addition to its unique cell phone features, the Cell Fusion system still offers a laundry list of the sort of baseline bullet points you'd expect from a cordless home phone system. Each handset offers a headset jack, room monitoring, speakerphones (on both the handsets and base), a push-to-talk feature that allows communication between handsets and base, a digital answering system with three mailboxes, call waiting, caller ID with 40-name memory, and phone book and directory memory (up to 200 contacts). You can add calendar entries, contacts, and polyphonic ringtones to the GE Cell Fusion from your Windows computer using the bundled software and USB connection on the handsets. And the wireless transmissions are said to be encrypted so that your neighbors can't listen in on their cordless phones or scanners. Additionally, the Cell Fusion comes with a one-year limited warranty and toll-free tech support.
In terms of general usage, the Cell Fusion is an all-around strong performer. The DECT wireless performed as advertised, with no breakup or interference, even in an office environment crammed full of competing wireless signals. Call quality was loud and clear, both on a landline and when using the Bluetooth link to a cell phone (though, obviously, cell quality may vary depending on the strength of your signal). GE says you can expect up to 7 hours of talk time and up to 10 hours of standby time. We didn't have the opportunity to formally test the battery life, but we did use the phone on and off for several days without recharging, and the battery-life indicator still showed a full charge. Like all multihandset systems, each handset communicates with the master base station, and we were able to get a good 125 feet before experiencing any breakup. In other words, most reasonably sized homes shouldn't have a problem, so long as the base station is centrally located.
While we could ding the Cell Fusion for not including the network connectivity that GE's Skype and InfoLink phones do, that would likely be overkill for most users at this point. Instead, the biggest gripe with the system is its old-fashioned run-of-the-mill cosmetics. It would've been a lot cooler, for instance, if GE used a look and feel similar to its Ultra-Slim cordless line. To that end, many users may find the stylish Vtech LS5145 to be a compelling alternative, even though it only includes a single handset and uses the older 5.8GHz wireless standard.
Its ho-hum looks notwithstanding, though, the Cell Fusion remains an impressive product. Its ability to make and receive calls on up to two Bluetooth-enabled cell phones easily trumps other cordless phone systems.
Labs Director Daniel Begun contributed to this review.
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Where to buy
GE 28128EE2 - cordless phone w/ call waiting caller ID & answering system:
$59.99 - $108.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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101PHONES.com
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$66.99 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$59.99 | Yes |
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$108.99 | See Site |
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Factory Outlet Store
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$62.95 | Yes |
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