GE 28128EE2 (cordless phone w/ call waiting caller ID & answering system)

While a lot of young people are said to be ditching their landlines, the vast majority of households continue to maintain some sort of wired line in addition to their cellular phones. As a result, people are often juggling both lines at home--fielding calls on the landline while opting to use the cellular to take advantage of free night and weekend minutes, for instance. Imagine, then, the advantage of being able to access both lines from a single phone. That's exactly the convenience promised by the GE Cell Fusion, a family of cordless home phones that can take and make calls using your cell phone or landline connections--or even both at the same time.

We examined the main 28128EE2 Cell Fusion model ($180 list, less online), which includes two cordless handsets and a digital answering system built into the base station. The base station supports a total of up to seven handsets, with additional ones (model 28101EE1) available for purchase for about $50. All of the Cell Fusion models utilize DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) wireless technology, a communications standard designed to minimize radio interference from other electronics devices, use power more efficiently, and provide encryption--potentially resulting in better audio quality, longer battery life, and secure conversations.

Out of the box, the Cell Fusion 28128EE2 delivers what appears to be a fairly typical cordless phone system: two handsets, a base station with a built-in digital answering system (for the primary handset), and a cradle charger (for the secondary handset). Each handset gets its own rechargeable battery and belt clips, and the package includes a wall-mount bracket for the base station as well. GE also throws in a Windows software CD and USB cable for customizing ringtones and editing the speed dial lists (more on that later).

In terms of cosmetics and aesthetics, the GE Cell Fusion phones are perfectly functional, but they aren't going to win any beauty contests. The handsets offer a slightly curved, rubberized-like grip on the backside of the handset, making it easier to hold in your hand or on your shoulder. The steel-gray, hourglass shaped faceplate includes a blue-backlit 1x1.5-inch LCD display, with a big chrome menu/navigation button underneath the LCD. The buttons are slightly raised with a keypad backlight. The handset measures 6.54 by 3.0 by 3.39 inches and weighs 0.34 lb. We found the handset to be comfortable and light. The base station measures 6.65 by 7.36 by 5.24 inches.

Using the Cell Fusion with your landline is as easy as connecting the base station to your telephone wall connection. But the Cell Fusion lives up to its name when you bring a cell phone into the mix. Up to two cell phones can be paired with the Cell Fusion base station. Any Bluetooth-enabled cell phone should work, and the process is identical to that of adding a Bluetooth headset. It took us only about 5 minutes of setup and getting acclimated to the keypad layout before we were making and receiving calls over our cell phone connection.

Once paired, one or two cell phones can nestle in their chargers, letting you make and receive calls on their numbers--from any of the Cell Fusion handsets in the house. We found that call quality was crisp and clear with both the handset's regular speaker as well as its speakerphone. In most cases when our cell phone rang, the Cell Fusion started ringing about 2 to 3 seconds later, giving us the option to answer the call from the actual cell phone or from the Cell Fusion--saving you from making a mad dash for the stairs to intercept a ringing cell phone. Assuming you have both a landline and a Bluetooth-capable cell phone, the Cell Fusion easily works with both, allowing you to put one on hold and switch over to the other--even allowing you to conference the two together. Conversely, those with no landline at all may find the Cell Fusion system to be useful as a "cellular extender"--setting up the base station in the part of the house where cell reception is best (say, on the second floor) and letting a secondary handset cover a notorious cell dead spot.