Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic KX-TG2563F 2.4GHz Cordless Phone with Caller ID (Blue)

Having owned a previous Panasonic Gigarange phone (KX-TG2550S) and being extraordinarily satisfied, I purchased this one to replace another phone in my household that was in need of replacement.

Feature for feature, both phones seem similar. However, Panasonic has improved some very critical areas. The handset has been redesigned for more comfort during long usage, a great benefit since the older model would become uncomfortable during extended periods. Also, the redesigned shell of both the handset and the base provide both a much more contemporary look as well as providing an easier grip on both. The older model's sleek design is a little slippery, although the rubber grips helped.

The user interface is similar to the previous models', and while it's not too difficult, expect a learning curve before you get the hang of it. Another area where Panasonic has improved the phone is the connection between the base unit and the handset when the handset is in the cradle. The older model would occasionally have difficulty finding the connection. With the new model, this seems to also have been improved.

For those who haven't owned one of these phones, I understand all this comparison may seem a little confusing. However, this phone is reliable, convenient, powerful, and crystal clear. It's an excellent purchase and a definate improvement over last years' Gigarange models, which were superior phones. I have owned a pair of GE cordlesses and a Sony cordless before that, and none could compare to the Panasonic Gigarange. I don't have any first hand experience with any other models since, but this phone is an excellent phone, worthy of consideration.

And plus, it just looks so much cooler than anything else on the market. You have to give it that.

This is probably the worst panasonic phone ever. The
battery life is a joke. You charged the phone for whole
day, and after 1 hour talking, you have to recharge it
again. Completely useless.

This will be the last panasonic phone I will ever buy

I had the previous version of this phone (and 900 MHZ panasonic cordless before that), but when the headset jack went bad, I upgraded to this new model.

It is not an upgrade, but a downgrade!

1) The battery life is abysmal -- just about 1.25 hours of talk time, less than 1/2 the previous model. And it often cuts out when I'm on a call with clients without the beep warning.

2) The action on the blue navigation button stinks. I can look up a number in a a phne book and dial it with my own fingers faster than scrolling through the phone's directory. What's the point?

3) Performance with a headset is terrible. People are always saying that I sound very far away -- a problem I didn't have with the old phone (same headset and settings).

I like the features (speaker with keypad, voicemail light), form factor and cordless performance. But this phone doesn't cut it for me anymore.

It is a phone with many nice and unique features and a pretty good range. Before you buying any Panasonic phone, be aware that all Panasonic phone products may have the some common issues. The following list is for your consideration:

1. You can never turn off the ringer unless unplugging the phone line;
2. You can never turn off the sometimes-annoying keypad tone;
3. Don't operate it too fast or you get the infamous Panasonic "out of range" problem even if your phone is 1 inch away from the base. To reset it, you need to unplug it from the power cord for a few minutes;
4. If you call in to check new messages, the first choice is "play all messages" rather than "play new messages". Be patient with the slow prompts and there's no shortcut.
5. it's not likely you will remember how to set the clock, so don't unplug it from the power source, unless you have to.
6. Your recorded greeting will never sound too good over the phone. The caller should not speak too fast or too low when recording. This is not just Panasonic's issue though.
7. Nobody liked the way it looks when I mounted it onto the wall;
8. The phone is water-resistant, but not the marks for the buttons. They may fade out before the battery dies;
9. Average sound quality;

I purchased this phone a few weeks ago. The best I can say about it is that it works. The battery only holds a charge for four hours. It is complicated to use. For example, you can't just adjust the ringer volume...you have to either refer to the owner's manual or play with all the function keys to figure it out. I really dislike this phone.