Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic DECT 6.0-Series 3-Handset Cordless Phone System with Answering System (KX-TG1033S)

Bought this and 3 additional handsets - ended up being cheaper than 1035s and adding one. Great phone all around. The lack of a message "counter" is only drawback. The intercom/transfer feature is especially nice - you answer a call (for your wife upstairs), you press transfer (puts the caller on hold) and press the handset you want, (you can hang up and the call is transferred OR wait) she answers the page - you tell her who it is - when you hang up the call is transferred to her. It is also very nice to screen calls (you can listen to the message someone is leaving on the answering machine on a handset in another room). Another reviewer thought the handset volume was low. I have some hearing loss and with it turned all the way up I thought it was better than just adequate. Speakerphone on the handset works great.

I never got a chance to try this phone in a functional mode. It was faulty out of the box; I understand that can happen to any product. I had a case# with Panasonic, called at least 4 times in 10 days before I requested a replacement. They said I had to pay shipping and insurance and they would either fix it or replace it with a refurbished unit. I insisted on a prepaid pickup label and a new phone and they told me to forget it. Thank goodness for Amazon, I was astounded by the attitude of Panasonic. A definite factor when I buy a 50" plasma in a couple months.

First of all, I really like the phone. The call clarity to me is the most significant feature of a cordless phone, and this is the best I've ever had. Unbelievably clear from all three handsets. Very nice. One handset is right next to a PC and there is no hum or interference.

Now to my minor items. First, the keypad is large, but not lighted. Hey, I said "minor". Second, the amber charging indicator on the top emits a pretty bright glow for something so small. This may be an issue for people who are extremely light sensitive when trying to sleep (I have one handset in the bedroom). It's not bright like a flashlight, just bright for its size. It casts a glow on the wall above and behind it. Third and final minor problem is the wall mounting is not flush. This means the little plastic device they have included to allow wall mounting actually makes the unit stick out perpendicular to the wall. As my wall mount is in the kitchen and just about eye level, this causes two problems. I can't see the base of the phone (for messages, etc.) at all and I also can't open the cabinet door near the wall mount as it sticks out slightly more than the base unit. So, I placed it on the counter. Yes, I realize these are all minor and likely not showstoppers for most people, but I thought these issues may be important to some people and they would like to know. I've ordered one of Panasonic's headphones, but haven't received it yet, so no feedback on the headset sound quality.

Still a great phone and I would buy it again and recommend it.

I admit it. I am a techie fellow who actually hates techie things that go way way too far in their techiness. I sometimes just want to simply do a basic function with a device and never have to ply thru layers of menus, screens or widgets in order to do it. On the other paw, I sometimes enjoy having access to neato-keeno functions, so I can ring the bells and blow some whistles. I rarely find these devices in real life, most are hopelessly mired in needless complexity, but boy oh boy...if you are anything like me, you will totally go wacko with delight with these Panasonic phones! The voice and signal quality is the best I have ever experienced. You want to make a call? Dial the number and press talk. Yeah, I know, just like a cell phone. Old School? You hit the talk button and dial the number. Guess what? Yeah, unbelievable, it still works! Here are the added super gotta have functions: each handset is totally independent, but can page any other handset! Each has caller ID, and that is sooo smart...instead of on the base station. Oh, and sure, you can load in all the memory numbers, etc., and they can be independent, too, for each handset user. I am sooo impressed, I am buying a couple more handsets for other rooms...yes! They are easily expandable. Does not interfere with my WIFI service...I have tested that and it's as they claim. The public is so often promised the world and delivered with a moon or a shooting star at best. This time a company really listened and gives us a world, a big, shiny, easy to use, sophisticated world...and the world is a beautiful thing!

We had a similar product to this one that we had purchased through the phone company several years ago, and it was dying, and needed to be replaced.

I did my usual research, which consists of going to Amazon.com and finding out what is available, checking the Consumer Reports website, narrowing the field to two or three products, and reading the product reviews on Amazon.com.

This phone appeared to have all the functionality that we had with our old phone, with the exception of a keypad and speaker phone on the base unit. Also, our old one did not have a built-in answering system. We don't use voice mail, so we had a cheap Panasonic stand-alone answering system that we were using.

I finally decided that for the price, I was OK with having the answering system included, especially since it was integrated with the handsets. The positive reviews on Amazon.com were what finally convinced me to purchase this particular phone.

Pros:
- Bigger buttons
- Easy to read display
- Call screening from any handset - I really like this!
- Message indicator on the handset
- Ability to retrieve messages using any handset

Cons:
- Keypad is not backlit

Regarding some of the concerns expressed in other reviews:
- I can't comment on the range of the handsets from the base unit, because I never have occasion to leave the house while using the phone. It works fine in my environment, which is just around the house.
- I don't consider the menu system to be especially cumbersome. I find it rather intuitive, and once I have become accustomed to using certain functions, I find it very easy to use.

I believe my old phone was 2.4 gHz technology, and I never had any interference issues with other electronic devices in my home. The same is true of the Dect 6.0 phone.

One more thing - I could not ascertain from the product description whether or not this phone had some type of "in use" indicator, to prevent me from "picking up the phone" while someone else is on the phone. I called Panasonic, and I was told there was none. That was functionality that was on my old phone, and I knew I would miss it, but I decided to purchase this phone, anyway. I'm happy to report that "In Use" appears on the display of the handset if someone else is on the phone.

All that being said, I'm quite pleased with my purchase of this Panasonic phone and answering system.