Panasonic KX-TGE232B Cordless Phone, 2 Handsets

I purchased the Panasonic KXTGE232B system with 2 handsets at the end of April, and so far I am very happy with it. This was a replacement for my Panasonic answering system that was about 8 years old. This one has a lot of features, and after purchasing I got caller id to take advantage of them. The menu list is extensive but does provide shortcuts. It did take me quite a while and a lot of keying to setup the phones and phonebook initially, but once that was done all that was left was some fine tuning later on. The included manual does a decent job of explaining features and telling you how to move thru the menus. Settings that are shared between the handsets only have to be entered once. Some settings are unique to each handset/base unit though. To get things working like I wanted them to did take some trial and error, but I was quickly able to get things right. I have had no problems with sound/signal quality.Things I like about this phone:-Uses standard AAA Ni-Mh batteries for easy replacement-Power backup function (if your electricity goes out, the base unit handset keeps phone powered on. Two days after I got the phone, lost electricity for 3 1/2 hours. I was able to make/receive calls on the remote unit and still had 2 bars left for the base unit battery)-Lighted buttons, large display-Call screening on handset and/or base unit, message waiting base beep (You can turn this on/off. Each handset has blinking indicators when there are messages.)-Talking caller id (sometimes not the easiest to understand, but acceptable)-Call blocking for 250 numbers (with caller id)-Can assign different ringer tones for each group of callers - 15 choices (with caller id)-Silent mode (no ringing) for each handset/base for a specific time period with group bypass-Easily interfaces with telco voice mail if you choose to use that instead of the answering machine-There is a volume switch on the handset so you can easily adjust the volume while on the phone-Each phone can have it's own default ringtone (group ringtone will override)-Small base unit for easy wall mounting-And many more features (Alarm, speed dial, one cell phone locater, etc.)I believe this was a good purchase.UPDATE 1/28/15: I was having a problem blocking a range of telephone numbers. Instruction manual said to enter 2-8 digits to block. I wanted to block a prefix in an area code. Example, I wanted to block all numbers in the 310 area code that started with 325 (1 310 325-XXXX). I entered the numbers as displayed on the phone, 1310325, but they were not being blocked. I called Panasonic and they told me I could only block an area code. After some experimentation, I found out I got some bad info. The fix was to never enter the 1 preceding the phone number, even though it was displayed on the phone. Once I dropped the 1 and entered only 310325, everything worked okay. To block an entire area code, enter the area code only, do not start it with a 1.I still love this telephone!

I picked up this unit for my mother. She loves it and you'd think it was the greatest invention of the past 20 years. I've not really used a land line phone for many years so the last Panasonic I picked up for her was like 10 years ago and I was surprised at the features they packed into this unit for a relatively affordable price point. My review is based on 20 minutes of setting up the phone and skimming the manual for features she'd like to use, in addition to what she has told me. While this is not a huge review and, I'm sure there are some that give a lot more detail, I thought it'd be nice to have one from a "quick setup" point of view and for someone using it daily that's older and isn't much of a techie.Pros:My mom hears an announcement of who's calling and can decide if she wants to pick up the call. When she has the phone, the numbers are large and very visible, another feature she is happy to have.The answering machine works as expected, recording the answering message and retrieving new messages are easy.Sound quality is good from both ends of the line. She can hear well and so can the other person, I can tell the difference in her ability to hear me better compared to the old unit.You can use quick dial buttons by holding in a number or you can use the phone book.Powerless operation is one of the 2 items that gave it 5 stars. If the power goes out, one of the handsets function as power for the base unit while you use the other phone. If power is out for a substantial amount of time, you can still use the base unit to place calls on the speaker. This may be on most phones now, but if you're like me and it's been a while, it's a very nice option rather than swapping out a hardline phone or keeping one phone plugged in somewhere.Probably the coolest features and the other reason for 5 stars, is the ability to block a number. You can choose to block unknown numbers or specific numbers. It still shows up in the call log but doesn't bother you listening to the phone ring for a call you don't want. I do think that it's nice that you can still see who attempted to call you.Cons:I haven't gotten any feedback from her on things she dislikes and she can be quite opinionated, so that speaks for itself. ;) I'll add anything that she mentions.Overall:Great product for a great price point. If we were to decide to pick up a land line for our home, I'd go with these too.

My old Panasonic landline phone still worked OK, but was getting old and the buttons on the second handset started sticking. Time for a new one so I ordered a new ATT phone with what I thought were some nice features. That didn't last long, ended up giving it away and ordered another Panasonic. I love the new phone! The display is large enough I can read it easily, the instructions are easy to follow, and it does everything I want it to do and more! It announces calls, blocks calls, has an easy to use menu, just to mention a few. I'd recommend it to anyone! I've never gone wrong with Panasonic phones and intend to stick with them in the future.10 Feb 2019 - I've been meaning to add to my original review on this phone. Although I still like it as much as ever, I found that the printing on the larger round button above the numbers on the handset has worn off, in fact after only a couple of months I could no longer read it. The controls for volume, recall, etc are on here so at times I have to go in the bedroom and check the main phone handset to see what is where on that button. I have no idea why, but it's awkward and I hope they fix this problem! I bought it last August and by November the writing was illegible. Now it's the beginning of February and it's completely gone! Other than that, the phone is great and I'm keeping it. Just wish I could read what's written on the center button! For that reason only, I've lowered my rating from 5 stars to 4.