Sony SPP-A9276 Phone - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, April, 2001 by Dave Johnson

* Requirements: N/A * List Price: $199 * Manufacturer: Sony, 800-322-SONY, www.sel.sony.com

THE SONY SPP-A9276 2-IN-1 PHONE HAS many of the features that home office workers need--a 20-minute digital answering machine, call waiting and caller ID support, and an optional long-distance- saver plan that uses the cheapest service available each time you dial--but what it doesn't have made more of an impression on us.

Sony's 2-in-1 phone includes a corded base unit and a cordless handset. The handset is particularly easy to use--a jog dial on the side of the phone allows you to select and dial names from a 50-entry phone directory with just your thumb. Likewise, the base unit uses a large jog wheel to place calls and program the phone.

The Sony has excellent volume control for both the handset and the speakerphone, and the sound from both was clear and static-free. The generous LCD display announces calls with large letters, and has a gauge to indicate remaining answering machine space.

The target market for the phone is home and small-office users, but we feel it's inadequate for all but the smallest businesses. For starters, it's just a one-line phone, and many (if not most) home offices need two or more lines. Also, Sony claims the phone can store 100 phone numbers, but that's only if you program different sets of numbers on the base and handset. The list goes on: When placing calls, you can't use the base and handset simultaneously to allow two people to participate; you can't expand the phone with additional handsets; and finally, you can't use the answering machine to record conversations.

For some, this might be the perfect phone. Most home offices, however, will find that Sony's SPP-A9276 comes up short.

RATINGS

HOME OFFICE COMPUTING rates products on a scale of 1 to 10--with few 9's or 10's--based on value, performance, innovation (medals go to rare standouts in these areas), ease of use, and suitability for home offices. The A and B symbols indicate pros and cons.

Rating: 6

A Good combination of features

B Can't record calls or use both units at once