Reveal? Reveal what?? The time?? (BT Reveal)

Member Name: cakeyj

Product:	BT Reveal
Date:	17/03/09 (346 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clock is handy, looks good, very easy to set up and install, additional handsets available

Disadvantages: Nasty ringtones, expensive, uncomfortable to use, handset reliable message retriaval

Well, my old phone had broken and its one of those things that I hate to replace as it usualy takes me so long to get to grips with the new controls etc and as my old phone was a phone and answerphone combined it doubled the uselessness of my technical ability in finding a suitable replacement.
So scouting online for a phone and answerphone combined I was bambarded with multiple handset options but as I only required one handset with an answerphone my choices appeared limited.....
Then I spotted the snazzy futuristic looking BT reveal, although at the top end of my budget at 79.99 from Tesco.com it looked good, had an integral answerphone and only the one handset - result! So I brought it.

APPEARANCE AND HANDSET
Setting it up was easy and it looked really good when the handset is put on the base it glows a light blue and the shiny black square base displays the time in glowing blue letters.
When the phone rings the back of the handset lights up and reveals the caller's number or name if it's in your address book and you've subscribed to the Caller Id service with your phone company.
However, The handset is uncomfortable to use as when it's held to the ear it's flat on its shiny back but convex on the front held towards your face where the keypad and microphone sit so the microphone is bent away from your face. This makes it hard to place both ends of the handset close to your face let alone holding it between your ear and shoulder, as I often have to (too many children and things to do to waste time chatting!). The screen above the keypad is poor quality in appearance too, like an early '90s mobile phone display.

SPEAKERPHONE AND SIM
The phone has a speakerphone built into the handset rather than the base station. This is handy if you're in another room from the base unit.
There's also a SIM card slot which means you can transfer numbers easily from your mobile (much better than keying them in all over again), and as it's a SIM writer as well as reader you can add new numbers from the phone to your mobile card. The phone memory holds a maximum of 255 names and numbers.
Text messages can be sent from and received by the Reveal, using predictive text input if you wish. These can be set so anyone can read them, or personal inboxes can be configured for different family members to offer extra privacy, though setting these up can be fiddly.

ANSWERPHONE
Messages on the answerphone can only be played back on the handset not the base station, which I really didn't like, I often play my messages once I've got in from being out and often have other things to do at the same time, not stand there holding the handset that is shaped away from my ear??! Athough remote checking is possible from another phone I required something a bit more simple and efficient, the dodgy answerphone was one of the big no nos for me. However, the digital answering machine can hold up to 20 minutes of messages, which is handy for your long-winded callers if you don't mind holding the handset for 20 mins!

OTHER FEATURES
It's a DECT phone so you can add extra handsets (up to four more).
Other features include an alarm clock, call timer and a blue downlight on the base to tell you there's a new message, text or call coming in. And there's a choice of up to 15 ringtones althought, like the display they sound very dated and lack pazazz.
The price of the handset has recently dropped, making it more appealing, though it's still not cheap. BT's attempts to make the Reveal modish and eye-catching work well, but you'll have to accept a compromise on the ease of use or do like I did and take it back to the shop and get your old phone fixed!

Summary: I didn't like it but if you have a concave face then you may do??!

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