The ID555 phones are partof Philps "Design" range and therefore we did a bit of research to ensure that they wouldn't suffer from the age old problem of form over function. We were tired of old BT handsets which (despite having changed the rechargeable batteries) failed to retain their charge for more than five minutes and sometimes failed to work entirely - so wanted a good quality phone that would last us some time.

Although comparatively expensive (we paid £80 for two handsets including the base which holds one handset as well as acting as an answering machine), we loved the design of the bases and handsets - truly glossy black - as well as the feel in the hand and against the ear and the buttons.

Although the buttons are flat (forming the face of the phone), they are a reasonable size and because they are backlit in blue, they are easy to see. As buttons are pressed, the number dialled appears on the screen (black type against a blue backlit background).

The handsets are relatively light and are comfortable to hold. The batteries hold their charge well - certainly able to make two consecutive huor long calls with capacity to spare.

Various functions can be accessed from the handsets, including the answering machine, changing ring tones etc. A good feature is that the number of rings before the answering machine kicks in can be selected rather than the default 6 rings we've had on previous machines.

Call quality is very good even at a distance from the base, although when moving away from the base there is a momentary lapse in quality as the signal stregnth is increased - in an effort to reduce power consumption, the signal is only as strong as it needs to be.

Very easy to install - the base requires power and phone sockets while the additional handset just needs power.

The answering machine has plenty of capacity for domestic use (we've had up to 7 or 8 messages stored following holidays).