"A simple and slick piece of technology that every home deserves. It's just too bad many homes can't afford it yet."

Home phones are easy to use, usually consisting of an answer machine function, numerical keys and a receiver. Technology has an awful habit of adding so many attachments that even the Terminator would be jealous, whilst making it more complex than a conversation about time travel. The SimplaPhone seems to strike the perfect balance between simplicity, functionality and style.

Inside the Box

When you open the box, the first thing you see is the user guide which consists of 7 sections for you to get familiarized with the phone. Although it does not detail all the features of the phone, it gets you over the parts that are most important, such as adding people to the directory and making calls.

Inside, you receive the following:
- A guide to getting started (as described above)
- Base unit
- Handset
- 2 x AAA Batteries (rechargeable through the base unit)
- Support bracket for the base unit
- Counterweight for the base unit
- wall mounting bracket
- Phone line cord
- Power lead
- Strap for handset
- USB Flash drive (500 MB)

Out of the Box

It only takes 2 minutes to set up the phone, from disconnecting your old phone to attaching the counterweight and support bracket (a wall mounting bracket is also supplied) before you're ready to go. The first thing you notice when you start using the base unit is that the screen is resistive, so it takes a while before you get used to applying the right pressure.