Customer Reviews

GE 29460GE2 2-Line Business Speakerphone with Caller ID

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I bought this phone a few days ago. I was VERY impressed with the intelligent layout of its features. Total learning time was less than 20 minutes. Someone put a lot of thought into making it easy to use. Of the many excellent features this phone offers, I did find several disappointed me (but not enough to return it!). These are:
1) On the first and only 2-line conference call I initiated, niether party could hear the other. Conferencing with 'home' quality phones always provides low level sound for the other parties. But this phone produced no sound for these particular parties.
2) The speaker phone's output volume is quite low, even on its maximum setting. With my computer's fans, it's only minimally acceptable. The receiving party said my voice quality wasn't bad, but similar to any other speaker phone, quite echo-e.
3) The headset feature is great, but, get this, the handset is dead while the headset jack is plugged-in. You must remove it to return use of the handset. You can switch to the speaker phone though while removing the jack, but, sheesh.
4) The Flash feature switches to the call waiting line just fine. But, I couldn't find a way to conference the call waiting person with the other party on the same line, as I could with my Sony phone. I kinda miss that ability, though maybe I haven't discovered how to do it yet (no mention of it in the manual).

Overall though, this is a premium phone with wonderful clarity and a solid sounding handset microphone (not 'tinny' like some phones). I really investigated alternative phones and this was in a class for twice its ... cost. Even with these particular disappointments, I'm impressed with the phone.

I recently bought this phone for a home office environment. I tend to agree with some of the other posters in that the phone could be better. The LCD display is hard to read, and the quality of the speaker phone and the handset audio could be much better as well.

Most of we consumers only think of AT&T, GE (now marketed with the RCA brand on some phones), Panasonic, as well as other typical consumer brands when it comes time to add a new phone. Obviously, it "is" easier to run down to Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, Office Max, or Staples. But, do some searching online, and you will find that commercial-grade phones are available which are of much higher quality, and not too much more expensive.

For example, the ITT Cortelco Colleague-series phones are of exceptional quality, and they even have a line-powered model. No AC adapter or batteries are required - just like the old-fashioned Western Electric phones when "Ma Bell" was still around! Plus, they include every feature that all of the consumer-grade phones do - and, sometimes more. Another brand is Scitec, which supplies commercial phones to colleges and hotels. They, too, are available through online distributors. There are other commercial brands available as well; just do some searching and you will find better options at prices equal to or less than $100 for an excellent quality multi-line phone.

I have searched for a long time to find a phone with this set of features: Corded, 2 lines, caller-ID, Voice Mail light, Data Port on line 2 for my computer. I was thrilled to find it in a GE phone, because I have owned GE phones in the past and their quality has been superb. Other features that I like are: 2-line conferencing; volume controls for handset, speaker, and headset; Lighted voice mail button that is programmable with voice mail access number; great display w/scrolling; 16 memory locations + 99 line directory; and the data port is programmable for either line - saving me some phone re-wiring. There are many more features too.

I don't like the ring tone, and wish it was programmable to my liking, but it's a small price to pay for the combination of features.

Although I wanted another manufacturers equivalent phone, I was willing to accept this one. I have been quite happy with all of the quality aspects of it, but had one gripe. The phone comes with a headset jack and headset controls, but no specifications for the headset. It took several web seraches, a phone call, another web search and a trip to Radio Shack before I found out that the headset is a standard cellular phone headset. I finally bought a Plantronics M110 headset, and it works great. Why they couldn't mention it in the manual, I don't know. Great feature, no information.

I just received this phone to use in a small business office with two phone lines. My first impression was sleek, user friendly, well designed phone with a lot of nice features. The hook up was easy and the menu features pretty straight forward. The display is pleasingly larger than anticipated, which makes it easier to read and the information on the screen is very useful, especially the caller ID info including the phone line calling on. Ok, so why the average rating? Three reasons: 1. the speaker phone is terrible, reverb galoure, unreadible conversation and the speaker / microphone picks up all electic interference, ie. computers, flourescent lighting, etc., making it sounds like your talking next to a noisy washing machine and 2. the information screen is positioned at too flat of an angle, even with elevation stand, to read comfortably from my office chair and 3. the handset microphone is too sensitive, making your voice sound like your talking into the wind! To sum it up, it's nice looking, it's user friendly, the features are great, however the speakerphone and handset are inferior. What's important to you?

Perhaps some customers have had bad luck, but our phone works perfectly. The full-duplex speakerphone is clear and easy to hear. The headset works great, and doesn't conflict with the handset. It is easy to switch between handset, headset and speakerphone just by using the dedicated keypad buttons. The voicemail light shows when we have a message, and even blinks the corresponding line orange. Sounds good and looks good, too. It was hard to find a two-line phone with a headset jack and voicemail light, but this one has it all and works great. Definitely recommended.

The phone has some nice features but a couple of drawbacks. I had to find some unusual connectors to make my Hello Direct Virtuoso amplifier/headset work with the 2.5 mm headset jack but the folks at Hello Direct got me fixed up. An aggravating feature of the phone is the fact that the volume of the headset must be reset each time you use the phone and the headset button doesn't work as well as my older GE 2 line headset compatible phone. It would just leave the headset button flashing and you could simply depress the line button to connect and disconnect the calls. This one requires you to hit the headset button each time because when you disconnect a call it disconnects the headset button as well. Sound quality, memory features, and the caller ID function for two lines counter balance the negatives and overall I'd give the phone 4 stars out of 5.

I have two lines on this phone. Line 2 voice mail light works properly. Line 1 voice mail light flashes forever, and I have to power cycle the phone several times per day to clear the flashing voice mail light on Line 1. I do not recommend this phone.

I've had several problems with this phone. First is the speakerphone volume, turned all the way up, you still have trouble hearing. When the headset is plugged in and you try to use the handset, I pick up some radio talk show. So I have to plug and unplug the headset all the time. Lastly, after having to plug and unplug the headset. (I'd say 30 times) I now have to play with the connection to get it to switch back to handset or speakerphone use. Hard to explain. But I'm sure it's a loose connection in the phone. Wish I'd bought a different phone.

I found the same issue as Brian, with the unrelenting blinking of the voicemail and line buttons, only mine is on line 2 (Brian, what is "power cycling?". I found the same issues as another reviewer with the other callers on a 3-way conference call not being able to hear each other. The manual is completely insufficient, as is any other help available. There is no on-line help available, and the 1-800 number gives only a very limited number of pre-recorded answers. Over all, because of the lack of information about how to use the phone's feature, I find my experience with this phone more frustrating than satisfying.