| The convergence of Bluetooth and DECT | | | | inbound cell phone calls could be answered from |
| technologies is finally getting some traction. Within | | | | any handset. The benefits of this included greater |
| a year or two the standard cordless home phone | | | | convenience and improved cell phone reception. In |
| will almost certainly be a Bluetooth cordless phone. | | | | most cases a cell phone will automatically pair with |
| VTech is pushing the pace with a steady drum | | | | a cordless base unit on walking in the front door. |
| beat of announcements, but the pack is now | | | | It's then possible to park the cell phone in a |
| catching up. | | | | charging cradle and use cordless handsets until it's |
| Bluetooth cordless phones have now been | | | | time to go out once again. |
| released by manufacturers including: | | | | VTech released it's first generation DECT |
| - Uniden: CellLink ELBT595 cordless flip phone with | | | | Bluetooth phone - the VTech LS6245 in January |
| Bluetooth connectivity | | | | 2009. In addition to all the usual features offered |
| - Siemens Gigaset: SL785 DECT Bluetooth phone | | | | by DECT 6.0 cordless phones, it enables users to |
| - AT&T EP5632 5.8 GHz digital Bluetooth | | | | make and receive both cell and landline calls via a |
| phone | | | | cordless telephone handset. It's also an ultra sleek |
| - GE 28128EE2 DECT 6.0 Series cell fusion phone | | | | cordless phone. |
| - Panasonic KX-TH1212B Link-to-Cell Bluetooth | | | | In September 2009 VTech released a second |
| DECT 6.0 phone | | | | generation Bluetooth cordless phone - the VTech |
| - Panasonic KX-TG9381T Bluetooth cordless | | | | DS6321. In addition to the features offered by |
| phone - 2 line phone | | | | the LS6245, it allows up to 6,000 entries to be |
| VTech differentiates it's phones by focusing on | | | | downloaded from a cell phone address book via |
| (a) sleek design, and (b) leadership in | | | | Bluetooth technology. It's such an obviously useful |
| DECT-Bluetooth convergence. It's successfully | | | | and complimentary feature it's surprising that it |
| established itself as a leader in cordless phone | | | | took until September '09 for a manufacturer to |
| technology with this dual pronged strategy. | | | | make it available. At about the same time |
| VTech manufactured phones are sold under | | | | Panasonic released a 2 line cordless phone with a |
| several brand names in addition to VTech. It's also | | | | similar capability - the Panasonic KX-TG9381T. |
| manufactured AT&T cordless telephones | | | | The DECT Bluetooth Phone |
| under license since 2000. That connection may | | | | Cordless phone manufacturers are now |
| explain the success of the AT&T EP5632. It | | | | concentrating their efforts on DECT 6.0 cordless |
| was first cordless Bluetooth phone that could be | | | | phones. They're cheaper to manufacture and |
| relied upon to pair consistently with a cell phone. | | | | DECT is recognized as a global cordless phone |
| Even Panasonic's first effort - the KX-TH1212B | | | | standard. To that end we are seeing hardly any |
| was a hit a miss affair. | | | | new 5.8 GHz phones with Bluetooth. Almost all |
| The first generation of cordless Bluetooth | | | | new Bluetooth cordless telephones are built on |
| telephones were designed to link with one or two | | | | DECT 6.0 technology. We are quietly confident in |
| cell phones. That enabled cell phone calls to be | | | | predicting that the standard cordless home phone |
| made from cordless handsets. It also meant that | | | | within a few years will be a Bluetooth telephone. |