Smarter home phones with attractive designs

The humble home phone has been out of the loop for a while now. But here are some attractive designs that just might just ring a bell with new consumers:

Sagemcom Sixty Digital Cordless Phone

This contemporary take on the classic Bakelite comes in black or cherry red and has a built-in answerphone and a hands-free speakerphone that lets you chat while doing your chores. It holds 150 contacts and has a battery life of 10 hours talk time.

The Original Bakelite Telephone

There are many novelty phones based on the original 1930s Bakelite. Reconditioned working ones are available online. Don’t buy one if you’re a perfectionist, though — some have slight wear and tear due to their age.

Punkt DP 01

Many of today’s phones are overcomplicated but this one, which is available in black, red or white, has no frills and no confusing array of advanced functions. Instead, it focusses on straightforward communication and a good design that will suit any setting.

Moshi Moshi Retro Handset

If you don’t have a landline, but tire of holding your mobile up to the ear while you’re huddled on the sofa, do yourself a favour and invest in one of these. Provided you get the right adaptor, it plugs into any mobile or computer, for VoIP calls such as Skype.

Eclipse

Available in black or white, this phone’s base and ergonomic handset connect seamlessly to create a circle. The handset’s innovative magnetic connection means you can pick up and replace it with ease. There’s HD-quality sound, a speakerphone and answer machine.

Philips S10A

This is as close as you’ll get to an iPhone in a home phone. With a sleek design and a space-saving charger unit, the best feature of all is that you can accept mobile calls on your landline and access your mobile contacts on the handset.

Wild & Wolf Scandiphone

This phone will be a conversation piece in more ways than one. Based on the upright phone that was introduced in Europe in the mid-1950s, which was smaller and lighter than anything else at the time, it was selected to appear in the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the 1970s. - The Independent