Do not say "Uke didn't warn me this would happen!" Because you WERE alerted more than once: Do NOT pull the plug on your land line!

Sept. 9, 2013, 7:32 a.m. EDT

New tech (almost) makes landlines cool

Cordless phones now answer cell calls, provide home security

By Catey Hill

Many consumers think of the home phone the way they think of the record player: Better sound quality, but not really necessary. But with new futuristic phone designs and high-tech features as well as an added sense of security consumers have some reasons to reconsider hanging up their landlines.

While 96% of households had a landline 15 years ago, the number has dropped to just 71% in 2011, according to Census Bureau data released Thursday. More than one in four (28%) U.S. households relied only a cellphone (no landline) in 2011, up from less than 1% in 1998. And young households are especially likely to ditch their landlines: Nearly two in three households (65%) led by people younger than 30 only had a cellphone.

Some of this move away from landlines is being driven by economics, as paying for one phone vs. paying for two is typically cheaper. But much of the trend is due to the fact that consumers especially younger ones who grew up with cellphones simply dont see the point of having a landline in addition to the cellphone, says Charles Golvin, principal analyst at Forrester Research even if they can get home phone service thrown in for just a little extra when its bundled with their cable and internet service.

panasonic.com

Panasonics KX-TG7644M

In a bid to retain home phone-lovers or add new ones, some phone companies are offering a variety of new high-tech features. Analysts say that one of the biggest innovations is that some cordless phones can stand in for your cellphone. For example, the Panasonic KX-TG7644M has a Bluetooth-powered link-to-cell function, so you can make and receive cellphone calls through your home phone and transfer contacts from your cellphone to the landline handset. This can help people take cellphone calls in parts of their house where they dont get good cell service. Other brands offer phones that let you switch between calls over the Internet and ones over traditional analog lines. Youll also find displays more like cellphone screens, and models that offer digital camera doorbell services (video caller ID for your front door). For prime sound quality, many use Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) technology, which operates on the 1.9-GHz frequency.

Phone companies are also trying to innovate on the design front, with phones that look far sleeker than the usual handsets. Bang & Olfusens BeoCom 2 and BeoCom 6000 have a futuristic look, as does Jacob Jensens Telephone 10. On the flip side, Brookstone now sells a variety of retro phones, like the 1892 reproduction desk phone and the 1950s pay phone, as does Target and several other major retailers.

Despite those innovations, among the main reasons consumers keep a landline is call quality (cellphone service is often spotty) and security (cellphones may be useless in the event of an emergency), Golvin says.