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What is a Retro Cordless Phone?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated May 17, 2024
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The cordless phone has numerous features that can make it attractive. People can walk from room to room while speaking on such a phone, and many of them display numbers when calls come through, and have extra features like call waiting. Some people do miss the heavier phones of the past, which came in a variety of attractive shapes and designs, and this has led to the introduction of the retro cordless phone.

A retro cordless phone can look very much like the dial up phones of the past and comes in numerous styles that echo the changing designs of telephones through the years. The elongated “teen” phone in various pastel colors may appeal to some. Others like the large base phones that sit on telephone tables. Some styles of the retro cordless phone even hang on walls, like the old wall phones that were once some common in kitchens.

One big difference between most of these phones and their predecessors is that there is usually no dial on the phone. Instead, dialing features are typically push button and are located in the phone’s handset section. The handset sits on the phone cradle when not in use, and this may also help charge the phone. The retro cordless phone is cordless; they lack a cord between the base and the handset, which does allow people the modern convenience of placing or taking calls anywhere in their home.

Price range on different types of the retro cordless phone can vary. Fancy ones may cost over $100 US Dollars (USD), and they may lack certain features that make modern cordless phones attractive. For instance, you may only have one handset with these phones, and some people prefer to have more than one handset and buy phones with several of them, so it’s easy to get to handsets distributed through the home. Of course one way people can address this shortcoming is by having several retro cordless phones in the house, though this may be a more expensive alternative.

A related product to the retro cordless phone is the retro cellphone, which tends to meet with more mixed reviews. These can look like simple phone handsets of the past and plug into a cellphone, which many people think is a little too much work. Other people prefer to buy cellphones that are very large in size and mimic the earliest cellphones produced. Such phones might make for interesting conversation pieces, and it can be easier to see the number buttons. Still, these can be heavy to carry and may not be convenient for all uses.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen , Writer
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGEEK contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen

Tricia Christensen

Writer

With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGEEK contributor, Tricia...
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