For the second year running, the award for the....

most unreliable, wireless, telephone handset goes to:  

Binatone Symphony 2210 Phone & Answer Machine TRIPLE

DESCRIPTION:   The Binatone Symphony 2210 is a very stylish cordless phone with a host of features including a handsfree speakerphone, 40 name and number phonebook and a handy answer machine with 15 minutes recording time. Check out all the features below !

• Specification:

  • Digital cordless telephone with answer machine 
    
    When it works
  • Black
    True
  • Hands-free
    When thrown against the wall in frustration
  • Up to 10 hours talk time
    I don't think the phone is designed to work for that long
  • Up to 100 hours standby time
    Handset life expectancy
  • 40 name and number entries
    What's the point if you have to change the handset every 5 minutes
  • Last number redial - 10 numbers
    When it works
  • 20 call log
    If it does not crash
  • Secrecy button
    If it does not crash
  • 8 melody ringtones for handset and base
    All sounding shit
  • Remote access answering machine
    Never tried it
  • Call timer
    Maybe
  • Amber backlit large display
    When it works
  • Clock
    Never looked at it
  • Keypad lock
    Never tried it
  • Message playback from handset
    When it works
  • Ringer volume control on both handset and display
    When it works
  • Up to 50m range indoors and up to 300m range outdoors
    Bullshit
  • 15 minutes recording time
    Maybe
  • Supports up to 5 handsets
    Theoretical values, under controlled lab conditions
  • Requires 3 x AAA rechargeable batteries per handset (included)
    True
    
    
    The base units for the above above handsets are so unreliable, it's legendary. I'm already on my third set in as many years.
    
    
    You buy it, and after a year or so, the base unit dies, so you decide to buy another base unit to use with the other satellite stations (phones) that you have left, only to discover that those would not work with another base unit, unless you free them from within the existing faulty base, which is pretty much impossible - so once again, you end up with some more bricked-up handsets.
    
    
    I still remember when BT used to charge us for the Telephone Handset rental, and guess what, the sets used to last forever. Now, and 12 months down the line, we have another dead system, and we need to buy another, and another, and another...