[Macworld]

Post your comments for What might an Apple landline phone look like? here

[bastion]

Macworld, on 28 January 2013 - 09:00 AM, said:

Post your comments for What might an Apple landline phone look like? here

I think the real question is *why* Apple would do this. I'm not questioning whether the production of land-line phones has legitimacy at all - I *only* use a land line - but why Apple would perceive benefit in entering that market.

[jbellanca]

I can answer that. They DID prototype and make some:

http://www.mactrast....ore-the-iphone/

I think there was a Newton based on in the '90's, also.

[cphoffman42]

I seriously doubt Apple would make a separate landline phone, but it's conceivable Apple or a third party could make something to integrate with your iphone. Like some sort of device that plugs into a landline and then beams it to your iOS device via your wifi network and a special app. If done by Apple, it would probably be pretty awesome; if done by a third party, it would probably be hit-and-miss (because they couldn't tinker with system level stuff to the same degree that Apple could). But, honestly, I doubt there's enough demand for it.

[JMHammer]

Kirk- I think you need Google Voice. It would let you do everything you described (assuming your Mac has a mic and speaker or you have a headset that can plug into your Mac), only for free and without relying on anything but your home internet service instead of a phone company or another add-on service from your cable provider.

I really don't see the point of an Apple landline phone. If I don't want to use my Mac as a phone, I can plug my iPhone into AC power and use Whistle Phone, Pinger, TextNow, or any of a number of other IP telephony apps – all of which work with Google Voice, by the way – and save the expense of the landline phone service and hardware while still having access to all my contacts and other data.

[wmckelvey]

JMHammer, on 28 January 2013 - 09:41 AM, said:

Kirk- I think you need Google Voice. It would let you do everything you described (assuming your Mac has a mic and speaker or you have a headset that can plug into your Mac), only for free and without relying on anything but your home internet service instead of a phone company or another add-on service from your cable provider.

I really don't see the point of an Apple landline phone. If I don't want to use my Mac as a phone, I can plug my iPhone into AC power and use Whistle Phone, Pinger, TextNow, or any of a number of other IP telephony apps – all of which work with Google Voice, by the way – and save the expense of the landline phone service and hardware while still having access to all my contacts and other data.

Unless, of course, you just got hammered by a major storm and there isn't any electricity to your home. In which case the the "land line" phone would work, no internet or electricity needed. I still have a "land line" at home for that very reason.

[RobLewis]

I've been searching for years for a home-oriented VoIP phone set to replace the clunky 2-line phones I currently have. A phone should just plug into a LAN jack (ideally with Power-over-Ethernet to eliminate the accursed wall warts) and automatically provide features like station-to-station intercom, paging, call transfer and so forth. But the business-oriented ones I've seen are overkill for the home in both features and price.

And as for cell phones replacing land lines, there's one big problem: often I literally want to call a physical location (a business, or someone's house), and will gladly speak to anyone who happens to be there. I don't want to have to call several cell phones, hoping someone will answer.

[LeTap]

You obviously haven't heard of this one:

http://gigaset.com/u...ASETSL910A.html

[technologist]

I imagine it would look a lot like this discontinued product:

http://www.macworld....onevalet30.html

'cept maybe with better Address Book/Contacts (and, these days, Messages and FaceTime) integration.

[mc4o1993]

the picture reminds me of this

http://www.latimes.c...0,2822603.story

(and yes, the firm behind it confirmed it's a JOKE)

[spuds]

I have an AT&T 2-line base-station that supports both 2-line DECT 6.0 phones and two Bluetooth phones concurrently. This allows the wife and I to use the handsets to receive and place calls through our iPhones while still using the iPhones to check calendars, etc. As for the "landlines", we use PhonePower and only pay about $10/month for a two-line modem with all the line extras (3-way, CallerID, etc.) as well as simultaneous ring and hunting features. (ie. When FedEx calls from the intercom station at the main door of the complex, it rings both the landline and the mobile phone at the same time: if I'm not at home, I can still let him in to deliver the package.) A single phone number is cloned to both analog ports and we can use both separately as necessary (or call out on one of the iPhones).

PhonePower's system will email me every time a call comes in and email the voicemail to me if someone leaves one.

[bastion]

wmckelvey, on 28 January 2013 - 09:57 AM, said:

JMHammer, on 28 January 2013 - 09:41 AM, said:

Kirk- I think you need Google Voice. It would let you do everything you described (assuming your Mac has a mic and speaker or you have a headset that can plug into your Mac), only for free and without relying on anything but your home internet service instead of a phone company or another add-on service from your cable provider.

I really don't see the point of an Apple landline phone. If I don't want to use my Mac as a phone, I can plug my iPhone into AC power and use Whistle Phone, Pinger, TextNow, or any of a number of other IP telephony apps – all of which work with Google Voice, by the way – and save the expense of the landline phone service and hardware while still having access to all my contacts and other data.

Unless, of course, you just got hammered by a major storm and there isn't any electricity to your home. In which case the the "land line" phone would work, no internet or electricity needed. I still have a "land line" at home for that very reason.

Sadly the term land-line has become somewhat ambiguous, or at least not clearly understood. What you describe is true for POTS hookups, but not for VOIP or FiOS.

[bobbin606]

This is kind of spooky, I was having the same thought over the weekend? But I was thinking more along the lines of a terminal that would connect to your landline and router that would allow you to make and receive land line calls on your apple devices. Then I thought if you had several (one at work and home) you could set to transfer calls threw router or tell that you waiting for call and it would transfer to your apple device. Plus receive voice mails and group callers so if you leave the office a supplier or VIP would be auto transferred to your phone. I know there are services like this available from most phone carriers but if you use different for home, office, cell then it can become difficult or expensive, but some thing you can set up and manage yourself, we'll I would buy that accessory

[whiteman]

Quote

I've been searching for years for a home-oriented VoIP phone set to replace the clunky 2-line phones I currently have. A phone should just plug into a LAN jack (ideally with Power-over-Ethernet to eliminate the accursed wall warts) and automatically provide features like station-to-station intercom, paging, call transfer and so forth. But the business-oriented ones I've seen are overkill for the home in both features and price. And as for cell phones replacing land lines, there's one big problem: often I literally want to call a physical location (a business, or someone's house), and will gladly speak to anyone who happens to be there. I don't want to have to call several cell phones, hoping someone will answer.