Our Sony phones died after 7 years...which I don't think is too bad for a cordless phone. We wanted something less bulky, clear sound and easy to operate. My husband hates talking on the phone, so I had to find something light-weight and comfortable. This phone has it all! 2.4G is great for the country, and no problems near the microwave. Lighted key pad helps in low light times. You can choose from 6 different ring tones, but it had no "regular" phone ring, these are all very electronic sounding. The intercom comes in handy when I'm upstairs and he is downstairs. And, having an extra handset with no need for a phone jack saved us some "renovations" 
