Review of YUBZ® Retro Handset

Image by StreetFly JZ via Flickr

I've been sharing mainly about eco-tips so far, but isn't one of the joys of doing a business like Decolives about sharing interesting finds with people? What's the point of being an in-house contributor if you can't rave about your own products?

The Truth and Nothing But

So today, I'm going to review one of our latest additions to our range of products - the YUBZ^® Retro Handset. Of course, be warned that I have vested interests, so feel free to doubt my words and try it out for yourself ;)

But seriously, I do solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, and only about stuff that I have personally used in my reviews. You are welcome to challenge my views, because I think part of the fun is the livefiring exchange of ideas with friends about things of genuine mutual interest.

The Retro Chic

I bought one of the fire-engine red YUBZ^® Retro Handset from our website (yes, I had to buy my own! I don't get it for free!) and have been using it for a couple of days. I must confess I'm pre-disposed to liking this product because I have always loved vintage phones and have been wanting one of my own. But ever improving phone technology always gets in the way, so we still don't own any of these antiques. I remember that my grandfather had the real classic thing back in the 1970s and 80s. As a little girl, I loved the solid feel of the handset and the firm resistance of the ring-dial. So when I saw the YUBZ^® Retro Handset, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one!

I wasn't disappointed. The handset comes with a coiled cord just like a normal corded phone, though I must say I was a little surprised by its feel. It was anything but just-for-show. There is real resistance and bounce in the cord that you would expect from a real antique phone! The weight is sufficient, though not as substantive as I would have liked. But it is hefty enough to satisfy my nostalgic tastes, while remaining light enough that one would not begrudge the weight. I'm happy it doesn't look or feel like some cheap plastic toy - which I was a little worried about initially - and the bright funky colour totally updates the old-fashion classic into a chic modern mobile accessory!

Simple to Use

The connection point is a 2.5mm jack. Included in the package are five adapters that can fit this handset to most of the major phone brands on the market. I own an Apple iPhone 3GS so I use the 3.5mm adapter provided in my YUBZ^® package. My sister has a Sony Ericsson that works with one of the adaptors provided too.

The handset is easy to use. Just plug and play. There is a button that you can press to answer calls on the inner side if the handset along with a volume slider. One complaint though is that I find the volume a wee bit on the soft side, so I have to max out both the volume slider on the handset and on my iPhone to be able to hear the other party. Then again, maybe it's just me being deaf because I tried unplugging the handset halfway through the call and realised it was still better with the handset than without!

Multi-tasking with YUBZ®

What I really like about my YUBZ^® Retro Handset is that now I can the use the calendar and notes applications on my iPhone while I'm on the line with someone. I'm hopelessly forgetful so I always need to jot things down. That's why ever since I bought my first PDA 10 years ago, I haven't looked back. The problem with combining both the phone and PDA functions in one gadget is that I can't input things while talking at the same time. I can resort to the speaker mode, a headset or a Bluetooth headset, but none are ideal. The first, obviously because of the lack of privacy. The second, because it is such a hassle to uncoil the messy wires while you are hurrying to answer the call before it gets directed to voicemail. Most times, I end up either not using the headset or just leave it sticking in my ear so I feel alternatively stupid for having silent earphones or rude when I'm talking to someone in face-to-face. I don't like the Bluetooth option either because the phone battery runs down extremely quickly, the response time is usually slower and I always feel like the Bluetooth thing is giving me headaches. Not to mention it makes me feel like a human robot with a distractingly blinking blue eye standing on the ready to receive instructions from a remote master.

96% Rediation Free

Another thing I like about the YUBZ^® Retro Handset is that it is supposed to cut mobile phone radiation by 96%. I've always been prone to headaches so I don't like to talk much on mobile or cordless phones. With my YUBZ^® Retro Handset, I can enjoy chatting on the phone again without worrying about a raging headache at the end of the call.

Good-size Anchor

The only disadvantage of the YUBZ^® Retro Handset is it's obvious bulk. But here, I find it's obtrusiveness works in it's favour. I can just dump it in my bag without it getting lost amongst my stuff. Another way I carry it is by hanging it on my bag so it becomes a cool fashion accessory. I do this by looping a piece of nylon string around the YUBZ^® Retro Handset and tying it to a carabiner that I filch from my ChicoBag™. Then I use the carabiner to clip my YUBZ^® Retro Handset to my bag.

For all it's features, the greatest advantage of my YUBZ^® Retro Handset is probably one never intended by the original designers. On top of being forgetful, I'm also very careless. With every new PDA that I've bought, I've always had to buy a second one within a few months because I would use it all the time and then end up leaving my new gadget in the bus, train, cab, toilet or even on the luggage trolley at the airport! That's right! I'm a total serial mobile phone loser. So I've taken to wearing the phone around my neck at all times. That is literally a pain in the neck! But now, with this a chunky anchor attached to my phone, I'm never going to lose it again!

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