• No battery will run down during a conversation.
• Neighbors can't monitor your call, accidentally or intentionally.
• Corded phones weigh and cost less, and have better sound quality and ergonomics.
• You can buy a workhorse everyday phone for a fraction of even an entry-level cordless phone's cost.

• Speed dial: A corded phone has the same basic features as a cordless model, with one exception: speed dial. Sure, cordless phones have some (usually very limited) speed dial memory. But because speed dialing is done from the handset, you must memorize which keys are assigned to which phone number. On the other hand, you are tied to the base of a corded phone. Accordingly, you have more space to write down which phone numbers are assigned to which button.
  
  The speed dial memory of corded phones varies depending on price and model. There are some models with as many as 30 speed dial positions. These are usually arrayed in defined "upper" and "lower" positions. Speed dial slots in the "lower" position usually require you to first push a "lower" button before hitting the appropriate speed dial button.
  
  
• Hold: Another feature familiar to anyone who has used a multi-line phone in an office is hold. Even many single-line models have a "hold" function, which is handy when you want to pick up another extension.
  
  
• Speakerphone: Beware — there are many types of speakerphones, each of varying quality. A speakerphone usually consists of a built-in microphone and a speaker, which allows you to converse without picking up the handset.
  
  In most cases, a speakerphone is half-duplex, meaning that only one person can talk at a time. A full-duplex speakerphone allows both parties to talk and be heard at the same time. A phone with "on-hook dialing" could be a speakerphone without the microphone — you can listen but not talk. On-hook dialing simply means that you can dial and wait for a connection before you pick up the handset. A full speakerphone obviously allows on-hook dialing, also referred to as "hands-free" operation.
  
  
• TouchTone: By now, everyone is probably aware of TouchTone (which is actually a registered trademark of AT&T) and its voice mail and services advantages. Note that some cheap phones aren't true TouchTone phones. That is, they don't offer so-called long tones, those that continue as long as you hold down the key. Some short-burst phones offer only one tone of short duration no matter how long you push the button, which may not be long enough to allow TouchTone access for retrieving messages from your answering machine or for performing other functions requiring TouchTone.
  
  To be certain you've got a TouchTone phone, look at the FCC registration number on the back of the unit. If it ends in T, it is a TouchTone phone only. If it ends in E, it can be used for both TouchTone and pulse dialing.
  
  
• Caller ID: Another quite popular feature is Caller ID, a phone-call identification system that allows you to see the number and (usually) the name of the person who is trying to call you. Caller ID is one of an advanced series of subscription call functions, such as Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and Call Blocking, which are available from your local phone company. Caller ID with Call Waiting displays the name and number of a person who is calling while you're already on a call. You can then choose to swap calls or to ignore the interruption.
  
  
• Redial: Also called LND (last number dialed), this button automatically redials the last number you dialed. Some models continue to redial until a connection is made.
  
  
• Mute: Also called a privacy button, the mute button allows you talk to someone in your room without being overheard by the person on the phone.
  
  
• Flash: An electronic disconnect used to switch between calls when using Call Waiting or to get a new dial tone. The Flash button comes in handy if the keypad is built into the handset and you're away from the base unit. Just because there isn't a special Flash button doesn't mean the phone is incapable of handling Call Waiting. Simply bouncing the switch hook (the clicker underneath the receiver when you hang up the phone) works as a Flash button.
  
  
• Readout: Displays various call information, including the phone number dialed, the elapsed call time, the time of day and, on Caller ID-equipped phones, the number (and name) of caller (usually on an LCD).
  
  
• Toll restriction: Often an external device that prevents outgoing long-distance calls or calls to certain individuals or groups of your choosing. You can bypass the restriction by using a password.
  
  
• Message alert: Some phones are equipped with an LED to let you know you have a voice mail message waiting. You must subscribe to your local phone company's voice mail service.

Check out our selection of corded telephones.

From information provided by etown.com.