Posted: 18 May 2011 08:03 AM PDT  In these days of the ubiquitous cellphone, it can be rare to use a "normal" phone, even if you spend most of your days desk bound. As much as I love my iPhone, when I'm sitting in my office I miss using my desk phone with its comfortable handset and easy to dial keypad. Additionally, as someone who likes to listen to music when I work, an incoming call on my iPhone means unplugging it from the cradle, a minor annoyance. Native Union has solved my problem with a series of handsets that allow you to take calls using a traditional handset attached to your cellphone. I picked up the MM02, a fairly basic corded model featuring a cradle, that I have really come to appreciate (they make a cordless Bluetooth version, but it is significantly more expensive). The handset connects to the iPhone via the 3.5mm socket on the top of the phone, leaving you free to rest the iPhone in the charging cradle, audio device etc. The handset is reassuringly solid, with a pleasant, matte plastic feel to it, and the well built cradle sits happily on a desk. There is an answering button in the centre of the handset that makes it easy to pick up calls, but one downside is that there is no keypad on the handset, so although you can dial out you need to use the keypad on your mobile handset itself, and that can be a bit fiddly. If you're flying a desk like me, you may find that you make your outgoing calls on your desk phone anyway. I've had the MM02 handset for around 6-months now and find it a delight to use. At the time of purchase it seemed to be the only accessory of its type. Overall, a very handy piece of kit, especially if you're a desk-bound cellphone user. -- Alan Arthur [Although the reviewer notes that he used the handset solely in conjunction with his cellphone, this handset can be used with any product containing a 3.5 mm socket including a laptop or iPad thereby making Skype or Google Voice calling a little bit more traditional and comfortable on unwieldy devices. --OH] Native Union Moshi Moshi 02 Handset $44 Available from Amazon Native Union Moshi Moshi 01H Handset (without a cradle) Available in a variety of colors $29 Available from Amazon Manufactured by Native Union Sample Excerpts:  Native Union makes an even simpler retro model, the MM01H, that comes in a variety of colors while being a bit more affordable for those who don't need a desktop cradle.  |
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