The Gigaset S700 is a cordless phone specially designed for business users. As one of the brand's most premium handsets, there's lots for us to dig into with this review. However, that advanced functionality does come with a higher price tag than your average cordless phone. Is it worth it? Let's take a look!
Related: Top 10 Best Cordless Phones of 2024
Design & build
The S700H is part of Gigaset's professional range of cordless phones. As such, it's one of the nicer looking handsets in their lineup. Rather than the standard black that you tend to get with many cordless phones, the front of the handset and the charging cradle are both space grey to give it a bit more character. What really impressed us about the handset, though, is the 2.4" TFT display screen. While many phones have screens which only display a couple of colours, the S700 offers full colour, which means you can also set your own custom screensavers.
There's a fair bit of weight to the S700, which is generally a good sign in our book as it means that it's not just a nice-looking shell without much to it internally. Overall it feels very well made, and while it is only plastic (like virtually all cordless phones), it still comes across as a premium product.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the bottom of the handset is flat, which means it can stand up on its own. This is something that quite a few of our customers do ask about, as some people prefer to take handsfree calls with the handset stood upright.
The surface of the phone has been made from slightly tougher plastic than the standard cordless phone. On the one hand, that makes it more resistant to scratches and scuffs. But it also means that the phone isn't going to be damaged by disinfectant. This is a feature that Gigaset make quite a big deal about in their marketing materials for the S700H. We suppose that makes sense- in a post-COVID age, you might be a bit more conscious about workplace hygiene.
Set-up
The Gigaset S700 is only available from Gigaset themselves as a standalone handset with no base unit. However, at liGo we bundle it with Gigaset's N300A base station, which is compatible with both analogue and VoIP lines. If you're just going to be using it with a regular landline, then there's very little setup to carry out. All you'll need to do is pair the handset and base, which only takes a minute or so, and you're ready to start making and receiving calls.
If you want to use the S700 for VoIP calls, then you'll need to have a VoIP provider already in place. There's also a tiny bit more set up involved with the phone itself. However, this is still simple to carry out- you just go into the settings and select your VoIP line as the outgoing and receiving line, and that's it ready to go.
As we'll get onto in a moment, the S700 has plenty of extra features. Naturally, some of these require additional set up. Thankfully, the large screen and clear onscreen icons make this process that much easier. Unfortunately there's no paper manual included with the S700, but the full manual is available online.
Sound quality
Gigaset are highly regarded for their excellent sound quality, and here at liGo we rate them considerably higher than rival brands such as BT and Panasonic. As you'd expect from their top-of-the-range phone, the S700H is no exception. Thanks to HD sound quality, calls sound fantastic. They call this technology "HDSP", which stands for "HD sound performance". It's the same technology that you'll find in some of Gigaset's other higher-end models like the Gigaset C575A.
Crucially, the S700 sounds great on both the earpiece and on handsfree mode. We certainly know from our own experience in the liGo office that there are times when you need to take business calls handsfree. With some other handsets, we've found that the outgoing sound in particular can be a bit patchy at times, with the microphone struggling to pick up what you're saying. However, we didn't find that to be the case with the S700- everything was nice and clear on both ends of our test calls.
Range
Even though the S700 is a VoIP-compatible phone, it still uses DECT to communicate with the base. That means you get the same range you'd get with other Gigaset cordless phones- up to 50m indoors, and up to 300m outdoors. This is the standard for DECT phones, although we have found in practise that Gigaset phones tend to be a bit more reliable with their range than some other brands. The S700 is also repeater-compatible, so if you work in a larger office and need a little extra range, that option is always available.
Additional Features
As we mentioned earlier, there are a number of extra features on the S700 which set it apart from the average cordless phone.
It has one of the widest selections of ringtones that we've come across on a cordless phone, so it's likely that there will be an option you like. If not, then you can plug the phone in to your computer and add your own, as well as adding your own custom screensavers. It connects up via a micro-USB cable, which also charges the phone up a fair bit quicker than the charging cradle.
The S700 has built-in Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can pair it up with a wireless headset- a very handy feature to have in an office phone. There's also a handy one-touch function key which you can set to a number of different uses, as well as vibration alert, which is unusual to find in a DECT phone. And as an additional feature for business users, you can set the phone to remind you of meetings or other appointments with an alarm.
Finally, it comes with a belt clip if you want to keep the handset with you while you move about the office. There's also an optional 360-degree belt clip available separately as well.
Gigaset S700H PRO: The Verdict
The Gigaset S700H is a fantastic cordless phone that more than lives up to Gigaset's stellar reputation. While the price may put it out some people's budgets, we think the vast array of features and excellent sound and build quality make it superb value for money overall.
