X

BT's Android home phone blocks nuisance calls

BT has launched a home phone that runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, so can run apps like Twitter and Facebook.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

If you thought the landline was dead, think again. BT has given the humble DECT phone a new lease of life with this, the BT Home SmartPhone S. Not only does it run Google's Android operating system that's usually reserved for mobile phones and tablets, it also blocks nuisance calls. So hopefully it should spell an end to calls about payment protection plans.

It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which isn't the latest version. But still, let's remind ourselves here, it is a home phone. You can download apps to it, surf the Web, check your emails, and update your social networks, all from your home phone. Who needs a mobile?

Its 3.5-inch touchscreen is smaller than most smart phones nowadays, smaller even than the mini ones like the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. But it'll be big enough for basic tasks like Web surfing and emailing.

To block nuisance calls, you'll have to subscribe to a Caller Display service from your network provider, for which there may be a charge. But if you do get it up and running, you can set it to block calls from international numbers, withheld numbers and anyone not in your phone book. You can also block up to 10 individual numbers. Handy.

Don't want any interruptions? The SmartPhone S has a Do Not Disturb mode, which can switch off the ringer at certain times of the day and week. When you're reading the Sunday papers, say.

The phone book hold 300 contacts, and the device has Wi-Fi, so you can connect to your home network. Facebook and Twitter come preinstalled, and it has its own video and music player.

The SmartPhone S costs £170, and is available now from the BT Shop.

Would you buy a home phone that runs Android? Or is it wasted on such a device? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.