Comparing 4 Line Cordless Phones
Panasonic KX-TG4500B vs. AT&T SB67118

The top two 4 line cordless phones are excellent value for money. They are serious small office phone systems comparable with PBX's costing five times as much. Overall we favor an ATT cordless phone over a proven but aging warhorse from Panasonic. It uses the latest cordless phone technology and is less likely to be superseded any time soon.

Best 4 Line Phone Systems

Panasonic cordless telephones have always dominated the 4 line phone niche. The Panasonic KX-TG4500B has been the most popular option for many years, but it's now up against a serious competitor in the form of the AT&T SB67118. Both are more than capable small business phone systems, but the latter employs the latest DECT 6.0 technology and through the use range extenders can overcome issues with coverage in larger premises.

While they share many common features, there also significant differences. For a start the Panasonic KX-TG4500B is a second generation 4 line cordless phone and incorporates many small features that users appreciate. On the other hand it's a 5.8 GHz phone and the latest Panasonic cordless phones are all DECT 6.0 phones. Hence we have been anticipating a successor for several years, but no word at the time of writing.

As for the challenger - the AT&T SB67118 is a state of the art DECT 6.0 phone with all the associated advantages of that technology and more.

Cordless Telephone Comparison

	Panasonic KX-TG4500B	AT&T SB67118
Max. handsets	8	10
Headset jacks	yes	yes
Max. mailboxes	8	10
Music on hold	yes	yes
Call recording	yes	yes
Push-to-Talk	no	yes
Auto-attendant	yes	yes
Speakerphones base & handsets	yes	yes
Answering system	100 minutes	180 minutes
Phonebook directory	100 #'s	100 #'s
Range extenders	no	up to 6 repeaters
Base corded handset	yes	yes
Battery backup	yes	yes - optional
Cordless phone technology	5.8 GHz	DECT 6.0 phone

Pros and Cons

1. The AT&T cordless phone optionally supports up to six modular range extenders or repeaters. They significantly increase coverage beyond that achievable by the KX-TG4500B and eliminate blind spots in large multi-level buildings. In any location where cordless phone range is a concern the SB67118 is the only option to consider.

2. Panasonic has been manufacturing multi-line cordless phones for longer than any of its competitors and it's attention to detail is impressive. Hence the auto-attendant feature work on the KX-TG4500B, which cannot be said in the case of the ATT 4 line cordless phone.

3. Panasonic's cordless 4 line phone employs an excellemt implementation of 5.8 GHz cordless phone technology. It's at least as robust and well behaved as any DECT 6.0 cordless phone. Call clarity is excellent, conversations are secure and WiFi interference is not an issue.

4. The AT&T 4 line phone is more expandable: 10 versus 8 handsets. That maybe a critical difference in some situations.

5. With the exception of the KX-TG4500B all current Panasonic cordless phones are DECT 6.0 phones. Panasonic may have decided to focus on high volume consumer niches and leave the small business market to others. On the other hand there maybe a new DECT 6.0 4 line cordless phone ready for release any day.

Summary

In our view the main differences between these systems can be reduced to range and expandability. The Panasonic cordless phone is more than adequate in small to medium sized offices, where 8 handsets or less are sufficient. Conversely in larger premises, including those extending over more than one level an ATT 4 line cordless phone is the best way to go.

Related Reviews

Small Office Phone Systems - multi-line cordless phone systems make excellent small business phone systems. They are cheap and can be installed in minutes.

Best Multi Line Cordless Phones - there are dozens of 2 line cordless phones and even a few 4 line phone systems. How do they compare and which is the best?.

Comparing 4 Line Cordless Phones to Cordless Phone Reviews and Ratings - Home