Philips phone is more than good looks

(Credit: Philips)

We've always thought of Philips as something like the Sony of Europe: No matter what you think of their products' performance, it's usually difficult to argue with their aesthetically clean designs. (And if it was able to tame the notorious Swarovski, the Liberace of consumer electronics, then it has provided a public service to the world.)

Philips' latest ID9371 land-line phone is no exception, with a sleek glossy-black design somewhat reminiscent of the Bang & Olufsen "Serene" portable handset. But there's something even more interesting about a sound technology it uses called "ClearVoice HD," which supposedly is far more sensitive than traditional phone frequencies. "You'll hear every last detail of your friend's wailing over her boyfriend's infidelity, every scream of excitement, every painful detail of female high pitched emotion in every conversation."

On second thought, we don't really need a new phone after all.