AT&T 2440 2.4 GHz Cordless Telephone (Metallic Charcoal)

by AT&T

Product Details

Product Manual [376kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 7.2 x 4.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005094F
• Item model number: 2440
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Transform your home into a cordless network with the AT&T 2440 2.4-GHz cordless telephone. This phone combines 2.4 GHz power with multihandsetcapability. That means you can use this phone with up to four optional AT&T2400 handsets. Plus, you can use the intercom function with the digitalspeakerphone to talk to someone in another room hands-free.

All this with the power of 2.4 GHz digital spread spectrum technology, forsuperior power, security, and clarity. The AT&T 2440 transmits on the FMrange above 2.4 GHz, a less crowded section of the spectrum far above therange accessible to most scanners. The phone automatically scans 94channels to find the clearest and strongest signal.

Digital spread spectrum (DSS) technology adds to security and greater soundquality with a concept invented, in part, by 1940s screen actress HedyLamarr. A DSS cordless phone switches rapidly from frequency to frequencyat random, using less power and encountering less interference.

The AT&T 2440 also allows you to screen your calls with caller ID and callwaiting/caller ID. With a subscription to the service from your phonecompany, you can view a caller's name and number on the phone's lighted LCD. The caller-ID memory holds up to 50 names and numbers. CallerID/call waiting allows you to view call information on an incoming callwhile you're on another call.

Another useful feature is a built-in speed dial that holds 50 numbers of upto 32 digits each in memory. This phone has a headset jack so you can talkand type at the same time. Dual keypads allow you to dial either from thehandset or the base. Carry the handset around with you using the includedbelt clip.

The AT&T 2440 handset weighs 5.9 ounces, measures 1.89 by 1.3 by 6.89inches and operates on a 2.4-volt DC NiMH battery pack. It comes with aspare battery charger and indicator lights show when the battery is low orthe handset is charging. Another indicator tells you when a voice-mailmessage is waiting.

This phone comes with a battery pack, wall-mounting hardware, a power adapter, RJ-11 telephone cord, and an owner's manual. It is covered by a one-year warranty from AT&T.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High-quality stuff, November 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: AT&T 2440 2.4 GHz Cordless Telephone (Metallic Charcoal) (Office Product)

I just got this phone today. It is pretty impressive. Since there are no specs on Amazon.com, so I will add one.

The sharp-as-a-tack metallic charcoal 2440 model ATT speakerphone operates at a digital 2.4GHz bandwidth--the ultimate in cordless transmission. Frequency hopping Spread Spectrum technology assures you secure high fidelity connections. Multi-handset capability accommodates up to 4 satellite handsets. Clearspeak full duplex speakerphone in base.

Features: Dual keypads.

Lighted keypad. Spare battery charger. Power fail operation. 50 name and number directory. Cordless handset speakerphone. 4-way conferencing. Announced call transfers. 2-way page/intercom. Visual message waiting. Software enhanced lighted display Caller ID with Call Waiting capability. 50 name/number Caller ID history. Software enhanced lighted display

Pretty good. I don't have a 2nd handset (which I plan to get soon), but you can call bettween and transfer calls. I already tried this to the base, and it works great. Unlike the Vtech phone, you don't have to type in the handset #, it gives you a menu with all the phones that are connected. The phone is like a cell phone. You can dial the number and press phone. Press off to hang up. Pressing phone while on a call is flash (call waiting). I like the way the caller id is organized. The only thing I think is that the sound quality could be better. I don't know if it because the battery is not fully charged, but the base has no antenna (unlike Panasonic gigarange). I have yet to test the range (I got like 300 feet with my "old" Lucent/ATT 900 mhz DSS's, I expect at least 500 feet, but I cannot expect a mile or so as promised by panasonic due to the lack of an antenna on the base)

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous feature set packed into a tiny phone, January 26, 2001

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: AT&T 2440 2.4 GHz Cordless Telephone (Metallic Charcoal) (Office Product)

Perhaps I've just been lucky, but I've found the signal quality of this phone to be very good. Not flawless - I occasionally hear an echo or notice the channels switching - but significantly better than my previous Panasonic 900 MHz spread spectrum phone. Add to that a host of useful and usable features, and this is an excellent phone.

One problem I had with my previous phone was its use of Nicad batteries, further complicated by its lack of a charger in the base for a spare. Given the memory problems of Nicads, this meant that you had to run the phone down to zero before recharging, and during recharging the phone was out of commission. The AT&T (and many other 2.4 GHz phones) uses a NiMh battery that doesn't have a memory problem. You can top-off the battery by placing the handset on the base at any time. Additionally, this unit lets you charge a second battery in a compartment within the base. This has two advantages: if you do run the battery in the handset down, you can swap it with the charged battery. Secondly, if there's a power outage, the battery in the base will power the unit.

Another consideration in buying this phone is that you can add extra handsets. This means that you won't have to hunt all over the house for the one cordless handset. You can easily install extra handsets in any room without having to put in a telephone jack. Each handset comes with its own charger stand, and once 'registered' with the base, you're ready to go. The handsets can also be used as walkie-talkies for handset-to-handset calling.

The handsets themselves are very compact - on the order of cel phones. This is good and bad. The buttons are a bit smaller than one might like, and don't have a positive click. On the other hand, the contact seems to be good, and I haven't had too many problems with misdialing. The phone can either be pre-dialed (like a cel phone) and then activated, or activated and dialed like a normal phone. The display is easy to read, and lights up when in use. The display handily tells you when the line is in use - important if you add handsets, or if you use the phone line with your computer. The earpiece, like so many cordless and cellular phones, is a bit flat, and doesn't isolate the ear as well as one might like.

In addition to the dialpad and speakerphone on the base, each handset doubles as its own speakerphone. This is hugely useful, and the quality is suprising. Essentially this provides you with a wireless speakerphone.

Perhaps I will come to find that the signal quality doesn't hold up, but for now, the battery technology, features and sound of this has made it a very welcome replacement for my previous 900 MHz unit.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Cordless Telephone Yet, April 20, 2001

By 

R. Clark - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: AT&T 2440 2.4 GHz Cordless Telephone (Metallic Charcoal) (Office Product)

I had absolutely no problems right out of the box using this phone with two handsets. This phone works great first of all, and is backed up by absolute top of the line features for convience and security. Its 2.4 Ghz digital transmission is completely secure due to the use of Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) which is much more secure than DSS and much more hard to find on cheaper 2.4 GHz phones. It has Multi-handset capability, which allows this to be your only phone system you need in your house. And it has a full duplex speakerphone in the base which works amazingly well and functions as a second phone! You can even transfer calls from phone to phone or phone to base or vice versa. You can pick up calls on the base too, or place calls with its separate dial pad. I have two handsets, and keep the base in the living room where it acts like a third phone at no additional cost. Another awesome feature is that you can turn on the speaker phone on the handsets as well, so you can set the phone down while on hold! It isn't full duplex like the base, so I doubt the quality is there for a two-way conversation, but it is awesome just for one way! Other cool features are a battery backed up base (if you keep a spare battery in the base) to let the phone operate during a power outage, awesome caller id, phone number storage, a voice mail indicator on each phone and the base, a phone in use indicator on the handset (great to see if someone is on the internet), 6 unique rings, separate adjustable volumes (ring volume, earpiece volume, and speakerphone volume). And to top it all off, AT&T recently lowered the price on the phone and the handsets by twenty bucks each. So I couldn't resist, and I'm glad I didn't.

My advice is to not be disuaded by other bad reviews here for two reasons: 1) My experience with Amazon reviews are that a disproportionate number of people write negative reviews since they are the only ones motivated to do so, so don't be disuaded by the bad reviews on this phone. I've found many bad reviews written by people who failed to read the troubleshooting section of instruction manuals or call customer support prior to screaming foul. And 2) This phone manual cleary states that plugging it into the same circuit as an appliance may cause interference. This means do not plug it anywhere on the same circuit, not just the same outlet as an appliance or other source of interference (TV, radio, etc). A circuit is a series of outlets wired on the same circuit breaker, and is usually broken up by rooms in the house. So, pick a room no appliances (e.g. a bedroom). Try it, and if you don't like it, send the extra handset to me :)