AT&T 5830 5.8 GHz Cordless Speakerphone System

by AT&T

Product Details

Product Manual [2.48mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 4.5 x 9 inches ; 4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• 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: B00006LLHY
• Item model number: 5830
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 24, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

This innovative cordless telephone operates on the powerful 5.8 GHz frequency. Its classic design provides comfort and ease of use. Advanced features include adjustable sound settings, the ability to use up to six handsets, a speakerphones in the handset, and a duplex speakerphone in the base. (Duplex technology lets both parties talk and be heard simultaneously.)

The dual-band (5.8 GHz/2.4 GHz) design allows the base unit to transmit with more power in the 5.8 GHz frequency band or with greater efficiency at 2.4 GHz. The phone's true duplex transmission keeps the incoming and outgoing signals from interfering with each other.

The LCD on the handset provides caller ID/call waiting information (subscription required though your local phone company). The 5830 also provides talking caller ID, which announces the name or number of incoming callers.

The 5830's expandability, up to five additional handsets for a total of six, eliminates the need to hard-wire multiple extensions throughout your home. One phone jack and one power outlet is all you need to connect the 5830 base station and handset, while each additional model 5800 handset requires only a power outlet for its compact charger/cradle. Calls can be transferred from one handset to another.

The handset receiver lights up with incoming calls and can also be set to vibrate. It stores 50 names and numbers and works with your caller ID service to remember the last 50 callers. Sound Select lets you adjust bass, treble, and midrange to your liking. A spare-battery charging system enables the telephone to work even during a power outage. Choose from eight ringer melodies. The system is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
User's manual, quick start guide, base unit, handset, NiMH battery pack, telephone line cord, AC power adapter, wall mounting adapter

Product Description

AT&T 5830 5.8 GHz Cordless Phone - Cordless telephone technology has reached a new plateau with the 5.8GHz spread spectrum frequency. Utilizing this 5.8GHz, distance & clarity are increased many fold. In addition, and most importantly, you have the ability to add multiple handsets to the base! This unit supports up to 6 separate handsets (1 is included). Analog & Digital Clock Displays Spare Battery Charger Power Failure Operation (with spare battery installed) Lighted Keypad Line In Use Indication Hold/Mute Last 10 Number Redial Headset Compatible (2.5mm jack) Color - Silver

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

163 of 164 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Perfect, But Have Not Found One That Is, May 29, 2003

By 

max fischer "max-fischer" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AT&T 5830 5.8 GHz Cordless Speakerphone System (Office Product)

BOTTOM LINE: You've probably already discovered the lack of full-featured consumer-level cordless phones out there, especially in the 5.8 GHz category and that you really have to move into the SOHO dual-line systems and spend a good deal more to get a full-featured phone. But the bottom line is if you are looking for a full featured, single line, consumer level cordless phone, this is it - it's not perfect, but you don't have many other options in this price range.

THE ALSO-RANS: Panasonic KX-TG2563F - feature-packed, but 2.4 GHz and bad quality reviews (just released 5.8 GHz expandable system out - probably same quality issues). Siemens 4215 - great form factor, but 2.4 GHz, no headphone jack (pricier 2-line 8800 has jack), no base functionality and lukewarm quality reviews. CIDCO's 2.4 GHz D271's - perfect feature set but not in same price range (only marketed through your local Bell company so you're not going to find a deal). AT&T's 2355 - basically the 2.4 GHz version of the 5830/40. Bought it/returned it due to poor speakerphone (don't believe it's full duplex) and handset call quality (I believe it's being test marketed only through Best Buy (as of 5/03) which indicates they may be trying to work the bugs out of the phone).

FINALISTS: The finalists were the 5830/5840 and the VTech 5831, both 5.8 GHz expandable systems. Both are made by VTech, which explains nearly identical feature sets and form factors (and model numbers). AT&T phones are designed by the VTech subsidiary Advanced American Telephones under a licensing agreement with AT&T (my guess is AAT was a Ma Bell spin-off years back that VTech acquired). As mentioned by another reviewer, it's a matter of preference whether you choose the AT&T or VTech - minor differences in feature sets (VTech 5831 has LCD and phone book on base, AT&T has talking caller ID) but similar quality. Anyway, on to the phone. I purchased the 5830 - if you want a digital answering machine, go with the 5840 but you won't get talking caller ID or a keypad on the base. Key points:

PROS:
- Call quality/construction - can't overemphasize this (base sits right by my computer setup and still have great call quality)
- Full-duplex speakerphone: you can hear and be heard at same time (an uncommon feature on consumer speakerphones)
- Talking Caller ID: comes in handy if you don't want to get off the couch to know who's calling
CONS:
- No Speed dial: No one number/one touch speed dial from either base or handset - they really dropped the ball on this one. However, dialing from phone book takes as few as 3 button pushes.
- No LCD or phone book on base unit: makes phone book dialing a little more difficult.
OTHER ISSUES:
- Message waiting indicator flashes neon blue on both base and handset - a little much as others have mentioned
- Inability to share phone books between handsets is a neutral: small business may want the same phonebook on all handsets; family may want parents/kids to have separate phonebooks
- Wi-Fi: phone transmits at 5.8 GHz base to handset but 2.4 GHz the other way. If you have Wi-Fi this may be an issue as 802.11(b) transmits at 2.4 GHz. Possible future migration of Wi-Fi standard to 802.11(g) at 5.8 GHz is less of an issue because that frequency apparently is less congested than 2.4 GHz. Side note: probably did this to save money - calls sound good to you at 5.8 GHz but not as good to party you are calling at 2.4 GHz (but you'd be oblivious to this).

The top contenders in this category each have something (different) missing. In this price range, go with the AT&T 5830/5840 (or the VTech 5831) and be done with it before you drive yourself crazy as I did.

162 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice phone system, December 24, 2002

By 

Bob D (Cary, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AT&T 5830 5.8 GHz Cordless Speakerphone System (Office Product)

This phone system is almost perfect. It works so much better than the Siemen's 2400 it replaced. The speakerphone (in both the base unit and the headset) is very handy and the Caller ID voice announce feature is pretty cool. It fits very nicely in your hand and feels like a quality piece of electronics. Very nice display and the buttons are easy to press. And, it has great looks. Battery life also seems very good. As much as this phone has going for it, I can't for the life of me figure out why they would choose to not add some very basic features that other phones have had for years. 1.) You can't share phonebooks between handsets 2.) No speed-dial feature 3.) A rather cumbersome menu system 4.) No way to insert pauses in stored numbers so you can't program the phone to access your phone company-hosted voicemail and automatically enter in your passcode. 5.) No phonebook or number memory on the base (which makes sense since there's also no display).

If the phone had these basic features, it would easily rate a 5. That's the deal with these phone systems - there simply isn't a perfect phone system. I've looked at Uniden, AT&T, Seimens, Panasonic, and VTech. They are all lacking in way or another. It's maddening that these systems are sooo expensive, and yet manufacturers can't seem to find their way to implement feature sets commensurate with the price of the phones. Cell phones can be had for far cheaper with far greater convenience features. There's no reason why these features couldn't be added to home phone systems, especially when you have to pay ... for each handset. The Seimens 2400 series phones had many of the features missing on this phone, but the quality/reliability of at least these 2400 series Seimens phones is pure {junk}. I considered the new Seimens 4200 series, but some brain-dead exec somewhere along the line decided the phone didn't need a headset jack. How moronic is that??? Not too mention that in my experience the Seimens phones are totally unreliable, pure junk.

Bottom line - though missing some really basic and *very* useful features, this new AT&T 5800 system has so far been of top notch performance, and it does have some useful advanced features of it's own (which makes them ommitting the more basic features even more bizzarre). The performance of the phone has been so good that I guess I'll learn to live without the features I liked about the Seimens. I'd rate this new 5800 Series phone system the best out there right now, even with it's shortcomings. Once someone builds a system with the quality of this phone and the feature set of the better cell phones, you'd have prefection.

BTW, through my research, I suspect the new VTech 5800 series phone is pretty much the same phone in different clothing. They share much of the same feature set and even appear to have identical menu systems/keypads/displays. The Vtech doesn't have the talking Caller ID, and the AT&T doesn't have the LCD display or phonebook on the base, but other than that, the differences appear superficial. I'm currently trying both phones out. It's really a toss up. The Vtech is little less $$$. I like the talking CID, but also like the number memory and LCD display on the base unit of Vtech.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best 5.8 GHz phone on the market!, November 27, 2003

By 

Senneca Ariel (La Palma, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AT&T 5830 5.8 GHz Cordless Speakerphone System (Office Product)

If you have been looking for a 5.8 GHz phone, the AT&T 5800 series is the best on the market, period. I have been doing extensive research for a new 5.8 GHz phone for about 6 months and have read almost every single review for 5.8 GHz phones.

There are currently six 5.8 GHz cordless phones on the market right now.

1. AT&T 5.8 GHz
2. GE 5.8 GHz
3. Motorola 5.8 GHz
4. Panasonic 5.8 GHz
5. Uniden 5.8 GHz
6. V-Tech 5.8 GHz

Of these 6 phones, I have found that the AT&T is the best all-around. The AT&T offers the best sound quality, ease of use, design, and displays. One thing that must be noted is that the AT&T 5800 series is not a true 5.8 GHz system. It is a full-duplex 5.8/2.4 GHz phone system. Phones that use a dual system 5.8/2.4 GHz still have great clearity and security, but better battery life than true 5.8 GHz systems because of lower power output and lower energy consumption at the 2.4 GHz frequency.

PROS:

1. Excellent build quality
2. Superb clearity
3. Easy to use and setup
4. Great caller-ID functions
5. Great battery life
6. Nice lighting and displays
7. Good working speakerphone
8. Good looking high-tech design

CONS:

1. The only thing I would change about this phone is the antenna. On the next redesign of this phone, AT&T (Advanced American Telephones) should make the antenna smaller and not integrate it into the plastic body of the phone. Or, they should get rid of it completely like Uniden has done.

If you are looking for the right 5.8 GHz phone, this is it. I have the 5830 model and couldn't be any happier. The talking caller ID is such a nice feature to have. I don't even have to get up or pick up the phone to know who is calling. I have a 802.11b wi-fi network in my house and this phone doesn't cause any problems at all. All of the reviews I have had read on the internet were correct. This is pretty much the best cordless phone to come out on the market for a long while now.