Customer Reviews

AT&T 5830 5.8 GHz Cordless Speakerphone System

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I've been a cordless phone fan since the days of sub-50 mhz frequencies, and I've been using 2.4 Ghz phones around the house now for more than 2 years. They were really only a bit clearer than the 900 mhz phones they replaced, and their range was about the same. However, this high frequency seems to find itself isolated enough from household interference (lights, cell phones, etc.) to achieve real quiet! I would say the quality of the connection is almost identical to that of a corded phone.

The 5830 setup was simple: Plug it in to the phone line and power plug (the fairly small transformer is nice too), enter the base ID # from the sticker under the phone, and you're ready to use the phone.
The menus are just okay; they may be a bit less than perfect but they're usable without instructions. Anyway, from the menu, you may (but do not have to) select ring style, ring volume, vibrate or no, and enter the time digitally.
I've added 2 extensions (5800) and these are set up just as the base is, but the number you register on each handset is that of the base unit. Range and intercom on the handsets are great, and the voice quality again is comparable to corded phones.
In both cases, the called ID display is very nicely done. It is lit in a very attractive and functional blue with a large enough display to read both the name and number without (my) glasses.
Lastly, the message waiting light (I use the phone company's voice mail svc) is easy to see from across the room, it too a cool neon blue that illuminates an "O" around the ear piece. The effect is quite techno-hip, as well as being highly functional.
In short, the 5800 series is a very nice execution of a very good new technology.

Good phone. Vtech makes this model.

I recommend the Vtech 5.8ghz over this phone because it's cheaper, you get the same voice quality and features, plus you get an answering machine with the base dial pad which this ATT model doesn't have. For this model, you're just paying for the name and the different looks.

The ATT/Vtech 5.8ghz are the only 5.8ghz phones where the base unit will not knock the standard 2.4ghz laptop wireless connection out of whack if the base is 3 feet away from the lappy. The Uniden and Panny 5.8ghz units annoyingly had this terrible problem. A definite deal breaker in my book.

The first thing you should know is this: This is a very good phone. It feels solid, its sound quality is great, the intercom works well, and it won't interfere with your WiFi network. My bet is that if you care enough to read to the end of this review, you should just buy it-- it's what you're looking for. And if the rest of this review seems overly focused on minutia, that's a result of frustration over the Phone That Might Have Been, more than criticism of The Phone That Is.

So, it's a good phone. But come on: some of the design decisions are just plain weird.

First, there's the oddity that while there's an indicator light for your (phone-company-supplied) voicemail, there's no easy way to actually dial that voicemail number and retrieve your messages. Rather than have a one-touch button, the phone requires that you assign voicemail to one of the phone-book entries. No big deal... except that it means you're pressing a minimum of three buttons (and likely more) every time you want to get your messages.

Then there's the omission of a "this is my own area code" feature. This means that all caller-ID numbers show up as (and get dialed as) 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX numbers... which can mean long-distance charges for local calls on some systems. Yes, you can edit the number, but it requires three clicks.

Lastly, there are the set of weird behaviors that come from having the built-in base-station speakerphone not know anything about the base-station phone handset. This means, forinstance, that if you answer a call using the base-station speakerphone, you can't just then pick up the base-station handset and have the call automatically transfer. Instead, both units will be active, which means you need to hang up two separate phones.

All of these are nits, but in a system costing this much, they're silly.

So should you buy it? Yes, sure: it does most of the basics well; the quality feels high; the backup battery feature will come in handy in a power-failure (though battery is sold separately); and 5.8 Ghz is the future. But don't expect perfection... and do send "you can do better" thought waves towards the folks who designed this unit.

PS-- An equally small nit about the extension handsets: their a/c adapters don't detach from their recharging bases. That means you need an extension cord if your desk has one of those holes to thread cords through-- the adapter likely won't fit through to reach the outlet.

I purchased this phone 4 months ago as a gift for my mother. I waited to write the review because sometimes you don't know if the equipment will perform as expected.

She wanted a reliable phone with excellent quality and one that wasn't difficult to use. Although this one has some very nice features that she'll never use, I still wanted her to have a nice phone.

The quality is outstanding, both the handset and speakerphone. The sound is very clear with no degradation at all. Some people experienced problems with their phones but maybe that had something to do with the area they lived in.

The talking feature was a nice surprise. It started out by announcing the telephone number but now it states the name of the caller. I thought maybe that my mother was 'imagining' this but lo and behold, it really does announce the name!

I would buy this phone for my own home if I needed a replacement. It's a good value if you don't mind spending the extra money for it.

I probably over-researched phones, and this one came up with the best ratings/reviews. We've had it now for a few weeks, and it is the best cordless we've ever owned. Superb sound quality, features are plentiful, and the talking caller ID is pretty cool.
Haven't really tested the range beyond the confines of our house, it being winter and all. I also bought the 5800 handset for use upstairs, and it works just as well 1 & 2 floors up.
This replaced my VTech 2400 because I ended up installing a wireless LAN just after buying the phone, and was having problems with the 2.4GHz interference. Be aware that this phone does transmit from phone-to-base in the 2.4G range, but I have not had any issues with it like I did the VT 2400.

I was promised a cordless phone with CID for my birthday. Unfortunately, I had to return quite a few phones before I found this one. This one has quite a few cool features to it.

One of the unique features is a talking CID that calls out the number of the person calling so you don't have to have the phone or get up to look at the caller ID to know whether or not you want to get up and answer the call. (A couch potato's dream.) Also, the talking caller ID voice message is fun because you can record an announcement to play when certain numbers call your house. It turned out useful when I started using that feature to record a SHORT message when I wanted to remember something to tell the person calling (for example, a question to ask the contractor next time they called). The message is tied in with the CID so that it only plays when the call is coming from that number. Useful for those with no short term memory, like myself.

I also like the other features, speakerphone in the handsets, and vibrator ringer (doesn't wake up the kids). I found the menus to be fairly easy to operate, and have very little complaints about the phone. I LIKE the feature that the phone book does not share between phones because my husband and I don't call the same people, and I don't want his buddy Ed's phone number taking up MY memory. I guess it would be nice if it could give a choice. Also, there is room to charge a battery in the base so that you always have a fresh battery in case you forget and let the one in your handset go dead, and also if the power goes out it supplies power to the base so that you can still use the phone. Handy.

Overall I don't regret spending the extra cash I paid for it. My only complaint is that there is no volume control on the talking caller ID so if your base is in an out-of-the-way position it can be hard to hear the talking CID.

The AT&T 5.8 ghz cordless expandable phones are nice, but don't have enough range for a large house.

If range is what you need, save yourself the time and trouble and get the Panasonic. Over the past month (August 2004) I have tried the latest models of just about every major brand that offers 5.8 ghz multi-handset cordless phones - Uniden, V-Tech, AT&T (made by V-Tech), Motorola, and Panasonic. Each of these phones is nice in its own way, but only the Panasonic had enough range to receive and send clearly from one end of the house to the other. Granted my house is big (3,600 square feet, all on one level), but the other brands maxed out about 2/3rds of the way through the house. I have a WiFi network in the house, and had no interference issues from that with any of these brands. I do wish the Panasonic could expand to a total of more than just 4 handsets, but that is a minor issue. Those big honking twin antennae on the base unit seem to actually work. Please note that I tried the versions without answering machines, so I can't offer any opinions on that part of this.