Customer Reviews

AT&T 2462 2.4 GHz DSS 2-Line Cordless Phone with Answering System, Speakerphone, and Corded Base (Metallic Black)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Since it's a 2line phone I would assume it's aimed at the small biz Home/biz market. Not a good shot, AT&T. You scored "A+" on sound quality on the speakerphone/headset/handset, but your feature set was designed by your consumer division instead of small office/home office person(s). This phone needs to be able to default to the local area code so you could easily dial out of CID memory (without hitting a button 4 times)... there is no true "Speed Dial"... so you can't store phone card info and have your phone do rapid dial for multiple calls. There is no default setup for priority line pickup. The keyboard layout is awkward and the soft keys have up-arrows on them when they can also be a down arrow soft key..... AT&T, if you could combine the features of some of your other two-line desk phones (like the model 972)with the sound quality and long DTMF signal of the buttons on this phone, you'd have a winner. One last note... the remote handset is excellent and would score very high except it cannot be turned off to save battery life or your nap...

Reading some of the complaints here, I suppose one must admit there is some merit to them (ie: phonebook/memory dial incompatibility between handsets, no memory access during phone calls, answering machine recording quality), though I do think they are being a bit too critical. I love this phone system for my home office and home use. It has excellent range and clarity. I've had the system for a year now and do not experience the kind of battery life contraction that one user reported. I am actually impressed by the battery longevity and lack of charge-killing "memory" as previous cordless phones have done. I just bought another extension phone yesterday because I'll be moving to additional space in the basement. I love that I don't have to wire another phone jack, I just plug in the additional handset and am free to roam. I find the built-in speakerphone on each handset especially helpful, in addition to answering machine access from any handset. There is an intercom system so you can route a call to another handset or the base, which I find very useful for my small business. I also use an optional headset so I can talk hands-free while continuing my work. The clarity of the outgoing answering machine message is not the best, though I find that it actually seems fuzzier when listening through the speaker than it does when I call home and hear it through the phone. I use the answering system for my home telephone line but do use voicemail for my business line, having the answering machine on as a backup. Overall, I am very happy with this phone system and am impressed by its sturdiness (I tend to be a bit clumsy and do drop mine occasionally); it has a good "in-hand feel"--it doesn't feel cheap like the competitor's phones I researched before choosing this one. I am very satisfied with its reliability and its performance. I know one of my customers uses this system for her store and she likes hers, too.

Like other work-at-home users, I want to have my home line in line 1 and work line in line 2. You can't default line 2 to be the primary line, so initiating calls from line 2 can be a hassle because of the awkward key/handset sequence required. Also, using "hold" and switching between 1 and 2 simply didn't work -- once line 1 was activated, I couldn't get it to disconnect.

It's frustrating -- I've returned two phones recently, have done a lot of research, and there seem to be no obviously superior phones out there. Someone who can make a high voice quality, multi-line phone with a good feature set and a good user interface could print money.

This phone could have been a dream phone with a few modifications.
The quality of the voice on handset and the speakerphone was outstanding. Very elegant design without extraneous or garish buttons. Very easy to use. Here a few of the flaws which I hope will be fixed in a future edition, because this is greazt phone.

The inconvenient call back that doesn't autmatically add a 1 for long distance that was mentioned below, although the redial works nicely.

No remote monitoring feature for the answering machine which could easily have been added and has been around for years and is great if you want to listen in on your apartment while you're away.

No time display which other phones have. ALso no elapsed duration of calls which would have been easy to add.

Although the handsets are beatiful and have nice weight, rather anoyingly there was no way to turn them off without removing the battery. THe off switch is a misnomer as all it it does is hang up the phone. The phone stays on constantly comunicating with the base.

THis brings me to the most serious problem. THe base is always in touch with the handsets constantly sending out a barrage of microwave radiation unecesairly. It would be far better if the base just waits to be contacted by a handset or only when an incoming call is sent. Even if you yank the battery form the handset, the base still tries to find it sending out nonstop microwaves. This is pointless and proabbly only offer minor speed efficiency which is given up in the loss of battery power.

Nice features are the distanceis awesome as is th4e sound quality. There is a also a spare battery charger in the base which doubles as a power failure back up. The ability top record 4 minutes of conversation. Easy to use directory and call history.

I hope the y keep the phone exactly the way it is but add these features.

This phone may not be for the business user but it is great for the home owner with two lines. My biggest beef with this system is not having the ability to share the address book with the handsets. You have to manually program each handset with the numbers you call most. If you have a short list it's no problem but try programing 7 handsets and keeping them up to date with a long list. The panasonic for the same or less money at least allows sharing. Otherwise I like the phone.

Also one feature that it does do that I never saw published (while researching) is the ability to rename the handsets and base instead of the numbering system. This does make transfering/paging of phones much easier. It works well. You only need to rename the handset and the rest of the phones know it's new name automatically.

I almost did not buy this phone because of the negative reviews. I am sooooo glad I ignored them! This is one of the best designed cordless phones out there. Yes, it's NOT perfect but what is? It's the closest to perfect I have found. First of all, these people who claim you can't put people on hold clearly NEVER read the instruction manual. Use the HOLD button on the base, and the handset does it automatically -- just push the other line and the first line =IS= on hold. Good grief. . . can it be simpler?

Also, with the base unit having a backup battery charger, you NEVER have to be without the handset. When it needs recharging, just switch the battery - it's very easy!! We all know that the batteries NEVER run down at the 'right' time. This fixes that!!

I love the last number redial. Who said it doesn't remember the numbers? Again, that's wrong. It holds the last FIVE numbers you dialed. Perfectly. Including the area codes and 1 -- if you dialed it, it's THERE.

True, you have to store numbers in memory on each phone, it doesn't store on all phones with a single entry. So what - is there any other system that does? Storing couldn't be easier. Dial the number and hit SAVE. Same with incoming calls - if you want to save that number to your memory, you hit 7, or if you want to delete it, you hit 4 (and verify by hitting the up arrow - so if you hit 4/delete by mistake you haven't lost the number).

I LOVE the volume control on the handset. Helps immensely! Range is excellent - I live in town and can walk to neighbors on either side and still have it work. Oh yes, and the SPEAKERPHONE on the HANDSET is FANTASTIC. No hunting for a headset when you need two hands or twisting your neck into contortions to hold it ... just hit the SPEAKER button and you're ready to go.

I'm giving it five stars to try and offset the other reviewers who apparently assume that READING the manual is too much for them, but I'd 'really' give it four and a half - there ARE a couple things I find somewhat annoying. 1. Occasionally there is a bit of an echo when using the handset. 2. I would prefer a light indicator for a line in use, rather than a statement on the display; but that's so unimportant it's barely worth mentioning. I haven't used the answering machine yet, I have another already working and just haven't bothered to switch it, so I can't comment on that.

I HEARTILY recommend this phone for anyone needing two lines. Anyone who truly had problems should demand a new phone. This phone is a gem.

UPDATE 7/28/05 - Phone still working wonderfully well, and we are using the answer machine. It's excellent, and tells you on the handset caller id when a message has been left, and you can listen to the message on the handset, rather than having to go to the base unit! I still give it FIVE STARS.

The phone worked great except for the redial function. When trying to redial, the phone will only redial the seven digit number. Not a problem unless you must use the (1)+ area code for your call. There is a menu item to change the outgoing foremat, but it must be done for each individual call. I returned mine after two days.

If you're looking for a 2-line system (ans machine + cordless handsets), in terms of features, the 2462 is great. But...

We bought ours about 1 1/2 years ago. There were problems
with the handset from the beginning. In particular, the
battery door was not sufficiently tight, and so the battery
was prone to wobble and losing its electrical connection.
Whenever that happens, the handset has to reset with the
base, and any connected call is lost. Also, the connections
on the recharge base were not perfect, and sometimes the
recharge light would go out about 30 seconds after placing
the phone there. Connection cleaner seemed to fix the problem;
it had to be done every few months. Finally, the microphone
on the handset went out. You can hear them, but they can't
hear you. Since it's out of warranty, and a new handset
is around $80, it's not worth it.

So, we found a good deal on the AT&T E2562, which is
heir apparent of the 2462, and it looks like they solved
all the problems. The features are virtually identical
to the 2462. The base and the handset seem more solid.
They redesigned the handset battery door, and there are
clips to hold the battery tight. There are some minor
upgrades too, like mounting holes on the handset base,
a beep feature for when there are messages, etc. Contrary
to the impression I got from reading some of the
product descriptions, the E2562 has two mailboxes,
one for each line, just like the 2462. There is no
reason to buy the 2462 when you get the significantly
improved E2562. Currently, the E2562 is cheaper anyway
(though list price is the same).

I have delayed adding my review of the AT&T 2462 system while giving AT&T time to make good on their warranty. They have tried but an inferior product has caused them to fail.

I initially bought the base system with 2 additional handsets to use in my small business. From a phone aspect this has been a very good system. Call sound quality, handset range and battery life, speaker phone on both base and handset, intercom/paging work fine.

But the answering system is TERRIBLE.

The sound quality of your recorded greeting is worse than most tape based devices. Sound qualtity of incoming messages (when they can be left) isn't much better.

The biggest problem is the total unpredictability if the answering system will work at all. Most of the time when the answering system kicks in it will play the first 1-3 seconds of your greeting then disconnect the call. Or, it will allow someone to begin leaving a message then abruptly disconnect in mid-message. Trying to retrieve messages remotely can take 4 or 5 tries before you proceed far enough to enter your access code. Then you wonder how many incoming calls encountered this nonsense before your tried to access messages. Once back in the office the call log gives you an idea of how many others encountered the same problem.

And, I have been through 4, count'em 4 base units that have all done the same thing.

I have given up on the 2462 to take my messages and am using an old digital answering machine for messages.

I am stuck with this unit. All AT&T can do is send another swapout unit and I'm tired of spending time starting over. They won't buy it back and it's too late to return it.

If your looking for a good 2-line remote handset phone, the 2462 does well, if you need to rely on it to collect and allow remote retrieval of messages look elsewhere.

A lot of these reviews are saying that this phone doesn't have features that it Does have- such as no audible beep for letting you know you have messages- you just have to read the manual, it needs to be turned on.
I have been quite happy with this phone. If you read the manual, you will see all the different options that it does have. I have not had any of the battery cover problems, and the outgoing message doesn't seem fuzzy to me, and haven't had anyone else tell me it was poor quality who called in- when I call my phone from somewhere else, it also sounds great to me.
It is easy to use, and line 1 functions as my home#, line 2 as my work # with the FAX machine set to answer on 4 rings. This works fine as long as I turn off the feature that makes it change to the system answering it after 2rings whenever a message has been left, this way it always rings 4 times if I do not answer it. The fax only answers if it detects a fax machine tone.
I love it for my needs, and with home & business use, it passed my test!