Customer Reviews

Uniden EXI 5160 5.8 GHz Cordless Phone with Caller ID

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I've been through several cordless phones over the years, from 900MHz analog to 2.4GHz digital spread spectrum....Panasonic, GE, VTech, Uniden, Siemens, etc. In fact, I recently returned 2 Panasonic 2.4GHz phones because of consistent complaints from people on the other end that some of my words and even complete sentences were getting cut off. I also got a lot of voice echoing with the Panasonics, a trait of every Panasonic digital I've owned or tried. The Uniden EXI 5160 so far has never had these problems and is hands-down the clearest cordless phone in the `GHz family' I've used. Very natural sounding, unlike the 'digitized' incoming voices of many other phones. I live in a large 2-story home with the base unit upstairs in my office, and it's crystal clear throughout the house, garage and greenhouse. Never a hint of clicking, static, or interference of any kind. Venturing away from the house outside will produce slight interference now and then, but I don't make it a habit of using my cordless phones for conversations 2 bocks away, so it's not a concern. That's what cell phones are for. Unlike 2.4GHz phones that are affected by microwave ovens in use, the 5160 is not affected at all. Handset volume is good, and easily adjusted via convenient buttons on the handset. Battery life (talk time/standby time) seems to be excellent, although I haven't pushed either to the limits...but have had the handset off the base for 5 days at a time with plenty of talk time to spare. Comfortable handset design, easy to hold and easy on the ear. Controls are well placed and the display is easy to read. The 5160's features are basic....no bells and whistles....and include:

~Tone/Pulse dialing
~Hearing aid compatible
~Page/Find handset
~Caller ID with menu/30-name storage and memory dial
~3-Line display
~32 Digit redial
~Rocket dial, which stores one number that's used most and accessed by pressing one button
~Flash (accessed via Talk button)
~Redial
~Channel select
~Pause
~Headset jack
~Handset volume controls conveniently located (3 levels)
~Ringer volume/tone control (5 levels)
~Hearing aid compatible
~Low battery alert
~Wall mountable
~10-name/number memory for personal contacts, which can be scrolled through by pressing the Memory button, then using the volume Up/Down buttons.

Charging battery for first time requires 15-20 hrs.
NOTE: Memory dialing can store up to 15 characters and 20 digits per entry, which means any of the "10-10" numbers can be easily programmed in.

Complaints? (1) No battery life indicator in display (2) Limited memory for storing personal contacts...only 10 names/numbers, although another phone number can be programmed into the 'rocket dial' feature (3) No mute

If you need to store more than 10 personal contacts or looking for a lot of bells and whistles, this phone isn't for you. But if you want an extremely clear, no-nonsense cordless that excels at communication performance, comfort and battery life, the 5160 may be what you're looking for. Please keep in mind that cordless phones can perform quite differently depending on the area where you live, interference from outside sources, base placement, etc. My observations are based on my particular conditions and location. I paid $65 at Target, but watch for deals during the holidays. I noticed in our Sunday paper today that Best Buy has the 5160 for $59.99, so plan to head back to Target and do a little price shopping....get a few more bucks back.

I bought this phone a few weeks ago at Target and I am quite pleased with it. It has nearly all the features I was looking for (exception is a backlit keypad, but I really don't tend to make calls in the dark- the display is illuminated, though) and none of the extras that would cost more and go unused (I already have voicemail, so I did not need a built-in answering system). The price is very reasonable, especially for a 5.8 MHz phone, and the phone itself is simple to use. The sound quality has been very good and I haven't had any problems with range. Based on all the negative reviews I'd read about so many of the cordless phones out there, I thought I'd never find a good phone that was well-priced, but I think I've actually succeeded.

We purchased this phone when we decided to switch our phone service to Vonage. We wanted a cordless phone that would allow us to take advantage of the many free features, without adding redundant features. The lack of an answering machine in this phone made this an ideal choice for this reason. The phone has performed flawlessly since we set it up. Both the Caller ID and voicemail indicator work as expected. The controls are easy to understand and set up. The phone is also very comfortable to hold. I cannot really speak for the range as I live in an apartment, but I have not experienced any noise anywhere in my home. Being a 5.8 GHz phone I also do not have to worry about interference with my Wi-Fi network or baby monitor. The only disadvantage I can see is the lack of expandability with multiple handsets.

All in all I think this is a great phone for a great price. If no frills is what you want, this phone fits the bill.

The Uniden EXI 5160 is by far the best sounding phone we've ever owned, and that includes corded phones. We have all the troublemakers in our house: A computer, microwave oven, refrigerator motor, fluorescent lights, you name it...no problems whatsoever. No interference, no static, no clicking, no tinniness, no echo...nothing. We can't speak to the reliability of the phone, but the sound quality is excellent.

I bought this to replace a Siemens 2.4Ghz phone system that never worked right in the presence of my wireless network (802.11b). While this is, strictly speaking, a hybrid 5.8GHz/900MHz phone, it has been completely unaffected by the network, and has yielded excellent clarity, good volume, and overall good usability, for a basic phone.

Complaints/concerns are the lack of a battery indicator and the lack of a "mute" or "hold" capability.

Range is good but not great -- we get about 50-60 ft. in our electronics-laden (but timber-frame) house before some static clicks and pops start to show up -- while this is not as good as our 900MHz phones, it is within my expectations.

For the price, I think this is good value and quality.

For a product that everyone owns, why does it seem so difficult to find a good cordless phone? Well, after trying many phones, I have to say I'm quite happy with this one.

There are three basic ways to measure a cordless phone IMHO: (1) interference from other devices, (2) sound quality, and (3) battery life. This Uniden unit nails all three.

1. Interference: We've got lots of wireless devices of every ilk, and nothing interferes with the Uniden, not even other 5.8GHz units.

2. Sound quality: outstanding. I actually use it with a VoIP line, and my previous VTech phone made me think that the VoIP was a bit noisy. Nope, it was the phone -- it's gone with the Uniden.

3. Battery life: actually shocking. I don't use the phone that much, but it has been off the base for 14 days and counting, and it's crystal clear, even though the base is 2 rooms away. I've never experienced a cordless phone with anywhere near this battery -- maybe the 5.8GHz is that much more power-friendly??

The unit looks nice, and the software is basic but user friendly (no manual needed). Overall: buy without hesitation.

This is the 2nd time that I've felt compelled to write a review on a product. I had a 900 mhz panasonic for over 10 years... so naturally I went and bought another one. What a piece of junk. I've tried several of the 2.8 mhz phones ALL of them had static on the line when I was more than 10 feet from the base.

This phone was different. I bought it because of the good reviews that it had. I can go throughout my house, from room to room without having to change channels. I do not have any hint of static. The reception is perfectly clear.

I only write 2 kinds of reviews either 1 star or 5. This is definately a 5 star phone.

I purchased this phone a couple of weeks ago. Amazon has the best price. Cheaper than e-bay. Free shipping too. The phone is very basic and great value and good quality. Exactly what i am looking for. cheap, simple and good. if you need answering machine go with the other model, same but has AM.

I got this phone from a local store for $15 (Aft Rebate) during X'Mas 2004. It works well without interfering with my Wi-Fi Router. I programmed it to use with phone card to dial 3 long digit strings and it works. The phone is pretty easy to program without using the manual to figure it out but to dial those programmed numbers u must know the trick. The sound quality is pretty good (better than my other 900MHz phones). I noticed when I am ~30 ft away from the base station, the digits it dial is become somewhat slow but still working. Seeing all the negative feedback, I thought maybe I should say something positive about Uniden since I never had any trouble with their products.

If you already have voice-mail from your telephone company, I think this is the best deal you can get on Amazon for a 5.8 GHz cordless phone.

Things I like:
- Very robust, ergonomic and good-looking phone.
- Excellent sound quality and range. I live in an apartment so I can't comment about performance in larger houses, but for my space its clarity and range is excellent.
- Very little to none interference from other home electronics. I have a 802.11g wireless network at home creating all kinds of noise on a 900 MHz Panasonic phone - no interference on the Uniden though.
- No distortion from the DSL filters I'm connected to (compared to the 900 MHz phone, where the voice sounds "digital" because of the DSL filter)
- Price (most of all...)

Things I do not like (hence the 4 stars):
- No mute button.
- Ringer is only on the receiver, not the base. The phone comes with 5 preset volume/tone combinations to pick from, but even with the loudest tone you may miss a call if you're in another room. Not recommended if you have any hearing problems.
- Voice-mail indicator does not work for the vmail I have from Verizon.