Customer Reviews

Uniden TRU5885-2 5.8 GHz Cordless Phone with Caller ID, Answering System, and Dual Handsets

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

After trying AT&T, Siemens, and Uniden, this one is the best. I had been using a Siemens Gigaset 2400 system for the past few years and it quit working so I embarked on a quest to find the perfect new cordless multihandset w/answering machine phone system.

First, I brought home the AT&T 5480 5.8GHz system. I really wanted to like this phone. I liked the 3 mailboxes, something most other phones lack. I loved the simple intuitive design, but it suffers from some drawbacks: it was the most expensive of the three, has separate phonebooks on each handset, the recorded messages are recorded at a very low volume, cannot access messages from handsets only the base, and the Call ID logs must be cleared individually from each handset as well as the base unit. But worst of all, the range was terrible. When using either handset from a back room in the house, the sound would cut in and out making it's use near impossible.

Next I tried the latest 2.4GHz system from Siemens. The answering machine is now included in the handset, not on the base. This made using the phone very confusing and difficult for my wife, also there is no plug for using a headset. Back it went.

Then I brought home the Uniden TRU5885-2. I like the high tech looks of the phone but my wife did not, it is a bit "techy" for her tastes. The good: The range is excellent and sound is very clear from anywhere in the house. Messages can be retrieved from the base or a handset. Distinctive ring tones can be assigned to stored phone numbers, this is a nice feature and usefull at times like dinner when you would rather let the answering machine get the call unless it is from someone important. Can store up to 10 speed dial numbers accessible by pressing and holding a number 0-9 (the other phones do not have this). Areas for improvement: button layout and use is a bit confusing (especially for my wife) but you get used to it after a few days. Uniden could learn a few things in this area by looking at the Siemens or AT&T phone's menu system. Separate phonebooks and Call ID logs on the handsets, why? You should not have to enter stored phone numbers twice, it gets very tedious and time consuming. Should have the option to delete the Call ID logs fromindividual or all handsets. Ringer volume needs more settings, can only choose off, low or high. Needs more and/or better choices for ring tones, some of the included ones are just plain annoying. Would like to see downloadable tones made available, just like on my cell phone. Lastly, I would like to see an indicator on the display showing the amount of charge in the battery.

Overall, this is currently the best of the multihandset answering machine cordless phone systems and the one I am keeping.

I'm notorious for having bad luck with phones: VTech, Uniden, and now Panasonic are on my "Never Buy Again" List. However, I simply couldn't resist the appeal of the new Uniden 5.8Ghz; so against my better judgment, I bought the Uniden's Latest and Greatest Effort two days ago. It only took about a dozen calls for me to decide that this phone is going back!

First of all, I have to say that this phone is very attractive. With a striking appearance and features such as speakerphones on each handset, and distinctive rings, it's just, plain cool! But...FOR THE PRICE, I strongly feel that the negative outweighs the positive. The range on this phone is SUPPOSED to be more than TWICE that of a 2.4Gz phone. NOT AT ALL! Not only isn't it BETTER than my 2.4Ghz Panasonic, but it's actually MUCH WORSE! I can take my Panasonic to a neighbor's house a few doors down the stret. The Uniden crackles the second I step foot in the backyard! And not only is it static-y, but people I'm talking to actually miss chunks of what I'm saying. My 900Mhz BellSouth LITERALLY has better reception in my yard than this piece of junk!

There's more, too. Something I was willing to overlook to have the best was the fact that you cannot expand this "expandable" system beyond two handsets. I've also discovered that (like Sony's expandable) you cannot use more than one handset (or base unit) at once, so if two people want to talk to Grandma on Christmas, you'd better have a backup phone available. Additionally, (like AT&T's expandable) when you enter information into one handset, it does not automatically transfer to the other one, so you must enter your phonebook in TWICE!

Folks, I know that this is a great looking, and very tempting buy....especially for all you techy, gadget-loving people (like me). However, my recommendation would be to stick with a 2.4Ghz model until the 5.8Ghz technology has been perfected and prices come down. I wanted VERY much to love this phone, but there's simply too many negative points to overlook. I have NO PROBLEM spending [$$$]on a phone that works well. However, this phone is does not deliver on the performance end, and in my opinion, in not worth the money.

PROS:
Great, Sleek appearance
Unique, soft-red backlight
Speakerphone in each handset (though of questionable quality)
Good sound quality close to base unit
One-touch auto-dial
Buttons have nice feel
Ease of operation

CONS:
Extremely poor range - especially for what it's SUPPOSED to have
Only expandable to two handsets
Cannot use more than one handset (or base unit) at one time
Cheek hits "Talk" button when resting on shoulder
Hand covers speaker when talking
(Speculation, but looks/feels like the paint will wear-off easily)
Price

Limitation #1: A maximum of two handsets for the entire system. Limitation #2: only one handset can be in use at a time. If someone calls in and two people want to talk, forget it with the UNIDEN TRU5885-2 system. Poor design compared to others on the market. Limitation #3:The preprogrammed phone numbers have to be programmed into each handset separately and the Caller Id Numbers have to be cleared on each handset individually.

On the positive side it has the best backlight display of any phone available, uses NIMH batteries.

The limitations were to great, so I returned the telephone.

I recently purchased this phone as a replacement for an older Sony model that I had. What a wise purchase it was. For starters, 5.8 ghz is the latest in cordless phones. The reception is much crisper and clearer the the 900 mhz Sony. The digital answering machine works so well that I cancelled my voice mail. The second handset is so convenient; it has it's own seperate phone book memory, perfect for roomates sharing a single phone line. The ringer tones are pretty cool too, there are 10 different tones to chose from, including Merry Xmas just in time for the holidays, plus you can change the volume of the ringer to ring low or high, which is great for me, since the low volume is low enough to not wake up the kids during their afternoon nap. There is nothing about this phone that I don't like. The price is a little steep compared to some other phones out there, but well worth the price. 5 stars!!

I have been waiting to get a new house cordless phone for awhile now because I didn't see anything that caught my eye out there. A few of my friends have panasonic,siemens,and v-tech phones. They all say their ok, but could be better. I like the sony phones, but the handsets do not have speakerphones. Well, I went in the store and as soon as I saw this phone, I had to have it. It looks and feels incredible. I brought it home and started testing it out. It really is a great phone. I love the sound quality and all the features. Everything from distinctive ring,headset speakerphone,caller id,3 way conference,call transfer,100 phone book entries,lighted lcd screen and keypad,speeddial,adjustable headset earpiece volume,speaker volume,base ringer volume,headset ringer volume,auto answer,redial,mute,etc,etc. I love it. Buy this phone if you can. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Overall I think the Uniden Tru 5885-2 is a very good phone. I give it high marks for aesthetics, but feature-wise, I wish Uniden had done a few things differently: (1) Cannot expand the system beyond 2 handsets. It seems that all the major brands these days (AT&T, V-Tech, Siemens) accomodate many more than 2 handsets, so I don't understand why Uniden limits it to 2. (2) The handsets are independent from each other, and therefore do not share phone books. This is rediculous -- each handset can store upto 100 entries, but they must be maintained seperately, who wants to bother with double entry. Also, the caller ID messages must be deleted from each handset seperately. To me, this is the biggest design flaw, and might be the reason I return this phone. (3) The loudest setting on the handset should be louder. If this phone's 5.8 GHz means it has better range, then it should be able to go louder in case you wish to use it outside. Well, those are my main gripes. If you don't mind having to maintain 2 phonebooks, clear the caller ID messages off each handset individually, and have super sharp hearing then this phone is ideal for you. I must say that the speaker phone works very well, I've asked people on the other side of the call to give me their feedback, and all have said that my voice is loud and clear both using the handset, and the speakerphone...so that is at least a plus. Perhaps Uniden will fix these flaws in next year's model.

I had to buy this phone because I'm a gadget guy and need all the new stuff. I had a Siemens 2.4 GHz set similar to this, but was experiencing HEAVY interferance with my wireless computer network. I ended up getting this one over the Vtech based on bad reviews, and honestly this one just looks a heck of a lot better. The one and only complaint I have is a benefit as well (with roommates as mentioned above), but for my family, it was nice to put the Name and Numbers in one phone and have it show up on both, delete caller ID from one, and have it deleted from both. This one is completely seperate from each other. To each their own. Other than that, the sound is exceptional. I love the speakerphone built into each handset and the base. Great for the long waits on the phone with businesses. Also, no interference with my 802.11b network (the next gen wireless 802.11a is on 5.8Ghz, so beware!) Now all they need is downloadable ring tones for this. Very happy.

I picked up this phone recently with the idea that if it didn't do what I wanted it would go back to the store. Well, it did go back to the store. As mentioned in other reviews, the speaker/mic combination in the handsets provide a surprisingly tinny sound. This initially didn't bother my too much as I regularly use a headset anyway. The problem was that the pickup on the headset mic was far too quiet; I would end up unplugging it after the other party complained they couldn't hear what I was saying. This situation left me with a phone that was far less useful than I expected it to be.

A few other points:

This is currently the only true 5.8 ghz phone on the market, all of the others use a combination of 2.4/5.8. This is a concern for anyone using a wireless network. I understand that the hybrids don't interfere too badly but I have yet to see for myself.

This is the only 5.8 that supports retrieving answering machine messages from the handset, a feature that I am certainly going to miss. I played around with this and it worked quite well.

I wouldn't mind owning this phone but why put up with low voice quality when other phones offer so much better? I really don't understand how Uniden messed up the fundamentals so badly.

We are writing this review on the Uniden cordless phone

The Good:
We like the 5.8 Ghz because it does not interfere with our 802.11 G Linksys WIFI and because it sounds a lot clearer.
We liked the speed dial feature (Rocketdial) and the distinctive ring tones (very similiar to cell phone features).
It is very easy to use and to program the numbers.
We also liked the answering machine built in that is easy to turn on & off.
We like the ability to transfer calls from the base to the handset without having to go back to the base.

The Bad:
There is no low battery indicator on the handset.
Cannot add no more than 1 additional handset.
It would be nice if the base unit had a built in clock display and the handset would display the time when you are on a call.

I have been using the Siemens 4200 series phone base with multiple headsets for a year now. I hated it from day one for many reasons....including poor sound quality, horrible keypad and no mute function on the base or the handset. I recently purcahsed the Uniden TRU5885 and I'm very happy with it. It has all of the features I want including headset and base unit speakerphones, a mute function on the handset and the base, the sound quality is excellent and the keypad is good. The only problem I have with the Uniden is that the base unit speakerphone microphone is located under the unit itself and others sometimes have difficulty hearing me. I think they should have located the microphone in a better location but overall this is a very good phone.