Customer Reviews

VTech i5867 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Digital Answering System and Color LCD Handset

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I spent about 3 weeks scouring the internet for info on cordless phones and I settled on this VTech model, along with 2 additional handsets. The phone system has worked quite well since we got it and I think I made the right decision for us. I like the color LCD screen but I do agree with one of the other reviews stating that the digital time bar which floats on the handset screen when it is idle is practically invisible and can't be read unless you are right up to the phone. Once, we lost power in our home and the handsets could not find the base station. I removed the spare NiCad batteries from the base and then removed DC power and then put it all back together and it worked again. Amazing to me that the most recent models from the top phone makers do not surpass many of their older models; meaning, these phone models do not necessarily get better as the model numbers advance and get higher. This model i5867 was rated higher than many of VTech's newer models. Sound quality is good, not perfect, but then none of them are perfect. I'm very glad we got a 5.8 Ghz model because now I am looking to get an Apple Powerbook and Airport Extreme Base Station and I understand that these wireless devices can conflict with the 2.x Ghz phones. Only missing features for me are the ability to check the answering machine from the handset and a global address book for all handsets which is fed from the base unit. Good luck!

I am a very choosy buyer and rarely rave about any product that is not truly in a class of its own. I have baught a number of expensive products over the years, but none has been as satisfying as the purchase of this full featured phone.

This phone exceeds all the expectations that I had about a new cordless phone. Downloadable images and ring tones work like a charm. Supplied software is very easy in re-sizing images for downloading to handsets. Children would love changing ring tones to songs of their choice (limited to 10 secs recording via a usb cable from the PC). Voice quality is very good and there is no static of any kind. Moreover, the handset looks beautiful with its color screen (vtech is the only manufacturer with color screen on cordless phones as of now). Voice control on the handset lets volume be adjusted while talking. Speakerphone on the handset is very useful when you call those 1-800 numbers that make you wait for hours. The answering machine on the base lets you create three separate mail boxes. The base is designed with a battery back up so that the system doesn't become unuseable when there is no electricity. Keys are a bit hard to press compared to Panasonic handsets, but you would get used to it very soon.

I can't think of any feature that can be added to this phone (may be speaking caller ID like some Panasonic phones). It even keeps track of last numbers dialed, and number of new call received, list of previous calls etc. like cell phones. My children love the phone and my friends' envy its clean look and full mp3 ring tones. Panasonic handsets are good too, but Panasonic doesn't have color lcd on handsets and doesn't allow mp3 ring tones or image download at this time. To me this made a big difference - the fun factor.

If you are looking for a phone, go for this - you would love it like I do. ps: vtech also makes a similar phone set under at&t brand.

I read many phone reviews before choosing this phone. I realize these views are very subjective and people want different things from a home phone. I chose this because I liked the expandable option, 3 mailboxes, reportedly good sound quality, speaker phones, and thought the wallpaper and ringers would be a fun bonus. I found the image quality too fuzzy to enjoy, the ringers jarring, and the sound quality for calls and answering machine poor. I also did not like it when the base and telephones rang out of sync with each other. Also, when the phone rang the screen and backlit keys lit up with an unpleasing orange. It was too exciting for my taste. It also felt light and cheap and often required more than one push of a number key to register the number when dialing. I've been using a 2.4 GHz Panasonic which is much better quality but interferes with wireless connection. I've returned this VTech and I'm looking for something with better sound quality and less excitement when someone calls. Why are cordless phones with good sound quality so hard to find?

I spent a good deal of time searching for a phone and settled on this one, purchased end of March 2005. I do not have additional headsets so cannot comment on that.

On the plus side: Very user friendly for set up and operation. Never referred to the manual to get things going: set the time, recorded outgoing message, created password for remote access, and so on. Speakerphone (right on the handset) was tested with my critical friends on the other end of the line, and they could not tell the difference between the speakerphone and me talking directly into handset. Plus, the listener could hear me 4 feet away with no distortion or problem. The display is clear and readable, the navigation is much like a cellphone and user intuitive. It's not too weighty and feels good in the hand. Display is readable, base is simple in design, and base display is large. Footprint is very small. Amazon's speedy response when I encountered problems was definitely a plus (see below).

On the negative side: The audio on outgoing message and incoming messages is very muffled. When speaking, you cannot hear your voice at all in the same way you're accustomed to on other phones. (That's just a weird thing to become accustomed to).

On the worst side: I had the phone for a month when the display stuck on the graphic, so I couldn't access settings / address book / redial, etc. I contacted vtech online and received no answer. Contacted Amazon and they're shipping a new one free of charge --- in July.

NEW October 2005: After receiving and using the replacement telephone (well before July, thank you Amazon), if I had the chance again, I would definitely not buy this phone. Here's why: When dialing, you must make sure you depress each number firmly; periodically while talking, there's a weird, hard to describe skewing of my voice(apparently only I can hear it, nevertheless it's disconcerting and interferes with my being at ease while talking); the outgoing and incoming messages are not clear and the distortion on messages has actually gotten on my nerves. But the final and primary reason: It just feels cheap. Sort of like a toy phone. Bottom line: It's a write-off and I'll replace it as soon as I can afford it.

UPDATE: June 2006: Haven't replaced this - just because of time. that doesn't mean it hasn't continued to disappoint:

1) there is a button on the base which lights up letting you know the phone is in use. I've noticed lately that oftentimes that light is on, but I'm not on the phone. I turn the phone on and hear a fax machine attempting to connect. Not good. I've changed the DSL filter and hopefully that will take care of that.

2) The call log never has worked (it always says it's empty)

3)navigation reminds me of bad web sites from the mid-nineties.

Maybe it was just the phone I bought b/c I haven't seen any other similar reviews....but I thought I loved this phone at first and then after about 1 month the screen on the handset kept saying "Warning - Use rechargeable batteries only" The only batteries that I ever used in it were the rechargeable ones that came in the box with the phone. Now the phone works for about 2 minutes and then I have to keep it on the charger all the time!

I've had this phone for over six months now, and I'm very pleased with it.

That you can use ANY sound you want for a ringtone is very neat. I've found that it stores exactly 9.5 seconds of digital audio. So if you have a 9.5 second loop of sound, you can have a continuous ringtone!

The speakerphone feature is fantastic. The phone simply stands up on your desk, and you talk to it. The sound is excellent.

The only complaint I have is with the answering machine. If the caller doesn't speak fairly loudly, you won't be able to understand them very well. Still, it seems good enough.

The shape of the handset might feel funny at first but now I really like it. It was a hard decision to buy this phone, but now I'm really glad I did.

This phone has everything I was looking for and then some. The cordless phone works off of two standard AA batteries. There is even an extra charger in the base too. The features on the phone are pretty cool. I gave pictures to everyone who is calling me. One problem that I do have is clicking sounds. It has gotten so bad that I often hunt for another phone in my house to switch to. I am starting to consider another purchase other then VTech.

After reading reviews and consumer reports on many phones we chose the Vtech i5867 and are very dissappointed. After four months of using it we are again searching for a good phone, but this time we won't buy anything we haven't tried out first. One of the big features are that you CAN download any song of your choosing as a ring tone, but only 7 seconds of it, and then you can barely hear it when the phone rings. It saves hang ups as messages. It is often difficult to understand what someone is saying on messages. When you hear a message then push delete you often end up deleting the next message which you haven't even heard yet. When you get a call waiting call the screen doesn't light up so you can't tell who is calling in. It's nearly impossible to hold the handset between your ear and your shoulder when you're trying to write something down. And, the list goes on and on. We truly haven't really found ANY redeeming qualities to this phone.

Well, I had a uniden 2.4gh phone before and this one is so much better. The volume on this is excellent, plus the recordable ringer is a great add-on. The color screen is decent for a regular phone and I am very pleased with this phone, highly recommended, no problems so far.

This phone was purchased because it has all the features I wanted in a phone (and then some). Answering machine has 3 mailboxes with an audible message alert and remote access. Since this phone sits on my workstation with my computer, the number of messages is also displayed and easily seen. It is color coordinated with my computer equipment. The speakerphone is clear. You can turn the base ringer off separate from the handset ringer or have them ring simultaneously. There is a digital clock on the display screen. You can conference call. And if you have wireless extensions, you can transfer a call to another cordless handset, page a cordless handset, and use the intercom to talk between handsets. You can dial the number first then press the "ON" key (like a cell phone SEND key) or you can press the "ON" key first then dial the number. You can mute a call or put a call on hold, and it has a phonebook. I could go on and on. I never thought I could be excited about a phone (too funny)! IT IS A PHONE WITH CELL PHONE ATTRIBUTES. The manual is easy to understand too. It is the best phone I've ever owned.