Rating: 
Summary: I think I tried them all
Review: I am just getting to where I need glasses to see tiny print and it has been a frustrating search for a cordless phone with visible numbers. The neon blue screen is wonderful for viewing in daylight or night. The sound quality is good but the person on the other end of my call tells me it is tinny sounding with the speaker phone in use, although it sounds fine for me. I like the base station set up that can be truly wall mounted, and I can see from across the room I have a message. I tried, in my home, six different phones, both 2.4 and 5.8, and of all the phones this one was the best. I wish it had the second phone included as most others did but as one other writer said you can't have it all for this low price.
Rating: 
Summary: Great 5.8 Ghz expandable phone system
Review: Our Vtech 900 mhz dinosaur phone finally died so I went in search of another phone, three things being most important in my search 1)sound clarity 2) handset must have speakerphone 3)must be expandable. Never did I think that finding the right phone for our house would turn out to be such a hassle. I started with a vtech 2.4 ghz system and had it the first day and heard nothing but static and popping ( I could barely hear the static was so bad ) returned that one and purchased the Uniden expandable 2.4 ghz phone/answ. system, this one was mildly improved however I felt like I was in a tunnel with constant echoes on both ends. Plus the handset seems very cheaply made. Finally I decided to spend the extra money and purchase this At&t system, and what a difference. The sound clarity is perfect, no static no popping no echoes, this is the way a phone should be made for the amount of money they cost! The speakerphone on the handset and console both work wonderfully with no chopping like some speakerphones can do. The design is very nice, has a nice blue lighted keypad and the answering machine sounds great and has 3 voicemail boxes (very convenient for home businesses or families with teenagers). I highly recommend this phone system to any busy family.
Rating: 
Summary: nice features - terrible reception
Review: Signal breaks up when in another room only 30 feet away from the base. Impossible to carry on a conversation. OK if clear path, but useless through walls. Happens with both the base set and a remote. Had no problem with reception in same house from my old Toshiba 900mhz and Panasonic 2ghz phones. I'm sending the AT&T back.
Rating:
Summary: No problems, works great
Review: I have to say, i read various reviews for all of the different multiple handset phones out there and finally decided on the AT&T 5840. I must say, I am extremely happy with it. Answer machine and multiple mailboxes works great. I have had no problems with range, noisy reception, etc...
It was easy to setup and use. The speaker phone and intercom are really cool features and work very well. The only drawback may the the ease of use for speed-dialing, but I don't use that anyway. I am off to buy 3 more handsets today.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice phone overall, missing a few features
Review: Okay, I went in search of a 5.8GHz phone because of interference my old 900MHz phones "discovered" in a new condo. I was really tempted to go with Uniden's 5.8GHz phone that is roughly equal to this one, but in the end there was just enough good qualities about the AT&T phone that I went with it. ***Good Things***
1.) A speakerphone with mute!!! For those of us that telecommute--even ocassionally--this is a MUST! There is nothing worse than sitting at the house on a conference call, and not being able to mute the darn phone when you have to sneeze, cough, or make some other unsightly bodily noise.
2.) Volume controls on everything. The base station has a volume control. The expansion handsets have volume controls. And not just the earpiece volume, the ringer volume as well. I happen to go to bed at 8 o'clock at night, and nothing spins me up faster than a 9 o'clock call from a telemarketer. Need I say more?
3.) Small footprint for everything...enough said.
4.) Illuminated displays. My computer room is my dungeon. I have little lighting in here. I hate lights, but I hated having to turn on the lights just to dial a phone number or pull one out of memory on my old phone. No problem with this phone.
5.) Speakerphone on the handsets. I can't tell you how many times I have been folding laundry, washing dishes, cooking dinner, or any number of other things where it just is not convenient to have to hold the handset up against your ear.
***Bad Things***
1.) Having to manually set up each & every handset. I can see the logic in each phone having a seperate phone book, but not giving me the choice on whether to copy the phone book from the base station, if nothing else, is just kind of stupid. And worst yet, forcing me to change the time on every damned handset is just stupid!!
2.) The digital answering machine will be your enemy as much as your friend. First off, if you happen to get a message, this little bastard will beep INCESSANTLY until you play the message!! (Go back & re-read good point #2)
3.) Secondly (for the digital answering machine), it has the nerve to pick up about 1 in ever 10 hang-ups, and record them as messages!! Do you have any idea how irritating it is to avoid answering the phone, as called ID is showing Out of Area (trademark telemarketer), and then your machine records the hang-up for you?!? (Go back & re-read good point #2, and then re-read bad point #2)
Rating:
Summary: Not Perfect, But Have Not Found One That Is
Review: 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 w/ an answering machine built in, this is it - it's not perfect, but you don't have many other options in this price range. THE ALSO-RANS: Panasonic KX-TG2593 - feature-packed, but 2.4 GHz and bad quality reviews (just releasing 5.8 GHz line - probably will have same quality issues). Siemens 4215 - great form factor and feature-packed, but 2.4 GHz, no headphone jack, no base functionality and lukewarm quality reviews (pricier SL3501 and 8800 lines have headphone jack but are 2.4 GHz). CIDCO's 2.4 GHz D271's - almost perfect feature set but no answering machine and not in same price range (only marketed through your local Bell company so you're not going to find a deal). AT&T phones are not made by AT&T - they are designed and marketed by the VTech (maker of VTech phones like the 5831) 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 so you are probably still getting some of the quality you associate w/ AT&T. Enough trivia...on to the phone: 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)
- LCD/Phone Book on base
- 3 different mailboxes for different family members
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.
- 15 minutes answering machine record time seems pretty low (all of Siemens' lines have 30-45 minutes)
OTHER ISSUES:
- Message waiting indicator flashes neon blue on both base and handset - a little much for me but some may like it
- 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 phonebook
- 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. Note: I actually purchased the 5830 (but tested 5840 also). If you need the digital answering machine (b/c you don't have local phone company voicemail) go with the 5840 but you won't get the talking caller ID or a keypad on the base that you get with the 5830 (see my review on the 5830). The top contenders in this category each have something (different) missing. In this price range, go with the AT&T 5840 (or the 5830) and be done with it before you drive yourself crazy as I did.
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: This little phone is the best phone I have ever had. I'm 51 years old and have had my share of phones and this is the best of the best.range is great. Besides a few things they could have changed it beats all others for range, looks, and down right easy to use. If you have any complaints about this phone then your full of BS. Because its just a great phone.
Rating:
Summary: Good phone, minor complaints
Review: The main reason my husband and I got this phone was to replace our Panasonic 2.4 GhZ phone, which seemed to drain battery life very quickly. The store I bought this from had a few different 5.8 options to choose from, and this seemed like we would get the most bang for our buck.
Unfortunately the day after we bought this, the handset died, and we could not fix it. We took it back to the store, and we were able to exchange it with no problems. This one has been working ever since- about 3 weeks.
I'm not sure why some reviewers are complaining about no speed dial. I programmed 43 different numbers in the phone, and have room to spare for new ones! Actually, the memory is very similar to a cell phone's memory- you search for the number by name rather than dialing *2 or such. And the capability of holding in memory so many recently dialed and recently received numbers is very helpful as well. My only complaint in this department is if the number is from a different area code, the caller ID does not show the 1 first, so rather than just hitting redial you have to write down the number, then dial the 1 plus the number. But I'm not sure if this is a problem with the phone or our phone company's caller ID system.
I do find that the battery life on this phone isn't exactly the greatest, but the handset always shows the time with a cute little clock on the screen, which I suppose drains the battery. I have also found that using the speaker function on the handset, while a VERY helpful feature (especially when changing my daughter's diaper!), drains the battery extremely quickly, so this should only be used occasionally. But this phone also supports additional handsets (up to 5) so you can purchase extra handsets to avoid having to wait around for it to charge. Major plus points:
- The phone includes a handsfree earset, and a clip, so you can use this while walking around the house, and your neck doesn't get that annoying phone cramp.
- The speaker function on both the base and the handset
- The ability to transfer the call from phone to phone or from phone to base.
- The sound quality is excellent on the handset
- The high memory capability (I remember the days of only being able to store 10 numbers in a phone. I don't know very many people, but I certainly need more than 10 numbers in the speed dial!), both to record numbers in the phone book, and to redial previously dialed or previously received calls
- The blue light that lights up on the base when the phone is in use- I have accidentally left my previous handsets on, and drained the battery before I realized this. This light helps prevent that
- The extra battery storage, so you can have an extra battery charged at all times, either to put in the handset, or to still be able to use the phone during a power outage. Very cool!
- The answering system includes 3 mail boxes, for different members of the family, which I imagine would be highly helpful for those families with teenagers in the house, so you don't have to listen to their messages to get to yours and vice versa. I personally don't need this feature yet, but it's a great addition. Complaints:
- The phone does not include a second handset in the package. Most of the new phones I've seen that support extra handsets include at least two handsets in the package!
- Extra handsets are still quite expensive- about half the cost of the entire phone and base.
- There seems to be a problem with the volume on the answering machine: the volume of the announcer (ie "you have two new messages") is very loud, while the actual message records very quietly; so the announcer blasts, while you have to strain to hear the message.
- Battery life could be improved- I find myself having to charge the phone about every 2-3 days
- The volume adjustment on the handset is placed in a position where it is very easy to change the volume several times during a conversation.
- Although it is neat to have different ring tones on the phone, the different ringers seem to be from circa 1998 cell phones- I'm sure they could have gotten more creative than this! They all pretty much sound the same to me. As you can see the pros far outweigh the cons on this phone. If you really need several handsets, I don't necessarily recommend buying this system because of the high cost of the extra handsets. If anyone at AT&T of influence is reading this, please, PLEASE try to find a way to lower the cost of the additional handsets! Otherwise this is a great phone with great sound quality, and I've found it to be a great improvement over the 2.4 GhZ models.
Rating:
Summary: 5.8 is really an improvement.
Review: 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 5840 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 answering machine holds 15 mins of messages in 3 separate boxes and can be set to pick up on whatever ring delay you select. Prerecorded digital messages are standard.
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.
Rating:
Summary: Just can't get it right!
Review: Had high expectations initially because I was so disappointed with my Panasonic's battery life(Similar model/functions etc, etc...). I liked the Panasonic, but the battery was terrible! Back to AT&T. Good quality and sound, but too many other drawbacks that made me pack everything back up. 1: It was uncomfortable to hold. 2: Answering system volume was horrific. Your or the programmed voice would BOOM!, while you strained to hear the message that the calling party left. 3: You could NOT check the messages from the hand held units! 4: Battery life not much better than Panasonic, despite the Ni/MH batteries. Bottom line with the cordless market... they all still need improvements. Panasonic get's my contract again, hopefully (Like my last combo cordless Panasonic) this one will last 4-5 years too.
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