VTech ip5850 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Phone with Dual Handsets and Digital Answering System

Rating:
Summary: Best phone I have ever had.
Review: I bought this phone a week ago and it's is the easiest phone to use. The clarity of the phone is the best. You can hear the the person on the other line perfectly. I have no complaints about this phone. It is worth every penney!

Rating:
Summary: GREAT features, great phone, only a couple of quirks
Review: I bought this phone based on the features-to-price ratio -- it was hard to beat! I went to physically look at this phone compared to the Uniden model. The Uniden was just too small, and had dozens of tiny buttons that were indistinguishable from one another. I've been very happy with the VTech 5850.

Clarity is great. I have a wireless home network and didn't want the interference, so the 5.8gHz is essential. The base is solid, but not too large, and well laid out. The voice-led menu system is easy to navigate through for settings.

I love the handsets. They sit sturdily upright, and the speakerphone is excellent. The buttons are logically placed and it's very easy to use.

One of my favorite features is that the phonebook is stored in the base unit, and is shared between the handsets. It's a breeze to enter new names/numbers, or add names to the #'s in the phone's call history.

My two minor quibbles:

(1) The way the 5850 plays messages is backwards from every other phone/answersystem I've used -- this unit plays the date & time FIRST, and then the message. This takes some getting used to, but there's a bigger problem: if you listen to a message and then hit the DELETE button (even while the date/time is being played), it actually erases the NEXT message, and you never get to hear it! (And, unless you're counting the new messages as they're played to compare with the number the machine said you have, you may never realize you've deleted one.) The only way I've found is to play through all messages, then play them all again and skip/repeat to delete the ones you want. It may sound minor, but wait until you've erased a few messages before you realize it.

(2) Really minor, but I wish there were some better ringers. We found one that's relatively benign, but most of them were fairly jarring.

Overall, I really love this phone. The price is right, and as long as you don't need to expand beyond the included 2 handsets, it's got everything you need.

Rating:
Summary: A tremendous value.
Review: I have owned VTech phone systems from the first generation cordless up until this model, which replaced my 2.4 GHz system. This model is ideal for a single person or small family as it is not expandable, but you get two phone sets for a great price. The features are plentiful and easy to understand. I like the new rechargable batteries instead of the clunky cartridge in the older phones. Three mailboxes, 50 phone number storage (What's cool is you only punch in the numbers/names once and they are shared by both phones.), good sound quality, so I have no complaints yet. I didn't give this 5 stars because I don't know how it will stand the test of time. My 2.4 GHz system became a pain as it aged and the phone units discharged very quickly, even with new battery cartridges. Plus VTech did not say if you should let your phone units discharge off the charger or keep them sitting on the charger...a real dilemma because I wonder what is best for long battery life. But let's hope the new rechargable batteries do a better job...then I'll add the fifth star.

Rating:
Summary: Great phone and features for under $100
Review: I recently purchased this phone to replace one that I was completely unhappy with. This one seemed to have all of the features I was looking for and so far, I have not been disappointed in the least.

First off, this phone comes with everything you could ever want: 2 handsets, answering machine, paging, intercom capapbility between the 2 handsets, 3 mailboxes, ear pieces for the headsets and the list goes on and on.

I have roamed far and near with this 5.8ghz beauty and have yet to experience any interference at all. My basement wreaked havoc on my old 2.4ghz system, but not a single buzz or squelch from the VTech.

We keep the base in the kitchen and the extra handset in the bedroom. If I get a call that is for someone else, I can page the other phone and transfer the call over. No more yelling in the house to pick up the other phone!

Seriously though, I've gone through all sorts of phones to try and find that perfect fit. So far, this one is living up to all of my expectations.

I was amazed at how long I had gone without using a handsfree set with our home phone. Since this set includes 2 earpieces I was able to try that out right away and I will never go back to holding the receiver in my hand.

The sound is great and design is sleek and handsets are lightweight and are easy to read in the dark.

If you are looking for a phone upgrade, this is a definite option for you.

Rating:
Summary: So Far So Good
Review: I take the reviews seriously when researching products but the reviews for cordless phones were so varied within same models that I could only take a chance. I bought the VTech ip5850 because of the 5.8GHz and the price. Other cordless phones I've had, mostly Radio Shack phones, worked awfully in my house. With the ip5850 I have not experienced any static inside the house, but in the garage however there was some (not a big concern for me though).

The calls come in very clearly and callers tell me that they hear me clearly as well.

The messages left on the answering machine are also clear.

The menu is easy to navigate and the User's Manual is equally simple to follow.

I like that the phonebook is automatically shared by both phones. For single folks its ideal, famlies might not want an entire phone book shared by all users.

I'm not crazy about the backlighting or LCD display, the backlight could be brighter and the LCD contrast should at least be customizable, which it isn't. But again, my greatest concern when choosing a phone was a clear connection which the ip5850 certainly has given me.

I have yet to have a problem with the rechargable batteries but then again I always keep the phones on their bases.

To sum up, great phone, great clarity, no interference from the many electronics I have in my home, an overall good phone for a good price. Hope this helped.

Rating:
Summary: Third time not charming. Defects and lousy support
Review: I've given this phone more than a fair trial. I've purchased this and 5825 phones three times. (The 5825 has no answering device but identical handsets.) All of their identical handsets have malfunctioned immediately or eventually. The first time one of the screens lost contrast and became unreadable. The last two times the handset became inoperable after being left off of the cradle for several hours. None of the buttons would respond until the phone was recradled for a moment. (This would happen even after the batteries were fully charged.)

I returned the first two for refunds, but the third time I sent a message to VTech's online "support." Their email response was: "Due to the nature of your inquiry, your request would have to be handled by a representative who will provide you with the more detailed information." But when I called the "tech support" number provided I infuriatingly discovered that they only have automated tech support when you select the support phone menu option. So, I called the sales number and the rep said they are trying out this new automated approach to "tech support." That is, they have decided to ditch genuine support.

I asked to speak to a sales supervisor and he said that they have had other complaints about the inoperable handsets. He offered to send me replacement handsets, saying that he thought they have fixed the issue. Which brings up the obvious question: why are they still permitting retailers to sell units that VTech knows have defects? I've only had this one for a week. Shouldn't those defective phones be recalled? The supervisor's only response was to chuckle nervously.

So, while these phones have good talk time and audio quality, and respectable features, I can't recommend them since they are highly prone to defects and the company has such a laughable excuse for support.

Rating:
Summary: BUY IT!!!
Review: Owning three (you think I would have learned) of the most expensive Panasonic 5.8's has been like beating my head on the wall. The pain only went away after bringing home the lower priced "VTEch 5850." The best sounding no-nonsense phone. No echo, no static, no hassles, no stupid bells & whistles. Does it all. Don't even think about it. The second handset is a bonus.

Rating:
Summary: Seems quality, but reverb in handset
Review: Seems like a decent phone, no problems with static, works great outside....but at least one of the handsets has reverb when talking. For this reason, I'll probably return for another of the same or something different.

Rating:
Summary: Seems quality, but reverb in handset
Review: Seems like a decent phone, no problems with static, works great outside....but at least one of the handsets has reverb when talking. For this reason, I'll probably return for another of the same or something different.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Phones at an Excellent Price
Review: The clarity of this phone set is outstanding. I live in a very old apartment building in Europe with extremely thick walls and all sorts of things that could potentially impede the phone's signal. However, I have a clear line throughout my apartment. This ip5850 cordless phone is the best that I have owned since the first 900Mhz VTech phone that I bought almost 10 years ago. In fact that phone still works great back at my parents' house. Other VTech phones that I've purchase for my company in Europe have proven extremely reliable and very durable. Thus, I feel very comfortable recommending VTech products for their quality and performance.