AT&T EP5632 5.8 GHz Digital BlueTooth Enabled Cordless Phone with Answering System
by AT&T
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List Price: Our Price: $45.00 You Save: $84.95 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of AT&T EP5632 5.8 GHz Digital BlueTooth Enabled Cordless Phone with Answering System
Customer Review: Pretty impressed with this system!
Summary: 4 Stars
Pretty impressed with this system. We bought it for the bluetooth interface, so cellular calls and landline calls all come through the same handset when we're home. Best phone we've ever owned. Interested in how this technology will mature (see quirks (below)).
The good news:
* Color display is nice. Available wallpapers and ringers on handset are pleasing.
* Sound quality is good on handset, handset speakerphone, and base speakerphone.
* Voicemail messages come through clearly on the handsets, even through the handset speakerphones.
* Displays are bright, clear, and easy to read. Menus are intuitive and easy to navigate.
* Range on the handsets is very good. Range on bluetooth is exceptional.
* Bluetooth automatically connects to our cell phones as soon as we arrive home.
It does have its quirks:
* Caller ID is not enumerated - as you scroll through, you're never sure exactly how many more calls there are in memory.
* Bluetooth is solid now, and automagically connects both of our cell phones when we arrive home (manual says 12' distance from main console; our chargers are ~30' from the main console). However, on initial setup, added cell #1, added cell #2, had to remove and re-enter cell #1 before it would auto-discover.
* Users can not add their own pictures for wallpaper (disappointing)
* Users have limited ability to record their own ringer (and only on handset)
* Some of the controls are not consistent with industry "standards". For instance: 4-way pad navigates to an option. Can not press [right] or press 4-way pad down to select the options; you must move to another key to select the options.
* Base retains the recorded outgoing voicemail message when the power goes out, but immediately loses track of what time it is. Planning to purchase the optional standby battery for the base (it charges an extra handset battery in the base if you have a spare), hoping it will keep the clock in the base alive, like in previous at&t phones we've owned.
* Interesting note: Not a shortcoming of this system, but keep in mind that if you have bluetooth in your car(s) and if you park within 30' of where you charge your cell phone, your car(s) and home phone may fight over control of your cell phone.
Overview:
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Read another review that said this phone may not be ready for prime-time. There are some quirks to it (I'm certain they'll soften some of the rough edges as time goes on -- and in reference to the other reviewer's notes, be aware that there also doesn't appear to be a way to upgrade the firmware on this phone if you buy this version, so what you get on day 1 is what you get for the life of the phone). All in all, if you want an excellent system that ties in your bluetooth cell phones, or if you use only cell phones and prefer not to have a landline at all, this is definitely the way to go!
Customer Review: Pleased more than anticipated
Summary: 4 Stars
To replace my malfunctioning 8 yr. old kitchen cordless wall phone, my "must haves" were simply to replace what I had: a "wall" mounted cordless with message recorder & base speaker. The available choices were slim to none. I bought this one based on it's reviews, and with an eye to the future in case I drop my hard line telephone service. My review here does "not" include the BlueTooth feature though, because I haven't set it up yet.
I'm pleased much more than I anticipated, considering I didn't want to part with my old style wall phone. But there's one disappointment that I find aggravating off and on. Due to the volume set button for the ear piece being located on the side of the handset, you can't prevent one or two fingers from landing over it and readjusting the volume down, down, down while you are using the phone. I too frequently find myself struggling to hear, trying to find the minute 'sweet spot' in order to hear ... then two days later it dawns on my that the problem is that darn volume adjustment. Maybe this is only a problem for the older generation who grew up with "keep it simple, stupid" telephones that were "all" the same and did the job superbly, before "the job" AND the phones got so darn complicated.... and overly sensitive adjustment buttons got ill-advised locations. But for me, holding a phone gingerly from the bottom isn't my cup of tea, much less programed into my brain well enough to remember 100%.
The only other practical problem I found is only due to where my phone has to be located... on the wall at the end of a peninsula style counter in my kitchen. Although the "base unit's" screen (for Settings Menu, Caller ID, etc.) is a very nice size for reading easily, when you have to read it from a position of extra distance the 'high' setting for contrast is too whimpy for reasonable readability. I have to bend over my counter very substantially in order to read the screen.
Other than that, this phone is real "neat" and very easy to set up & program. The interface for both the base and handset is very 'intuitive' for both set up and regular use. Just playing with the buttons can teach you how to program most anything not obvious. This is especially fortunate since the instruction booklet is so dumbed-down to such a tortured level of excessive detail that it requires an 'adult beverage' to have the patience to read it.
This phone looks really good on a light colored wall too, and I love the larger clear keys with electric blue back-lighting combined with the adjacent silver case color. I tried to see how long the charge would hold with only light use, but gave up after 48 hrs or so. It juts out from the wall 4" at the bottom, and 2 1/2" with the handset in place at the top(1 1/2" without). My old cordless actually stood out from the wall only 1" less, including it's handset. The handset stays moored in it's cradle extra securely, thanks to the extra angle out from the wall.
Customer Review: AT&T EP5632 First impressions are good. Some WISH LIST features explained below.
Summary: 4 Stars
I have used the phone in my home office for several days and so far, I have only used some of the features. So, this review is limited to the first impressions.
If offers clear sound via the handset and the speakerphone. The maximum volume available in either one is quite loud, which is good because it allows you to adjust it down to an adequate level.
I bought it to replace another AT&T phone which works quite well, but requires the use of a wired headset, and I wanted to be able to move out of my desk during calls and use a Bluetooth headset if possible.
I have used it so far with two bluetooth headsets...
First, with the Motorola H700 Motorola H700 Bluetooth Headset, and second with a Plantronics Voyager 510 Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset [Retail Packaged],
The Motorola H700 connects to the base quite fast, and is my favorite because I can turn it on or off, by simply flipping it open or closed, which allows to save battery easily.
The Plantronics requires to push a tiny button from a few seconds to turn it on or off. Not practical at all for home office use, plus it takes much looooonger to connect to the base than the Motorola.
As much as I'd like to use the Motorola H700, several callers have told me that they could not hear me well, while with the Plantronics, nobody has made such comment on their own and when I ask callers if they can hear me well, they say that they do.
So, while I don't want to turn this review of the AT&T phone (which seems to work quite well itself) into a review of headsets, but I think that potential buyers need to know that connection time from base-to-headset may vary from headset to headset and so will the sound quality.
A WISH LIST feature for the phone... Even when I bought it to use a Bluetooth headset, I would have liked it to have a jack in the base for the wired headset, in case the Bluetooth headset runs out of battery, or better yet, have the jack where it is right now... in the handset, but with the handset having the capability of dialing out when it's seated in its cradle.
Explanation: The handset does not work when it is in the cradle... So, you can not enter a number on the handset's keypad while in the cradle, push its dial button and have a conversation using the wired headset connected to it, unless you remove the handset from the base before pushing the DIAL button. Likewise, you can not take calls on the handset while it's in the cradle.
This may not be an issue for most people. For me, it is not a problem either, but it would be a "nice to have" feature.
That's it for today.
Customer Review: I was nervous. I am pleased.
Summary: 4 Stars
The complaints about this product made me nervous about ordering it, but the competing products were either much more expensive, or received even worse reviews, so I decided to try it.
The phone works. The extra handset I ordered was no trouble to connect, and it was easy to rename the handsets to help see where they are located. The phone may not be fully duplex, but I've found that I can still hear when talk is going on at my end.
The BlueTooth feature was one that I really wanted, and it was initially frustrating. I have found that I need to manually disconnect the audio device if I want to be able to pick it up again later. If I just allow my cell phone to go out of range I need to reset the phone (turn it off, then on) in order to use it properly again. In my mind, this is a minor inconvenience. I can make and receive calls on both cell and land-line, and although I haven't tried it, the setup suggests that both can be employed simultaneously (with different handsets). My cell is a Motorola Razr V3xx, so your mileage may vary.
I haven't read the manual, as all of the setup I've done has been straightforward. The answering machine works well, and it's nice to be able to get and delete messages from the handset. Getting messages by dialing in also works well. The speakerphone feature of the handset also works surprisingly well, given the size of the thing. We don't subscribe to caller ID, but it does get the caller ID from cell calls.
All in all, not a perfect product, but a good one, and one I don't regret buying.
Customer Review: works, but not 100%
Summary: 4 Stars
I tried 3 of these phones. Bought 1 from amazon, they sent me a replacement, and I bought one from walmart. All 3 did not do what it says you can do. I can put 2 cell phones on it, but it does not work properly. On all 3 units, if I had 2 cell phones hooked to it, and tried to make a call on one of the cell phones thru the AT&T phone handset, it would transfer the call to the cell phone. Does the same if I have one headset and one cell phone active at the same time.
If you only intend on using this for 1 cell phone, it works great. I have not had any trouble with it automatically connecting to the phone when we get back.
I took all 3 of mine back as it would not let me have 2 phones hooked up to it at the same time. If anybody knows of anything I am doing wrong, let me know, I will check back here from time to time. If I can get it so 2 phones can work at the same time, I would buy it again and have one. When I mean 2 phones at the same time, I know that you can not be using both cell phones at the same time via bluetooth. If I have 2 cells hooked to it at one time, when I go to make a call thru a cell phone using the AT&T handset, I select which cell phone to use, then when it dials, it transfers the call to my cell phone.