Home > Consumer Reviews > AT&T 5870 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Phone with Answering System and Talking Caller ID

Was going to purchase the ATT 5840 but elected to purchase the 5870 due to the aural caller ID feature. I thought the caller ID would be announced from handsets but that is not the case. You have to be within earshot of the base to hear the talking caller ID. Frequency band 5.8 only used between handset to base - 2.4 used between base to handset. Range has not been a problem for me but then I don't wander too far from home. Phone book entries must be entered into each handset manually. Look, feel, sound quality and other features of the phone are top notch. You can use more than one handset to get in on phone calls which was not the case with the Sony 2.4 phone system I replaced. Best price I could find on the net for base unit and two 5800 handsets came from sellcom.com ($290).

Just a so so phone, nothing to brag about. Caller announce cannot be adjusted and hard to hear unless standing by the phone. Not worth the price.

I am very pleased with the ease of use and functions of the 5870 phone. I was trying to decide if I wanted to get an AT&T 5840 or 5830 when I found out this phone was soon to be released and it would integrate the best of the 5830 and 5840 into one phone. I'm glad I waited.
I have tested all of the best features. Here's a short rundown:

1. Phoning from the base: Nice to have but I would rarely use this feature. It is accomplished by using the speakerphone on the base. Person on the other line said my voice sounded tinny.
2. Speakerphone on handset: A very useful feature and simple to use. Actually sounds better on both sides of the conversation than using the speakerphone from the base.
3. Talking Caller ID: My favorite feature on this phone. After programming the phone with known phone numbers you can record their name (or any 3 second message) and it will be spoken by the phone when that number calls you. Only problem is that local phone numbers need to be programmed with the area code because they are received by the phone this way (at least with my service provider). If you then use the stored number to call that local number it doesn't work because local numbers aren't dialed with the area code. So I'm still trying to optimize this issue. One idea is to store the persons number twice, once with the area code and once without. The one with the area code would ensure the talking caller ID works and the other one would be used to dial the number. Another idea is to use the area code on the base handset and use the non-area code on an extra handset. Then always dial out on the extra handset. Must be a better solution than this though. I will check back to see if someone else solves this annoyance.
4. Voice Quality: Very good. Not a big factor for me because I use a handsfree headset for most calls. The phone is light and has a belt clip so hands free is really the way to go. Makes conversations a pleasure. By the way, Plantronix $29.00 headset works great with this phone. VERY good voice quality.
5. Answering Machine: Works great and easy to use. I received a message that sounded very weak (low voice) so I did a lot of testing on this feature. People that leave messages should not whisper, that was the reason for the low volume from that message.
6. Wall Mount: A must for me. Very easy to mount and looks sleek and professional.
7. Expandability: Very important for me. My last phone lasted 7 years. I expect to keep this one as long. The ability to add extra handsets and have 3 mailboxes provides the upgrade capability I would need.

The rest of the features on this phone are gravy. Things like vibrate control, ringer tone, ringer volume (independent on handsets and base), conference call, intercom, etc.

Some features some people may not like:
1. Phone books are independent of one another on different phones. Storing different phone books on different handsets is an advantage for me; I don't want all phone numbers on all phones.
2. Blue LED on incoming messages. I love this feature. Very high tech and sleek. Blue is the new "in" color.

In summary, I love this phone and now find myself using the phone much more than I used to.