VTech ip5825
Pricing not available
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Stewart Wolpin
- Reviewed on:
The good: Great price for two digital-spread-spectrum handsets; one shared phone book; call timer; standard AAA rechargeable batteries.
The bad: Short handset battery life; confusing control-button array; "hybrid" 2.4GHz/5.8GHz; no battery meter.
The bottom line: The 5.8GHz VTech ip5825 is a dual-handset cordless phone system with a bargain price, a nice array of features, and decent call quality.
Let's dispose of the niggling negatives. Atop the dial pad are five control keys. The problem is that the on/off keys are almost the same size as the menu-up/down scrolling keys immediately above them. As a result, you'll constantly hit the wrong key to initiate, answer, or end a call. And ... Expand full review
Let's dispose of the niggling negatives. Atop the dial pad are five control keys. The problem is that the on/off keys are almost the same size as the menu-up/down scrolling keys immediately above them. As a result, you'll constantly hit the wrong key to initiate, answer, or end a call. And all the keys except for these five slightly confusing control keys are backlit with a bright lime-green glow. Why VTech left the handy backlight off these crucial buttons is beyond us.
At the bottom-right corner of the three-line display, you can make out a three-segment battery meter etched in the back layer of the LCD. But it lights up only when the phone is charging, rather than letting you know how much--or how little--power you have left while you're using the handsets. Fortunately, the phone displays a "low battery" warning as the batteries near dying.
Finally, the ip5825 is not a true 5.8GHz phone but a hybrid, which is why it's so inexpensive. The caller's end, from the base to the handset, transmits in 2.4GHz; only your end of the call, from the handset to the base, is transmitted in 5.8GHz. This dual-band transmission compromise is spun by VTech's marketing gurus as "combin[ing] the best of 5.8GHz and 2.4GHz technologies, providing enhanced performance." However, VTech must have added some safeguards for the 2.4GHz side; despite the presence of multiple Wi-Fi laptops in the same room as the phone, we experienced no problems either in reception or vocal quality at either end of the call.
Hide ReviewUser Reviews
See all user reviewsRating Breakdown
Most Helpful User Review
stars 5 of 7 users found this review helpful
"Don't waste your mony" By pyucht
Pros Nice sleek design, cellphone-like features such as phone number storage is convenient, good speakerphone
Cons Waste of money
Summary The phones were fine for a year though there was echoing when an extension was picked up. After about a year when the phone was out of warranty, "Warning Check Battery" came up on the screen and the phone did not work. If a battery was removed and then placed ... Expand full review
Most Recent User Reviews (Showing 2 of 6 reviews)
Where to Buy
Pricing not available
Specifications
See full specsQuick Specs
- Transmission Band: 5.8 GHz