AT&T E5908 5.8 GHz Corded and Cordless Phone System with Answering System, Dial-In-Base, and Speakerphone

First of all, I don't know where some people got the idea that this phone was advertised as a two-line instrument. I bought this phone, because I didn't want or need a two-line phone. I didn't have any issues with the quality, interference or range. Besides, this phone has several different frequencies you can use if the one you're using is not clear enough. Most older phones have that feature but many people have little idea how to use it. Another thing I noticed from reading some other reviews is people evidently like to abuse their phones (referring to quality), but I've had much cheaper phones (like GE) last me 3-4 yrs without any problems. I had high hopes for this unit, because of it's compact size, base layout and easy to understand instruction book. Setup was a snap. I had the phone for a couple days before I found something that forced me to return this unit. The caller id on the remote handset wouldn't continue displaying the caller's information after the first ring. If...Read more

I bought this because Consumer Reports rated it highly and said that phones today had adopted technology more like cell phones. I don't agree at all; this unit has many limitations which could have been fixed by designing it more like a cell phone. Entering frequently called numbers is tedious. Cell phones usually allow you to easily save any dialed or received number into memory or 'directory,' so why can't you do that here? There are two handsets here, the base wired unit and the cordless handset. Why doesn't the cordless part automatically share the directory of the base unit without having to enter numbers all over again? Why are there no speed-dials on the base unit? And so on and so forth. As telephones, both handsets seem to work well and appear to be rugged, and it's professional looking enough for a business office. But plan to read the manual and spend time figuring it out.

You'd think a company the size of AT&T would be able to produce a reliable phone, but the E5908 isn't it!

In August of 2006 I purchased my first AT&T 5908. I liked the look of it, the features, etc. and was pleased for about a month, until the speaker phone began cutting out during conversations. Another month went by and the cordless phone began cutting out. Thinking perhaps I had just purchased a lemon, I decided to buy another 5908 in the hopes this one would be fine. It wasn't. I had exactly the same problems with the second phone as with the first. I called AT&T to complain and they requested I return the phone to them and they would replace it with the upgraded E5908 which they did. Thinking my problems were solved, I was in for a bit of a surprise when the new upgraded E5908 speaker phone cut out, long before the first and second phones went out. (This is an "upgrade")? I never could get the cordless phone to work, and after a lengthy, (not much fun running...Read more