Siemens Gigaset Digital Cordless Phone with Hybrid IP/Landline Calling (A580IP)

I am reasonably technical and run a VOIP PBX for our small business with several different providers, IP Phones and gateways. This seemed like a nice addition where cordless IP phones are needed. I have almost returned this several times because of the UI and contact import issues, however I am keeping it in hope of an updated firmware release.

Pros -
Good voice quality
Register multiple VOIP Providers
Price is right for an expandable VOIP based ATA and handset

Cons -
Handset Interface and Features are a mess to use - Siemens could learn something from other cordless handset manufactures
Vcard contact import is a nightmare
Can't seem to remove internal Gigaset setting/provider
Web interface is acceptable If you do the upgrade... if not it is so slow you can' use it.
No Headset Jack (are you kidding me?)

I want to like it... but not quite prime time.

This phone is rock-solid and I'm really glad I purchased it. Works well with Google Voice and Gizmo5.

It's definitely an entry-level product, which is what I was looking for since I didn't want to commit too deeply to VOIP without testing it out first. By entry-level, I mean the system is missing a few features (e.g. no built-in voicemail; the handset doesn't have a headphone jack). I didn't need those since I use Google Voice.

Initial set up was incredibly simple for a VOIP phone. Call quality is much better than my mobile phone even when it has full bars. I have an entry-level DSL connection at home and that seems sufficient.

The phone has automatically picked up two firmware updates since I've owned it, making the UI much faster and easier to use.

I was reluctant to buy an IP phone for a long time after a bad experience with a well-known national VOIP service. When I moved to a new house, I tried to go mobile-only, but the...Read more

This is a nice product. There basically aren't any other proper cordless VoIP (ie. SIP) phones out there for a reasonable price, just the enterprise-y stuff. As an added bonus, this one uses DECT, so you should be able to just add handsets at will.

I've had it for a while now and haven't had any problems with it whatsoever. It does what it says on the tin, and while it's clearly a consumer-oriented device and I'd like to see more functionality, it's been great.

Pros:
- Proper SIP support, connected easily to my PBX
- Each handset (up to 6 I believe) can be associated with a separate SIP account
- Battery life is good, but not great. Lasts about a week on standby with occasional use, my non-DECT Panasonic from a couple years ago can do almost twice that.
- POTS connection can ring through to the handset and be used for emergency outgoing, or all outgoing calls. Useful if you have an Enterphone system, for example, or if you use VoIP for...Read more