Side by Side Comparison of: VTech vs AT&T

Love most of the features. Especially tilting display and indication when other phones are in use. Display is very easy to read. Only thing missing is indication when there is a voice mail on our telephone service provider system. Old phone has a red light that illuminates when there is a message. Now we have to pick up phone to here interrupted dial tone signifying a message is waiting. And it came at a great price.

This phone is corded only, no cordless option; which actually works out great for me, since I only use my home phone to have a phone number to give out when I'm buying or ordering something that requires a contact number. And, since it is only corded (handset teathered by a cord to the phone base which hangs on the wall) it only has to be plugged into the phone jack and does not need to be plugged in to a power outlet; which means no unsightly power cord hanging down the wall and across my counter to the outlet. The display is easy to read from a distance of several feet without my reading glasses (bonus!). I would buy it again.

I was looking for a simple corded phone that I could attach to my kitchen wall. I really just wanted something simple and this is just perfect. It has a speaker phone (really loud which is great) and all other basic phone functions. It easily attaches to the wall if you that's what you are looking for but you can also lay it on a flat surface too. I will mention though that is does require AA batteries, there is no AC adapter just a phone line plug. Overall a great option for a wall mounted phone.

Needed a basic corded phone to connect to my cable VoIP line. It was going to be pretty much a placeholder for the most part since I only use that line as a backup service in case my regular landline phone is down. But I also wanted something more than a $9 Trimline so that if necessary, it could be used in my home office should my desk phone there call it quits. I had purchased the CL2940 for my parents last Christmas to replace a similar unit they had for 11 years, and trhey have had no problems with it. So I picked up one for myself and it fits the bill nicely. The big buttons and large screen are easy to see and use, I like that I can turn the ringer completely off but it will still flash a light when "ringing", and it's a nice sturdy size and weight that won't easily fall off a table if the line is tugged. The speakerphone is as clear as the handset unless there's a lot of background noise. All in all, this is a competent corded phone with nice features and good value.

My mom had some very specific requirements when she asked me to shop for a a replacement for her vintage-1982 (seriously) programmable desk phone that recently died. One of the main requirements was the ability to enter the number to be dialed before committing to dialing it (just like on a cell phone). I believe this requirement is important to her because her visual limitations mean she dials slowly (so the dial tone would time out) and also that she wants to be able to check her entry before dialing (to avoid wrong numbers). This phone filled that bill even better than I had hoped: You can just enter the number with the phone on hook -- there's even a backspace key -- and then it dials automatically when you pick up the handset or activate the speakerphone. Other points: The LCD display is adjustable, which is really important for an LCD. The method for programming numbers into the memory is typical (i.e., rather tedious) but it seems to work just fine. Mom likes to use the speakerphone feature and it sounds very good from my end of the conversation.

So far so good, From the reviews i was scared to order it, but i got a good set and will review again if anything goes wrong, on mine i do have the audible Beep when u have a voicemail, from a review i saw on YOUTUBE he stated there is no way to know when u have a message, OH YES U DO, its an annoying beep every few seconds or so to remind u

Very good sound quality. Each handset can be used as a speaker phone (i.e. the speaker phone is in the handset(s), not in the base). Answering system settings & voicemail are accessible from any handset. Very nice features & very easy to use. Voicemail indicator is on base (msg count) and handsets. Also has a "voicemail indicator" on the handsets if you have a separate answering system configured, e.g. VOIP or digital phone service with separate voicemail system.

Handsets are very light and comfortable to hold. Controls are intuitive.

I guess the price is low because fewer & fewer people use landlines. We still use ours. These phones replace our 10-year old clunky ones. Good purchase.

I recently ordered these phones for my elderly Mom as her hearing and sight are not what it used to be. She could not be more happy with these AT&T phones as the buttons are larger than normal and back lite and the speaker phone works very easily for my Mom. They are also very comfortable in your hand and I personally like the looks of them. Wish I would have ordered these phones years ago as we have been putting up with the crackling phones that went dead way to quickly for way to long. All I can say is these phones would be an excellent choice for anyone with impaired vision or sight. Delivery was on time and very quick, these phones are exactly as described, I would highly recommend this product to anyone,

Being a senior-senior, I continue to be amazed at the advancements being made in electronics. In the past, my wife and I have used other cordless telephones in our home, but the AT&T #52300 phones have them all beat by far. Even for someone pushing ninety (90) I found it easy to navigate through the various buttons, menus, etc., to program memory into the phones. I entered the names and numbers of our family/friends into one of the hand sets, and lo and behold, without any further effort on my part, all the other handsets were identically programmed. Amazing might not be adequate...MIRACULOUS would be better.

These phones are well made, the sound quality is good, and many nice features. This was one of the best tested phones on Consumer Reports.com.

being hard of hearing i need a phone that will be loud enough for me to hear and this one certainly does the trick... clear crisp sound quality easy to push the buttons... the only complaint i have is that the led screen doesn't get bright enough to see unless your inches away... so seeing the caller id is a real pain... the head set is comfortable to use

AT&T CL2940 Corded Phone with Speakerphone, Extra-Large Tilt Display/Buttons, Caller ID/Call Waiting and Audio Assist, BlackWorks well for the purpose it was bought. The display is large and easy to read. The buttons also large and overall it is an easy phone to use. For older people it makes a huge difference, plus the speaker phone helps a lot. The primary drawback is that the speaker phone is not of the best quality and does not perform as well as I would have expected (at times cuts off, the mic does not pick the voice all the times, both parties should not speak at the same time, etc.). The other item I personally do not like is the functionality of the directory, which is not the most intuitive. Overall I am really satisfied with the product and would buy another, if needed.

This is an update to my previous question about the call waiting feature on the phone. Although we have both caller ID and call waiting activated on our phone line, the call waiting feature "beeped" signaling an incoming call but failed to display the incoming caller's phone number. Yesterday, the AT&T repairman upgraded our 40+ year old landline to support both internet and a landline phone. Now the call waiting feature "beeps" and displays the incoming caller's number when I'm on the other line. The call waiting feature works just fine. The problem was our 40+ year old landline not the AT&T phone. The phone is a good basic phone and has all the features that I need.

I am very happy with this phone. It's about time I had a phone with a wide caller ID screen. The only shortcoming is the lack of speed dial for every call. With this phone you have to enter specific numbers you would like speed dialed. The inferior phone I am replacing had the great feature of speed dial on every call. Nevertheless, this AT&T phone is excellent in all other respects.Hyperspace

It is an inexpensive phone and it isn't cordless. No battery to worry about dying during the middle of a call. With out cell phone coverage at the house, we have to have a landline.

This phone works well, even though the photo isn't an exact view of the phone (the red and yellow buttons are actually black on the one I received) there haven't been any issues with it.

The family doesn't like it because now they have to get up to go answer the phone instead of keeping a cordless one within reach.

Me? I like it.....it works when I need it.

Good phone system from AT&T. Clarity is subperb and this set comes with abundant programmable features. This basic set/base system is expandable and I also purchased two accessory handsets (EL50013). These handsets come with instruction booklets which make the accessory handsets easily added to the main system. There is one minor issue that might possibly be a consideration: when a call comes in, the printout is smaller than I would like and disappears faster than I would like. Otherwise, these phones are very good and I plan to use them for years to come.

This isn't the most feature rich phone set, but it's also not the most expensive. I've seen some cordless phones with some pretty amazing features. I know I will rarely use these phones. I primarily use my cell phone. Therefore I purchased the most economical set I could find. This fits that bill. If you don't want/need all those fancy features, but want a phone that just WORKS, this is it. Honestly, I knocked off a star because I don't "love" it. I would love it if it had all those cool features. But it fits my needs, and I do "like" it.

After lightening zapped our cordless phones twice in short succession, we bought this phone set. It was reasonably priced and since we figured it might get zapped too, why not go with something cheaper? That has now been 16 mo. ago and we have had no problems or complaints with this set whatsoever. We have had cordless phones before that, when cradling it on our shoulder, we have accidentally pushed the 'end' button, due to a design that was not conducive to cradling. I don't think that has happened with these. Additionally these phones have been dropped to the floor (not recommended!!) but they are still working. The only reason I am not rating it as a 5-star (BTW, 4-star is 'I like it') is because I wouldn't say it's a "you've gotta buy this" kind of product.
And now here is a free aside: do your cordless phones' batteries fail to keep charge for very long? Granted, they all do after a while. But currently our phones hold their charge for days, not hours....and here's the secret. Wait to put them on the charger until there is one bar left, or until it says 'low battery.' Then when you place it on the charger, keep it there for approx. 24 hours (it might not be necessary to keep them there that long, but that's what we do). If you start doing this when you purchase a new set, you are actually "training" the batteries and they'll last longer. Talk to somebody from a battery store (e.g. Batteries+Bulbs) and they'll say the same thing. WHEN YOU HAVE THE PHONE ON THE CHARGER ALL THE TIME, YOU GREATLY REDUCE THE BATTERY'S LIFE!!!
Hope this works as well for you as it does for us! :-)

I love these phones. This is my second set. I have had the first set (EL52300) for over 6 years. They have held up well. The sound quality is very good, the range from the base is excellent. The phones had a lot of abuse, being dropped, gotten damp, left off base for a couple days due to being misplaced, etc. If this set works as well as the old ones I will be well pleased. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is the because of the caller ID log. The old phones would display the numbers with the area code included. If you want to redial one of the numbers on the new ones you have to hit # twice just to get the area code to come up so you can redial. How many years have we had to use the area code even in your own area?

We had an older model of this phone system for a number of years and the handsets finally the started failing. I like this version very much except that they removed the volume up/down buttons from the side of the handset so you can't adjust the volume while on in phone. If not for this I would have given it five stars.

This phone is not helpful for hard of hearing. I bought it for my dad because it seemed like the volume could be adjusted louder. The speaker volume will get louder when you push the volume button, but it does not help the handset at all. The volume from the handset is very minimal, even for me. Disappointed.

Bought this corded phone for my home office. nice phone, except the handset cord could be a little longer. they tell you in the instructions, you may need a DSL filter if you have high speed internet to clear up any interference, so beware of that. I had to return this one after 1 day because when using the speaker function no one could hear you. the mic was not working.
The caller id was decent, the screen is bright enough and easy to read. all programable functions are pretty easy to set up.
The mute and spkr buttons were black, not red/yellow as illistrated (no big deal). I liked the phone but I hope my replacement phone has everything working.

Settings in the digital readout won't stay set to English, so I took the batteries out. The digital readout is a little hard to see & should have been backlit. If I try to make the numbers darker, I can see the shadows of the unused characters in the background. Otherwise it's ok so far.

The look and functionality of the phone good as advertised. The feel of the large push buttons on the phone is not as good and I have found myself accidentally dropping digits when typing a numbers quickly. The speaker phone and microphone quality is only average for a consumer grade phone and distorts at high volumes. One downside that caused me to return one of the two phones I had ordered is that the model is very susceptible to interference from a DECT 6.0 wireless headset base station (causing a loud audible buzzing noise if they get close together.) This was not a problem in my wife's home office where the desk has plenty of room to separate phone from headset, but in my office the desk was just too small to make that convenient. ,

This corded phone has good volume and sound quality. The basic phone will work without the 4 AA batteries. For the caller ID screen or speaker phone batteries need to be inserted. Like other reviewers say, the screen is dim and not backlit. I have not had it long enough to tell how the batteries will hold up. If the batteries last a long time (over a year), I will try to remember to come back and bump it up to 4 stars.

Works as advertised. Menus on the handsets could be much better. Takes 5+ selections just to get to the call log. Not well thought out. Also, the handsets don't have a visual indicator if there are messages. It shows on the display but if you are not close enough to read the display you can't tell if there are messages. Would be nice if a light went on so you can tell from a distance if there are messages.

we bought this two years ago...it seemed ok. I bought it because it was so similar to one I had ...BUT it is so hard to read. I have to get a magnifying glass. If we get a call, I cannot just redial, the operator says you must first press 1 so that means I have to get the magnifier and write down all the numbers. I so wish I had been home, using it a lot and I would have returned. If your eyes are good and you are savvy programming numbers, etc...it will be fine for you.

I like the phone. It works fine. The downside is the answering machine controls seems to have some small problems. I use the answering machine to screen the incoming calls. When the answering machine greeting comes on, it is very loud. And when the caller is leaving a message, the volume is very low. I haven't seen any instructions on controlling these two volumes. Playing back the recorded message, I can control the volume. It is an OK phone and answering system as long as you can put up with the message lack of control.

Once again, Amazon does not differentiate between different models of the same (or similar) product, and this is very unfortunate because they do perform very differently. If you are trying to decide whether to get the EL52100 or the EL52213, here are some of the differences:

PROS
* The EL52100 has a much better speaker in the base unit. Messages can be played back louder and the sound is clearer.
* The buttons on the base unit are easier to use and they are labeled clearly so you can read their functions easily.

CONS
* The display on the handset is smaller and not as easy to read, though still usable.
* The base unit is fairly industrial looking and not as aesthetically pleasing as the EL52213.
* You apparently cannot add additional handsets to your system later on if you decide you want them.
* You have fewer choices as far as the number of rings that you can choose before the answering machine picks up.

If you are looking for a basic cordless phone with answering machine, this unit should meet your needs. It is a no-frills unit but it works satisfactorily. In my tests, I found that neither model's battery life was as good as my Panasonic cordless phone, especially if the base unit lacks power or is unplugged. If the base unit doesn't have power you cannot make calls even if your phone line is working. You cannot get a battery backup for the base unit. For both models, whenever the power goes out, you have to reset the internal clock. I don't understand why they could not include a small coin cell to retain the time. This is hugely annoying if you live in an area where you have power interruptions. However if you pay your local phone company for caller ID service, you can have the system set its time automatically that way. If you need to be able to listen to your messages in a noisy room, model EL52100 would be a better choice because the base unit has more power. The audio quality of both models is less than stellar but it is understandable. I hope my review will help you make the right choice for you.

Not real thrilled with these phones. They seemed to work great at first but now I have discovered if you are talking more than 15 minutes or so the sound seems to fade. Makes your voice and the person you are listening to sound like they are far away.

so far....all I got is the ringer working and the volume.
whatever can be done will be done somewhere off in the future.
to me, it is not simple installation. i don't like that.

This phone works okay but the display is hard to read and there is no back light. The speaker phone sounds terrible and I won't even use it anymore.I would recommend spending a little more for better quality. This one is going in my garage and I will look for something better.

The AT&T corded phone stopped working properly after a week. I thought the problem was with the line. The AT&T phone stopped disconnecting after dialing a number. I would continue to hear a dial tone after hanging up the phone. The line stayed busy, no other phone in the house would work. Bad purchase, should have done more research.

As soon as I lifted the handset for the first time, I noticed a loud buzzing sound on the phone. Unplugged it, checked other phones, and buzzing sound was gone. Plugged back in, buzzing sound returned. I returned it the next day. Good looking phone, perhaps I just got a bad one. We do have 2 other models like this and they both work fine.

OMG This phone has no independent capacity to play back the messages it stores! It'll tell you you HAVE a message but you have to set it up with your phone svc (Verizon or whomever) to give you a retrieval phone number and passcode to use to go for your msgs. really?! What happened to just pushing a button and hearing my messages?

We are not happy with this product. Difficult to read, very tiny print, bad backlighting, too many function buttons to push for simple commands. Battery life is very short off the chargers. Very slim and slick so difficult to hold. Would definitely not buy again. Am sending these out to the yard and shop. I'll be looking for a replacement for my VTeck! Walmarts here we come...

This was approximately the third cordless phone and answering machine combination I tried. It was complicated to set up. It did not work as well as my separate cordless phone and answering machine . The AT&T EL52113 was not easy to use

Decent quality as far as feel and weight. Getting through the modes to set up the answering system is a little difficult, especially trying to set up the time and date for the answering system. But my main complaint is that I don't like the fact that you cannot keep the phone in the cradle and have it on speaker mode. If you're sitting at your desk and need to have your hands on the keyboard while talking, it would nice to be able to keep the phone in its bay station. Havng the phone on 'speaker' mode takes a lot more juice from the battery, so if you're on a long call in this mode, the battery will take a big hit, as you might expect. This also means that if the battery does get quite low, you cannot use the phone until the battery is charged again. In other words, the handheld needs to be in the cradle to charge, but, as I said, you cannot make a call while it sits in the cradle. There have been a number of times when my battery was low and in the process of charging while I got an incoming call. If were I able to answer at all (if the battery is too low, you cannot answer the call), I would have to quickly proclaim, "Hi, my battery is charging and we might get disconnected. Let me call you back when it's fully charged". This problem would be solved if only the phone would function while in the cradle on speaker mode. That way, the phone could still be use while charging. Maybe the solution is to keep a fully-charged, spare battery on hand, or, buy a different phone!

We bought this set in June 2015, and within a month one handset stopped working. I called AT&T, and they instructed me to send it to their repair center. Because the package needed to be tracked, this cost $10. AT&T then sent a whole new set of model EL52303. Within a month another handset stopped working. Customer service was good, and they are sending us another phone, but it's very frustrating fussing with phones that don't work. It doesn't give us confidence going forward.

Love the phone except for the fact that if you get a local call on caller ID and want to call it it will drop the area code and that results in you having to write down the number so that you can dial it out. TWC has set it where we have to use the area code for all calls even when it's local due to the variety of local area code numbers. My last at&t phone didn't give this issue. That makes this phone not very great.

I'm using this as a desk phone. It falls over when you touch it. It lets out a screach when you hang it up. It sounds like an echo chamber. It comes off the hook at the slightest touch. It's just a really crummy phone.

lasted two weeks receiver volume very week no one can hear you

I had this item replaced once because the speaker feature did not work properly, replacement process was great. The feature worked no better on the second phone. I think the phone brand itself is defective and I would not advise buying it, especially if you want to use the speaker feature.

I am returning this phone today (May 2, 2016) after about 5 month of use (purchased December 3, 2015). The phone gives an off hook signal to the other phones in our home. In other words, the phone is acting as if the hand set is not hung up properly, when it is. I went through a diagnostic session with an AT&T technician today. I am returning the phone for a replacement of the same model. Before the phone stopped working, it worked well.

I own the model prior to this one and it worked fine so I bought this newer model because I needed an additional desk phone with speaker. Well, it looked great when I got it and I liked that there was a speed dial button that the older model didn't have. The good feelings didn't last long because 2 out of 3 of my phone calls on speakerphone today faded in and out so bad that I could not even hear one of the callers. If it happened only once, then I might call it a fluke, but 2 out of 3 people I called today had problems on the speakerphone. I can't have that as I make business calls, so I am returning this dud. I need to look for a better speakerphone now.

I would like to kn ow if this order can be exchanged. The main phone with the anserering machine does no longer have a sound when there is a message, the redial does not work, do not know what the warranty is. The phone that we have in the bedroom ishut off the ringer and it has shut of all sound going out, if I pick up the phone, I can hear the other party talking, but they cannot hear me. We don't want to be woken up with the ringing of the phone, but would like to be able to make calls and answer when we chose to, the third phone is rarely used, so have had no problems.
How do we take care of the problem?

I bought this no more than two months ago. About two weeksinI lost the speaker in the Answering machine Unit. Which was fine for a while I could still listen to my messages through the hand set. Then another couple of weeks go by and I now I can't check my messages through the handset either. So what I have is a cordless phone, but if I'm not home to answer my phone just try again later cause if you leave me a message I can't hear. Just like the VTECH customer support. Leave all the messages you want, no one can hear you.

I am very disappointed in this AT&T unit. The messages are not clear at all and cannot be understood. I have tried to adjust what I could according to the instructions but nothing works. The clarity on the phones are not like I expected from this company. I will have to reorder from another provider to understand the messages. I feel I have wasted the money on this unit. I would not recommend it to anyone who has difficulty getting to the phone faster when illness holds you back. If it goes to the recording you lose whoever was calling because you cannot understand the blurred message. If a doctor calls we just don't get the message to understand. I think this unit is a piece of junk.

Thought I was upgrading, but here are my issues after a week

Chin hits phone button if you move to do something else
Static on line
Often I lose voice contact although other person can hear me. This happens even if I am speaking to daughter which I do everyday
My other system was very old, but worked better than this. Would not recommend

This phone said it was great for the visually impaired so ordered it for my 86 year old mother with macular. Yes the number may be lighted and they are large however the display is terrible. The display size cannot be enlarged and it's small blue letters on a white background. She couldn't even see they were there. She reads books all day long on an ipad, so yes she can see but not on this phone. Do not order if you are looking for a phone with an easily read display.