Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Just about as good as they come
For an all around workhorse system that offers thoughtless ease of use, powerful built in functionallity and expandability you will be hard pressed to find a phone of this caliber offered from a competitor. After looking at dozens of other systems I found every single one had caveats. The 5840 however was the closest match to my needs. The only feature I believe that should have been included but wasn't was the base dialing. But this is quickly remedied through the purchase of an additional handset. Simply leave the included handset cradeled after each use and the problem is solved. Even should the handset go missing you can still answer incoming calls on the speaker phone.As for no speed dial this is somewhat of a misnomer. If your speed dial is a frequently used number then 99% of the time it will appear in your redial menu. Simply select it and it works just like speed dial. Granted it isn't true 1 button calling, but it is still very handy. Range is fantastic. I can't get any squelch anywhere within my house (Upstairs or in the basement). Appearance is very clean and professional and beats the heck out of a lot of the plasticy play-school-esque phones currently available. Sound is above average with customizable tone control. For anyone going from a less than perfect phone to this system you may have some adjustment. There is absolutly no hissy feedback in the line. Often if both parties are silent you may feel as though you have lost your connection. The sound of near perfection is something most phones have difficulty with. As for nice touches and features. Call transfer is quite handy. Phone to phone intercom is also very nice. As is the built in battery backup. Handset use and drain is well above par. Days off a cradle doesn't hardly phase the charge. As for an all around household system, the Joneses will be hard pressed to find a superior feature laden solution. So don't lament the (Bigger, Better Badder) scenario, because frankly it doesn't currently exist. As for the die hard home office user there may be a need to look elsewhere for wireless networking, but for the typical family with typical utilization this will take you to a level that will make your old phone feel like 2 tin cans and a piece of string.
Rating:  - Looks great, less filling
The AT&T 5840 5.8 Ghz phone is beautiful - a work of art. The silver and black motif, plus the blue light-up accents, serve as eye candy for any geek.Basic functionality is also good - nice sound, clear reception. Add to this such niceties as the speakerphone in the handset and the ability to have handsets around the house that don't need their own phone jacks, and you end up with a fairly useful system. The major failings of this phone lie in the area of usability. First, there is no speed dial capability. Yes, you heard me correctly - no one or two button dialing. (I even read the manual to look for it). There is a phone book, but in order to dial a number in the book you have to go through the menu, either scrolling or finding an entry by pressing buttons. Nice for those numbers you don't dial often of course - but then, if you don't dial them often this feature doesn't help that much. The controls for the answering machine portion were also non-intuitive. For example, after pressing "record" to record your greeting, you don't press that button again to stop recording, you press the mailbox key. And setting the time was an odd process - it actually told you the time audibly, and you had to listen to it as you pressed the button to change. Kind of a pain to change the minutes. There may have been a way to change it from the top menu portion as well, but I did not see it. (Setting the time on the handsets was easier, with visual feedback.) If you use your phone mostly to answer calls, or you never bothered setting up speed dial on your existing phones, this is a good system. If you are used to one-touch dialing, pick something else.
Rating:  - High-tech and Modern Phone
This phone has myriad excellent features included. Of them, the main ones that deserve special recognition include:
- the look: this phone simply is cool to have as a piece of furniture, adding just the right "tech" look to any home
- the light: although they didn't have to, they did; the blue light lets you know when the phone is in use, when someone is online, or when its ringing
- the speakerphone: for those of you who always are annoyed by having to hold the phone to your ear, this is for you. Not only does the base of this phone have a speakerphone, but SO DOES THE HANDSET. You can be sitting anywhere in your home and be able to talk with a speakerphone.
- time: You have a nice clock available on the back of the phone - crucial, when you aren't wearing a watch.
- answering machine: the sound quality of this is phenomenal compared to other brands.
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