AT&T 993 Corded Phone, Black, 1 Handset
by Vtech
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of AT&T 993 Corded Phone, Black, 1 Handset
Customer Review: Exactly what I needed - and it works!
Summary: 5 Stars
Most of my initial thoughts about these phones are in relation to the absence of 'bugs' which I have experienced in similar two-line SOHO phones from GE in the past. I just purchased two ATT993's to replace two GE units of similar price/features. The GE units had numerous glitches in the use of their features, and in the past weeks, I have been very, very happy not to have experienced anything with these 993's that I would describe as a glitch.
Quite simply; The two units we have work as expected. Unfortunately, it seems that's not always something you can expect with two-line phones in this price range. The sound quality and volume ranges seem perfectly acceptable with handset, speaker and headset.
A few features which implementation of I have enjoyed include the ability to turn off the voice mail notification system on each line, individually. This avoids having information being displayed that simply is not needed. I like the options to be able to choose exactly how the phone selects a default line when you lift the handset or press the headset/speaker buttons, depending on what state each line is in (offline, ringing, in-use, on hold)
The menus and call lists are not difficult to navigate, but of course every unit has its own way of doing things there. I don't like units that have rotating 'wheels' for scrolling, as it often seems there is a 'lag' with it, making it extremely difficult to use. Viewing call logs is easy, as is adding a call record to the phone's phone book. That's a feature I've never used on a phone before, as it seemed more trouble than it was worth. I still may not use it, but it is nice at least to know that I can store numbers from caller ID into a somewhat more permanent place with just a couple button presses. The speed-dial also works well (and that's something I do use for about 10 numbers I call almost daily)
Each line has its own, pre-set ring tone, with one line at a slightly higher pitch than the other. Volume can be adjusted individually per-line, which was nice. Mostly, I'm just tickled pink because on one of our previous GE phones, the ringer seemed to choose randomly if it would work at all!
My only nitpick is a minor one, not nearly worthy of reducing the rating; The data port is set only to use line 2, and that cannot be changed. Our 2nd line really only exists for rollover of incoming calls when the main line is busy, and I had used the data port on my previous 2-line desk phone for my DECT6.0 cordless. That phone had a switch, so in a pinch I could even switch the cordless between lines very conveniently.
Actually, I just realized I have a second nitpick; It does not seem that the LCD can be adjusted contrast-wise, which is really an adjustment for your particular viewing angle. I have not had a problem with either of our units though, and to be honest, I'm not sure the 'contrast' setting has been terrible useful on similar units in the past, as it frequently seems like you need to manually adjust your angle a bit anyway, because who looks at the phone from the exact same angle all the time?
Customer Review: Like having an office phone at home
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a home office and spend a LOT of time on the phone, so much so that I actually wear out headsets and have to replace them every few months. Having a "professional" quality phone is extremely important to me.
The AT&T 993 looks and works as close to an office phone as you can get. People I call tell me they could tell an immediate difference in voice quality. That's important.
But it is the user-interface that make me like this phone more than any other I have used. The control buttons are logically placed and work solidly. While I rarely use the handset, I often switch from headset to speakerphone and back and AT&T has made that process logical and convenient. You can preset if you want the phone to default to handset, headset or speakerphone when you answer, and for me I often wear the headset most of the day and I can answer by touching only one button. By the way, having a headset jack on the phone was a #1 priority for me, and AT&T wisely placed it on the lower right so the cord doesn't get in the way.
The one-touch direct dial buttons are logical and have a fairly sophisticated method of chaining numbers so I can call virtually anyone programmed in with one touch. The way additional numbers are stored in a directory works well, too. You can vary the speed at which you can scroll through the names to suit your personal preference.
The phone has more than adequete volume for both incomming and outgoing calls and it is very easy to adjust while you are on a call. The speakerphone is very high quality and does not have a "tunnel effect".
The various indicator lights give you a lot of information about line status, missed calls and voicemail messages.
What are the cons? I would have preferred to have a dedicated voicemail button rather than have to dedicate a direct-dial button to voicemail. Also, the LCD display can either be turned on or turned off. The display is hard to see with it off, but if you turn it on it stays on all the time. It would make more sense to have it light when a call is coming in or when you push any button. It would also be nice to be able to adjust the brightness.
I agree with the other reviewers who mention the "beep" the keys make when you are dialing. You can't turn the beep off or adjust its volume. Personally I like having a beep of some type to assure me that I pressed the key properly (I'm often dialing by touch rather than looking) but I would like it to be a very subtle sound.
The "look" of the phone is entirely the owner's personal taste, but for me it looks like a quality piece of office equipment. That might have a slight influence for some people like me who want their home office environment to look professional.
The documentation is excellent, far more detailed than you would expect for a phone of this price, and crystal clear in how setup and operation instructions.
This is a phone that I highly recommend as a top value.
Customer Review: Must have a filter on Line 2!!
Summary: 3 Stars
I read the reviews stating that line 9 would stick on this model, but bought it for my office anyway for its price and features, hoping that this glitch would not be present. Learned quickly that ONLY on line 2 that the number 9 would make a long continuous tone, making it impossible to make calls from this line if a 9 was involved. Got another phone and was going to return this defective one, but the new phone (a Panasonic) had about 6 steps on a complicated menu to silence the phone while this model had one quick button to push. In my job I have to turn the ringer off and on multiple times per day and need to do so quickly. So I called customer support from my home and they suggested I needed to unplug the phone lines and electricity for 30 seconds to let the phone "reset". This seemed to work at home, but when I brought it back to the office and did the same "fix" it didn't work. Finally, as I waited on hold for customer support for a second time, I heard something about filters for the phone line. I immediately added a filter to line 2 (which is the data line and a phone line) and the problem was completely solved. Phew! I think customer support should have suggested this the first time I called.
I don't like that the sound of dialing on speakerphone is so loud and can not be turned down apparently. It is easy to put it on speakerphone and to redial. I haven't figured out if it has an automatic continuous redial, but I don't need that too often anyway. The voicemail messages sometimes sound garbled (from cel phone callers?) -- I hope this won't turn out to be a big problem in the long run. I have not gotten to try to program in any speed dialing yet. The display is pretty legible, number buttons large and easy to push and I like it that it tells you on which line(s) the ringer volume is off/on. The phone cord isn't very long but definitely adequate and better than the Panasonic replacement that I had tried.
I may have a lot more to say about how this phone works once I use it longer, but I wanted to post something about fixing the problem with number 9 in case it would save others all the trouble I have been through.
If anyone runs into a reliable 2 line phone with good customer service suitable for use for a small business I would love to hear about it. The pickings are awfully slim!
Customer Review: One of the Worst Phones I've Had
Summary: 1 Stars
I've used AT&T phones before and had decent luck with them, but this AT&T 993 was the company's worst offering yet.
The most maddening thing about it was that when I dialed using the keypad, not all of the dialed digits would produce an outgoing tone. Yet, in cases where I had the exact same number stored in the autodial memory, the number would dial just fine. I finally began dialing a number, hanging up immediately and hitting "redial," since then all tones would be produced properly and my call would go through.
This was clearly a problem that needed to be repaired, which I would have done, but other problems with the phone annoyed me so much that I simply replaced it. Listening volume could not be adjusted very easily, so that I would sometimes get loud callers who I couldn't turn down enough and faint callers who I couldn't turn up enough.
The display is completely unreadable in some lighting conditions, but even in the best of circumstances is "muddy." I altered the contrast settings up and down, but the LCD is simply not sharp. This sometimes rendered caller ID useless, since I couldn't read it.
Less specific is the fact that I simply found this phone an awkwardly-designed device and irritating to use. Rather than paying attention to human engineering, it seemed that an unwilling designer slapped something together to get the project off his desk.
Since I couldn't dial reliably, sometimes had problems with a too-high or too-low sound volume and usually couldn't read the display very well, the device became a chore to use. I need to make a number of calls each day, so the simple act of using the phone became a chore. I don't like to sound emotional, but I came to hate this phone (read: did a lot of cursing and swearing at it).
Customer Review: A Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
I've had this phone for several months now, and wish I had gotten a different one.
PROS:
- The speakerphone works well; even full-duplex without significant problems.
- It has a good range of volume adjustments for both the handset and speakerphone.
- The handset cord feels like top quality (but who cares?).
- The auto-redial feature is neat. If it detects a busy signal, it hangs up and then redials in approx. 25 seconds.
CONS:
- When using the handset, I hear my own voice in the receiver. This is rather disconcerting, as no other handset I've ever used does that.
- The action & construction of the keypad buttons feels cheap, like a third-rate bargain basement device.
- When using the keypad to interact with automated systems (e.g. voicemail, PBX menu systems, etc.), I can't hear the first part of the system's audible response. The last keypress seems to "cover up" the first second of the audio. For example, I'll key in my work phone extension and then hear "ter your password" instead of "ENter your password". This makes it harder to interact with automated systems. And the problem occurs whether dialing with the speakerphone or the regular handset.
- Managing the Call history list and redial functions is not very intuitive. I find myself having to actually think how to use the function each time. Given that I'm the kind of guy who can help people use the advanced functions of their cell phones without ever seeing their model before, I'm pretty sure the problem isn't me. ;-)
- Often times I have to hang up and redial the number to make a connection. Somehow the timing of my keypresses confuses the phone network. I've never had this much trouble with dialing a phone before.