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AT&T 1856 Corded Speakerphone with Digital Answering Machine

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The AT&T 1856 Corded Speakerphone with Digital Answering System offers the home-user peace of mind thanks to its power failure operation that doesn’t require batteries. The Speakerphone features three one-touch memory buttons and a 9-number speed dial. The phone is caller ID and call waiting capable with a 50 name/number caller ID history, and features a visual message waiting and new call indicator. A large, LCD display with adjustable contrast controls allows for easy visibility regardless of the lighting.

A built-in answering system features all-digital operation for utmost reliability and speed. The AT&T 1856 has memory for 19 minutes of digital recording time, and there is a call screening function that lets you intercept only the calls you want. Message Guard technology prevents you from losing any information in the case of a power failure. The AT&T 1856 is desk- and wall-mountable.

AT&T 1856 Corded Speakerphone

Corded speakerphone with built-in digital answering machine
Digital answering machine offers 19 minutes of recording
Three one-touch memory buttons and 9 speed dial numbers
Doesn’t require batteries and operates even during power failure
Caller ID/Call Waiting compatible

AT&T 1856 Corded Speakerphone with Digital Answering System FeaturesReviews

Pretty decent phone
I bought this phone to replace my cordless phones. I had to hard of a time hearing on my cordless phones (and I am not hard of hearing). This phone has great volume and volume control. It is durable and can be mounted on your wall or put on your counter. I did have to buy a longer phone cord so I could walk around. The speaker phone has really good volume and the people I have spoken with on speaker phone can hear me really well. The only draw back is that the caller ID does not light up so it is hard to see at night. Overall I am very happy with this purchase and pleasantly surprised by its quality.

Good, basic answering machine and phone
This phone works as expected, although I have a minor complaint about usability. On most answering machines I’ve had, the “Listen to messages” button is large and easily identifiable.
On this phone, however, the large lighted button actually turns the answering function on and off.
You have to press the South quadrant of the ring surrounding this button to actually listen to messages (similar in use to a cell phone 4-way button.)
Not very intuitive…

Memory Guard
This is a great little phone, and for the price — well, it’s unbeatable, and trust me, I compared a LOT of models.

But (there’s always a but, isn’t there?) the bad news is that although this phone has “Memory Guard,” it’s NOT the same as a battery backup. Even tho’ the Amazon Product Description says “Power Failure Operation Memory Loss Protection (battery required)” there’s no place to put batteries. You can get and make calls when the power is out, but the phone will not ring, so you need another corded phone that will ring to let you know you’ve got a call. The answering machine will not work during a power outage, and the clock needs to be reset (easy to do) if the power goes out for even a second. But the good news is you will NOT lose messages that came in before the power went out (or after it comes back on, although the time stamp for those calls will not be right unless the power went out for only a few seconds). You also will not lose stored numbers, your recorded announcement, and other settings.

The good news is it’s got a lot of features not found on other phones in this price range, notably (for me, anyway) a mute button with indicator that you’re in mute mode, volume control for the speakerphone, ability to dial out while in speakerphone mode (no need to take the handset off the hook), and an audible message alert.

I found this easy to set up, but maybe only because I had a cordless AT&T phone that worked much the same way, so I’m used to the procedures for setting it up.