When it comes to VoIP phones, there’s a lot to consider. Not as much as with a 24 port switch perhaps but, given how many phones you’re likely to need for your business, you want to make sure that compatibility and scalability are offered by the units you choose.
Today, we’ll take you through both DECT and corded IP phone solutions at three different price points below £100:
- Less than £60;
- £60-£80;
- £81+.
We’ll also briefly discuss what else is out there at higher price points for those interested in what the most premium VoIP phones have to offer.
DECT vs Corded IP Phones: A Primer
The first decision to make is whether a DECT solution or regular, corded IP phones are the right fit for you.
A corded IP phone is exactly what you’d expect: a desk phone with a traditional aesthetic, with the phone’s cradle doubling as a housing for an interactive screen offering various modern features.
The Snom D385 VoIP Deskphone
A DECT phone consists of a single base station, to which you wirelessly connect multiple handsets. Usually, this is limited to 8-10 handsets, with lower limits for cheaper units.
Typically, a DECT base station will cost you £40-£60, with each handset costing about the same (though some can cost much more). Most businesses will need more than one base station, due to the inherent limitations of how many handsets can connect to a single station.
The Yealink W60/W56H DECT Phone Bundle
IP desk phones sell singly and vary greatly in price, with cheaper units costing only £30-£40, whilst the most premium units offer large colour touch screens and Microsoft Teams integration, costing closer to £300.
In this article, we’ll discuss corded VoIP phones. For more on DECT phones, see our companion piece dedicated to all things DECT.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the best VoIP phones below £100.
Below £60
Grandstream GXP1625
- £46.99*
- PoE
- 2 lines / 2 sip users
- LCD screen
The Grandstream GXP1625 offers all of the functionality of a typical office phone, including call hold, transfer, forward and mute. This particular model allows the connecting of two lines or two SIP accounts, meaning multiple staff members/phone numbers can make and receive calls to/from the one unit.
The Grandstream GXP1625
Perhaps the key selling point of the Grandstream GXP1625 is that it is the cheapest corded IP phone to offer PoE (power over ethernet), which is rare among lower-priced IP phones. Three-way conference calling, off-the-hook auto dialling and other advanced features are also offered by the GXP1625.
The LCD panel screen is rather small, and the unit lacks programmable short keys, but for those who want a bare-bones, cost-effective option that can perform everyday tasks just as well as more expensive models, the Grandstream GXP1625 is one of the best units available.
£60-£80
Yealink T41S
- £76.49*
- PoE
- 6 lines & 6 sip users
- Support for the Opus codec
The entry model in Yealink’s T4S series, the first difference one notices over a unit like the Grandstream GXP1625 is the size of the screen panel. With space for five rows of data, the 2.7” LCD screen provides a richer visual experience for the user.
The true advancements, though, are less visible. The Yealink T41S supports the Opus Codecs, which are the industry-leading audio codecs for voice data. In practice, this will greatly improve audio quality for the listener.
The Yealink T41S VoIP Deskphone
In addition, this model offers support for up to six SIP accounts; three times more than the Grandstream 1625.
The benefits here are clear. A phone without multiple lines, or with fewer lines, has capacity to handle fewer calls at once. The consequence being that an operator will not be able to field multiple calls, put people on hold, quickly ring out to other members of staff to alert of a call transfer they’re about to execute, etc. Receptionists and other call operators will feel hamstrung without a phone with enough lines, so a model capable of handling up to 6 concurrent calls is flexible and powerful.
Moreover, the enhanced audio quality will improve communication between your staff and their customers/clients and the additional buttons including quick-dial and easy DND toggling improve phonebook navigation and ease of use, justifying the step up in price.
Over £80
Grandstream GRP 2613
- £90.49*
- PoE
- 3 lines & 3 sip users
- Support for all major codecs
- Swappable faceplates for company branding
- Up to 24 digital BLF keys
- Enterprise level security and protection, including encrypted data storage
Stepping up in price again, the GRP2613 is the first VoIP phone to have been discussed so far that features zero-touch provisioning for mass deployment. For large businesses, this time-saving feature is extremely valuable.
The Grandstream GRP2613 VoIP Deskphone
In addition, this is the first product to feature an LCD colour screen. This simple improvement should not be overlooked as it greatly enhances the impression of quality. For customer-facing roles, this is important. Moreover, it improves the user experience for your staff and may even improve ease of navigation and, therefore, productivity.
Swappable faceplates enable effective branding of company phones for consistent brand identity in all business locations. For front-end roles, a greater brand presence will enforce the memorability of any visit into your corporate space by clients or customers.
Everything you would expect by now from a VoIP phone is present, including support for call hold, forward, mute and listen; PoE powered, with dual Gigabit ports and 24 virtual multi-purpose keys for improving navigation speed and overall productivity.
Above £100
Yealink T46S
- £129.49
- PoE
- 16 lines & 16 sip accounts
- USB/Bluetooth for headset/external HDD
- 10 programmable function keys
- Compatible with EXP40 expansion module
- Three-way conference calls
Ok, we said ‘under £100’ but, if you’re interested in what else is out there, particularly at the premium end of the spectrum, we’ll discuss just two more models at higher price points.
The Yealink T46S is a powerful IP phone perfect for busy professionals. With 10 multi-function keys, all programmable to various shortcuts and other productivity-enhancing features, the fast and responsive interface with its 4x3” LCD colour screen can be customised to become even faster.
The Yealink T46s VoIP Deskphone with three-way conference calling and support for 16 lines
The T46S supports up to 16 lines and SIP accounts, as well as corded or wireless headset connection for hands-free communication. Call recording is also built into the device and recorded calls can be saved to an external hard drive via the USB port.
For those who need to take customisation and productivity hacking to the next level, the T46S is compatible with the Yealink EXP40 expansion module, which will allow for up to 240 additional customisable function keys.
Premium Corded VoIP Phones
Yealink T58V
- Two megapixel camera for video conferencing
- 16 lines & 16 sip accounts
- 7” touch screen
- Android powered
- Browser, calendar and recorder apps
- Third-party app support
For the CEOs and other high-level officers and executives who need a phone that will impress and communicate the level of success they have attained, the uber-premium Yealink T58V offers just that.
The Yealink T58V VoIP Deskphone - a truly premium VoIP experience
With a removable HD camera for video conferencing, seven-inch touch screen, integrated WiFi and Bluetooth and onboard Android OS offering a built-in web browser, calendar, recorder and third party applications for almost limitless customisation, this is the unit with all the bells and whistles that will stand up to any scrutiny.
Conclusion
When it comes to VoIP phones, the choices can sometimes feel overwhelming. Hopefully, this article has gone some of the way towards simplifying your decision.
If you need to purchase VoIP phones in bulk, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by phone for the possibility of better pricing. If ordering a lower number of units, we offer default price breaks at 5+ and 10+ units.
If you’re more interested in DECT VoIP phones, you can read all about them here.
*All listed prices accurate at time of writing and subject to change
