The Essential Guide to Yealink Phones

Many in business who are looking for the best price for a fully featured business handset are finding Yealink phones. Yealink is a Chinese company and they manufacture their phones in China. Despite recent increases in tariffs, we are finding that their pricing is tough to match. But, since Yealink is a relatively new company and most of their business thus far has been in Asia, customers and prospects often ask us lots of questions about Yealink. As a result, we thought... wouldn't it be great if someone put together a single resource which answers the big questions so that a potential business buyer can make an assessment quickly?

We'll provide answers to the big questions in this post so that you can know if Yealink phones deserve to be on your shortlist of office phone system options.

Yealink Phones: An Essential Guide

Yealink is one of the biggest players in the office phone system market. In fact, they're leading the global market share of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone shipments, mostly from their sales in Asia. They produce high-quality, low-priced handsets that exceed expectations and they now have a range of phones to choose from to meet almost any business phone service needs.

Below is a list of the products they offer, packed with information on the features and specifications of each to help you make a decision on which phone best meets your needs.

Conference Phones

Conference phones are designed specifically for, you guessed it, conference rooms. Their low profile and omni-directional microphones allow sound to be picked up from anywhere in the room. This enables everyone at the table to have a voice.

Yealink has a wide range of models, depending on the size of your company and your requirements for overall quality. Because of this, we'll only cover the basic and top models for each category, since the others are augmented off these baselines.

The CP920 is the basic model, designed to cover small-to-mid-sized meeting rooms. It has built-in Wi-Fi in case your conference room doesn't allow for a direct plug-in. Like all the other devices we'll cover, it comes with their Yealink Noise Proof technology that identifies and blocks anything but human voices from disrupting the call. This is especially helpful for meetings with a lot of participants. It also projects audio away from the speakers so attendees on the other end don't get feedback.

The CP920 retails for around $330, making it one of the most affordable conference phones for the quality you get.

The CP960 offers the next level of features, serving mid-to-large-sized meetings. With all the same features as the CP920, the CP960 also integrates a full-color HD display. Pairing with Yealink wireless microphones can triple the 20-foot radius, making it perfect for even the largest conference rooms. It also has the ability to handle up to five-party conferencing.

The CP960 retails for just under $500 and is best suited for large rooms that require numerous parties to attend.

T2 Series

Yealink's T2 Series is the common entry into enterprise IP phones. These are the options that provide the most bang for your buck.

The SIP-T21 is the baseline model, and at under $100 each, it's an excellent product to purchase in large quantities for your office. The phone standardizes features for the rest of Yealink's phones, including dual-port Ethernet integration, headset support, three-way audio conference, and multiple SIP accounts. The SIP-T21 is more affordable because it offers only a small black and white LCD screen, which is sufficient for most companies. It can be wall mounted or positioned on a desk.

The SIP-T21 is perfect for the company that's looking to update their analog systems to a PBX solution but doesn't have budget for Polycom or Cisco phones.

Models in the T2 series generally progress until they reach the SIP-T29G. The largest upgrade is the high-resolution color display. The phone uses Yealink's Optima HD technology, providing high-quality voice communication. The Ethernet ports are also upgraded to a Gigabit and it supports an LCD expansion module so you can add a speed dial registry to the base. The SIP-T29 also integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, giving you more options with accessories.

For less than $180, the SIP-T29G is one of the best purchases for companies on a budget, but looking for top-quality.

T4 Series

With the T4 Series, Yealink built on the success of the T2, adding additional features and increasing its security.

Starting with the SIP-T40P, the display starts with the same black and white LCD as the T2. The phone supports headsets and has two adjustable angles to position the base. Otherwise, the only major difference from the T2s is the design. The display, as you can see in the image above, is located above the base and has more surface area. This is useful if you want to read emails from the phone.

The price is set at a price point under $100, making it a decent purchase if you were previously deciding between the T21 and T29.

The T49G is the high-end of the T4 Series. These handsets have a separate camera that supports a 1080p resolution. Since the phone adjusts to nearly any angle, you can ensure the video captures exactly what you want. The display screen offers full color and is touch-sensitive. With the seamless streaming, you're able to collaborate with multiple callers and by linking to your computer, you can view on a larger screen. The T49Gs run for around $500 and are the first high-ticket phone on the list.

This is an outstanding tool for employees who require lots of video conferencing, especially C-level staff who don't always have time to run to meetings.

T5 Series

The T5 Series takes everything the T49G established, and makes it look like the basic model. The design got sleeker, the features improved, and the value increased with their top-of-the-line series.

If you want quality calls, a lower ticket price, and don't need video, the SIP-T53 is for you. This model is well-suited for normal workspaces within your business. It has an adjustable graphical display, but only shows black and white. It's able to hold eight line keys, 12 SIP accounts, and twenty-one memory keys. It also comes equipped with Yealink's Acoustic Shield Technology, improving sound quality further than before. Priced at under $200, the phone is steeper than other baseline models, but aside from the lack of video, the T53 is a powerhouse business landline solution.

This phone is great for companies that need more security, want reliable calling, and have a bit larger of a budget.

If you're willing to stretch your company's wallet, the VP59 is a fantastic phone. Yealink's Flagship Smart Video Phone provides the best collaboration experience on the market. Everything the T49G has is added to the T53, and then improved upon. With the same Noise Proof technology as the conference phones, you can ensure your calls aren't muddied by background noise. The VP59 also includes HDMI output, call recording, and 16 SIP accounts.

These phones are excellent for executive offices and huddle rooms, when high-quality calls are required. The only downside is that you'll have to call for pricing, as it will vary drastically depending on the number ordered. 

DECT Phones

DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology. These are your standard cordless phones that work with a landline. Yealink offers various designs that work at increasing ranges.

While they may not have as many features as the T5 Series phones, they serve a different purpose. They are the perfect match for small businesses that don't require conference calls or worry about the number of lines they're paying for. They're great for restaurants, shops, and other smaller operations.

There is a decent price tag on these, however. The W60P runs for under $200, but it's important to remember that you're paying for a long lasting battery and a handheld that doesn't need to be used directly next to the base.

The Right Yealink Phone for You?

Deciding what phone works best for your business requires planning and some shopping around. Yealink is half to a third the price of phones with similar specs. For those on a budget, Yealink is an ideal option for getting your company upgraded with new phones.

Even though we listed some prices above, there's a lot more to budgeting your total cost when outfitting an entire company. Fortunately for you, we created a guide that will tell you everything you need to know about phone system pricing. You can access our Essential Guide to Phone System Pricing right now.