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Yealink T58A: A C-level’s S-tier
After undergoing comprehensive testing, the Yealink SIP-T58A proved to be a reliable desk assistant for busy professionals. This phone delivers excellent audio quality, has a generous array of useful collaboration features, and is easy to use immediately.
Are you looking to invest in the T58A for your business communication purposes?
This review will provide all the information you might need about this model. Here, you will find information about the basics and some important details.
Variations
There’s an important distinction to consider regarding the T58A variations. This phone has two different versions – the standard SIP one and the Teams IP one.
While the regular SIP client version is also Teams-certified, the Teams IP version serves as a standalone MS Teams device. It is a custom hardware solution designed specifically for the Teams app.
This distinction is representative of a wider trend within business telecommunications. A trend consisted of increased integration across hardware devices, software platforms, and internet-based connectivity modes.
And Yealink and Microsoft, collaborating in this exact direction since 2015, released a series of Teams-ready IP devices. A series that includes the T58A as well.
Yealink’s collaboration with Microsoft coincides with the tech giant’s initiative to replace Skype-for-Business with Teams.
Learn more about the transition to Teams. Also, if you currently have Yealink devices supporting SfB and wish to upgrade them to Teams, watch a video on how to do it.
The new Teams interface will be addressed in a dedicated section below. For now, consider that you should consider which version you are potentially purchasing.
Regardless of the regular SIP or the Teams IP version, the T58A delivers one wholesome and superb user experience.
The standard SIP device and the Teams IP phone are actually certified by Microsoft Teams. The difference is that whereas the SiP ones are optimized for the Teams app in terms of firmware, the Teams-ready devices are more like a hardware extension to the Teams app.
The phone’s full on-screen navigation is customized by the app’s features and overall appearance. This is why it’s referred to as a standalone Teams device’.
Appearance & Design
The T58A’s rich-color display immediately catches the eye. It is 7 inches large, which makes navigation a breeze. Also, it is a multi-point touchscreen. Users can perform more complex tasks with their fingers (e.g., the pinch-to-zoom feature).
The T58A’s screen is fully adjustable and can be tilted generously. Also, on its upper right side, there’s an LED indicator. It signals call status, message status, and the phone’s system status.
On the downside, the screen is not anti-glare. This can cause frustration, especially if sunlight reaches the screen’s surface.
The video resolution is 720p at 30 frames per second, ideal for video business meetings. The Android 5.1.1 operating system supports both phone versions; both have a fast response speed.
The regular SIP-T58A has a built-in web browser, calendar, recorder, and more, which also supports installing third-party applications for business customization.
However, it is advisable not to overwhelm the phone with too heavy apps. Remember, this is still a desk phone. And as such, its CPU is not particularly fast.
Unlike the T58V, the T58A doesn’t come with an in-built camera (the only major difference between the two models). Nevertheless, the optional two-megapixel HD CAM50 camera can be attached. Read more about the camera in the Hardware Integration section below.
Despite the large screen, the T58A retains the classic desk phone feeling. The matte surface, the metallic buttons, the heavy headset. Small but nice touches that make up for one elegant appearance.
Also, experienced desk phone users will notice that all the shortcut buttons are there (mute, redial, speakerphone, transfer, hold).
If you intend to mount this phone onto a wall, remember that you should purchase the wall stand separately.
Features
The standard T58A supports up to 16 VoIP accounts. Also, it sustains up to 3-party video conferencing and up to 5-party video/audio mixed conferencing.
The phonebook has space for 1000 entries. Generally speaking, this is just the right amount for the users this phone is intended for – managers and upper-level professionals.
The T58A has 27 DSS keys with its familiar interface and 8 programmable keys. The DSS keys are essentially speed-dialing keys.
Moreover, every DSS key displays the allocated number’s status (‘green’ for available, ‘red’ for busy). Thus, users can monitor when their colleagues are busy. That, coupled with the intuitive menu, enhances the overall workflow quality.
Sound Performance
Whether used exclusively for Teams or not, any phone’s sound quality is most important.
Yealink’s Optima HD audio system delivers a truly crystal-clear sound for the T58A. T58A delivers probably the best sound quality in the industry. From our experience, we are yet to encounter a phone that does better.
The full-duplex speakerphone with AEC (Auto-Echo Cancellation) technology works wonders in loud environments. And on the other hand, the OPUS codec helps maximize the acoustic performance of the phone’s handset, headset, and especially the speakerphone.
Lastly, the T58A’s handset has a built-in HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) feature. As the name suggests, it assists people with hearing loss in catching what is being communicated to them.
The T58A’s sound performance is all-around solid. It is a device that heavy telephone users can rely on regardless if they spend more time on the handset or the speakerphone.
Hardware Integration
The T58A has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 (Wi-Fi that works, at that). Users can connect their wireless headsets without occupying a USB port. Alternatively, Bluetooth can be used for pairing with mobile devices.
The T58A has two USB 2.0 ports at the back. The one at the top is where you stick the removable CAM50 HD camera.
The two-megapixel CAM50 is not included in the phone pack and must be purchased separately.
One handy feature of the camera is that it has a ‘sliding door’. This allows users to cut out images while on a video call or to shut the camera off completely (in case they don’t like the idea of a camera staring at them all day).
Just like the screen, the camera itself is fully adjustable, too. It can be tilted back and forth to the user’s liking.
The other USB 2.0 port allows for media and storage via a USB flash drive or a direct wired/wireless USB headset connection.
For example, you can plug a USB stick with photos that can be projected as a slideshow. The phone turns into a digital photo frame when in screensaver mode. The phone has two screensaver modes.
The T58A includes dual-port Gigabit Ethernet with PoE. This means it can be powered via the 802.3 AF mentioned above port.
Tip: If you wish to reduce the cable clutter around your desk, the PoE powering option is certainly better.
However, some users prefer securing the phone’s uptime using a standard 5.0V AC adaptor for power. Keep in mind that such adapters must be purchased separately.
The SIP-T58A can be paired with up to 3 color-screen EXP50 expansion modules. However, such a pairing option remains unavailable for the Teams edition.
One feature that adds extra value to the T58A is its intercom function. With it, users can connect the phone directly to a door entry system. Thus, the phone can display the video on the screen, and unlocking the door will be possible with a single touch.
Set-Up & Configuration
Setting up the T58A is a pretty standard procedure. It is done via Yealink’s web-based interface. Upon starting the panel, users will also see tons of customization options.
Also, administrators can take advantage of centralized deployment, management, updating, and uninstalling to ensure application standardization. If equipping your office with various Yealink devices, they can be bulk configured effortlessly.
Such is the case with the regular SIP version. With the Team’s IP phone, it is even simpler.
There is no configuration step with the Teams-ready phone. A simple plug-and-play has replaced this.
Users have to insert their Office365 credentials, and that’s about it. The device will then be automatically initialized. Once users initialize the phone by logging into their Office accounts, multi-factor authentication can also be enabled.
Teams-Tailored Interface
Visually speaking, the Teams interface is quite different from your standard Yealink SIP interface. Regarding navigation and overall feel, Teams feel… like browsing through a collaboration app. It reminds me of Skype or even something like Slack.
The menu is very stripped down and simplified. There’s a bar on the left side where you can change your availability status or your theme color to a darker one.
At the bottom of the screen are three buttons: Call History, Meetings, and Voicemail. Quite self-explanatory.
A dial pad appears next to the calls list when clicking on Call History. Also, there’s a search bar.
The Meetings section is also very straightforward. It makes things very handy for users. They can see all their scheduled meetings going on and join any of them with just a single touch.
As for the Voicemail – it works as every other voicemail would, with one exception. It transcribes the recorded message. This means that users can receive important information and copy-paste it to colleges, if necessary.
At the moment of testing, we could not sync contacts from our Office365 account. The only contacts visible on the phone are those on your Teams server. However, Yealink and Microsoft assure us that this will be fixed.
Hybrid Mode
The T58A Teams IP phone supports a hybrid mode of operation. Users can switch back and forth between Teams and the SIP client when this mode is activated via the Survivability app.
The hybrid mode comes in handy in two main scenarios:
- When users want to use some special SIP account features.
- Users still have to make calls when there is no connection to the Teams server.
The complete instructions on how to use Hybrid mode can be found in the T58A’s user manual.
Final Words
If the Yealimk SIP-T58A is an example of a rock-solid desk phone, the T58A Teams IP is an example of collaboration done right. Such seamless integration between software and hardware is indeed rare to experience.
Whether you will opt for the standard SIP version, which is optimized for Teams, or the fully Teams-ready IP phone – depends on what level of cross-platform, cross-device integration you see your business at.
Are you interested in a cheaper device from Yealink’s T5S series – check our review of Yealink T56A.