Customer Reviews
Excellent 2-line Value 
2008-06-18
For homes or small businesses that require two phone lines, this AT&T console is an exceptional value. Dial numbers are large and finger friendly, incoming call viewer is prompt and easily read, and entering frequently-called numbers is easy. The Manual requires careful review, but is accurate.
Great Value 2008-06-14
When purchased at the Amazon price, this phone is a great value. Loaded with features and simple to operate. If you're looking for a 2-line phone for home or office, I would recommend this one. I was impressed enough with one that I purchased a second. Again, a great value at the Amazon price.
at&t993 speakerphone 2008-06-05
this is a fine product at a very reasonable price. It is a very competent phone which is easy to use and is full of many useful features. caller I.D, a 100 number directory with dialing are just a few of these features included . I am using it in a small business and it works very well. Highly recommended...
Unrefined phone 
2008-06-04
This is a phone with minor but annoying flaws. Keypad volume can't be adjusted so key actions or auto dialing in the speakerphone mode is annoying loud. Of course, one can dial using the handset, but at the expense of freeing the hands. Some older AT&T models feature dialing tone volume which can be tamed by the speaker volume control
Each line has a single ringer tone and they are almost identical. Why such a primitive design when cell phones today offer a number of musical selections?
There is no ability to manually add a name when an incoming call number (private call) is saved. This is a very useful feature if one has many private callers with similar phone numbers. Speed dial is poorly implemented, not allowing electronic entry of names. As a result, it is not possible to display an incoming call by name if the caller is listed among the speed dial entries.
Clearly AT&T had low expectations for this phone. It is a dated phone and it shows.
Great 2 line Phone 2008-06-02
The At&T 993 is a great phone and good buy at Amazon. The dial pad has large, easy to use contoured keys. The receiver is comfortable. It features independent set up for each line. Choices include separate volume control & an option to set a "primary" line. There are separate in coming call indicator lights that light up and stay on until the call history for that line have been reviewed (a simple scroll down touch of the button). This feature works even when the incoming call were not answered. Time saver: quick dial a number in call history. To use it, scroll through the calling history for the desired ID/number, then touch enter, and it will dial the number for you. The call history remains unless deleted or excess of storage. The connection cord can be plugged to a wall jack directly behind the phone or to another location. I purchased this phone for these features: 2 line, speaker, hold, caller ID/call waiting, & AC powered. Other features includes speed dial, auto redial, conference calling, mute, 9v backup (battery not included), head set ready, and much much more. It is a large phone measuring about 7 3/4" wide x 7 3/4" long x 3 1/2" depth (without depth of wall phone jack). It can be use for both wall or desk use. We have used our new phone for about 1 month. I would purchase this product again.
new phone 
2008-07-21
this is an updated version of a phone I had --the set up instructions were a little confusing;
A Good Deal 2008-07-12
I had a second phone line installed for my Home Office, but still wanted access to my Home line for personal calls. With limited desk space, a two-line phone seemed to be the answer, and it was! After a good deal of research, I settled on the AT&T 993 corded 2-line phone with speakerphone.
This phone has so many features, it will take a good while to learn how to use them, but I am not under any pressure to do so. I can use what I need now and implement the others as time allows.
I especially like the clarity, which is most important as I have a hearing disability. Next is the caller ID, which is large and very clear, and stores the last 99 call numbers and associated information, which you can then process in a number of ways, such as call-back, put the number in your directory, erase etc. Also, you can put up to twenty of these, or other numbers on your "Instant Call" list, accessed by a "one-touch" button on the front of the phone.
The instruction manual that comes with the phone is written in English (only), by some one who is proficient in both the language and the phone. It is extremely detailed and easy to follow.
Price-wise, the phone, purchased on Amazon, is a bargain. It has more value for the money than I have seen elsewhere.
I would highly recommend this telephone !
Great phone...except for the HUM. *** UPDATED! *** 2008-07-09
***** UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL POST *****
The humming was in fact the phone company's problem! I got a 3rd telephone (Cortelco 2720 2 line phone) and talked to a technician there before ordering. He said they make high quality phones, and if I plugged in their phone and heard the same type/level of humming as I heard on my two AT&T 993's, that he was positive it was the phone line or jack etc. I ordered the Cortelco phone, plugged it in, HUMMMMM! I called out the phone technician, and he still said it was the phones. We stripped out everything and were standing outside listening to the lines BEFORE they got to my house...and ALL of the phones hummmed. He said, 'See, it's your phones.' I said there's no way that 3 new phones could hum like that... could the BOX be defective outside the house? THEN, it dawned on him to substitute my 3rd line (fax line only) for one of the two lines going into the phone, and after he did that, it was CRYSTAL CLEAR. He zipped everything up, went down the street somewhere to a phone company box, switched the physical line that ran from there to the phone company, and walla, all of my lines (and THREE phones) are now crystal clear.
'After further review from the officials', all told, I would change my rating to a 4.5 stars, simply because the LCD display is not very good. In the end, I decided to keep and use the Cortelco phone because it has a much more readable display (it lights up with blue background when you press any button and the letters are 50% larger and clearer). There are a few minor advantages that the AT&T993 has over the Cortelco phone, but the speaker phone on the Cortelco is actually slightly better than the 993, and all things considered, with my eye-sight a little weak, I'm going to use the Cortelco. I'm keeping my two AT&T phones however. My wife uses one, and the other we'll put somewhere else in the house.
If you need to have a good, clear LCD display, you'll like the Cortelco.
***** FINISHED WITH UPDATE *****
I researched several phones and this phone was easily the best overall choice when it came to features, functionality, ease-of-use, and cost. I only have two drawbacks:
1) Minor - The LCD background could/should be lit up more. It's a little difficult to see in different light environments.
2) Major - When BOTH lines are connected to the phone (regular land-line POTS lines), when picking up the handset for either line, it has a very noticeable, annoying HUM. When only ONE line is plugged in (doesn't matter which one), there is no hum at all.
I had the phone company come out and test the lines, and they said each line was fine, and they of course blamed the 'cheap' phone. I called AT&T, and of course they blamed the phone company for not testing it on their own (service man's) 2-line phone. I bought TWO of these 993 phones just a couple of weeks ago, and they BOTH have the annoying HUM in rooms that are at opposite ends of the house. When you are talking to somebody with the volume all the way on low, it's noticeable and a litte bothersome...when you turn up the volume at all, it's very annoying.
I typically disconnect the home line when I'm using the phone for business.
Great phone, lowsy hum. Made in China.
I was surprised to see the 992 but NOT the 993 at the website that it says to go for technical support (www.telephones.att.com)
AT&T 993 2008-07-01
This is an excellent buy. The clarity and functionality is unsurpassed. I'me very impressed.
Flaws in directory 
2008-06-22
In my 993, the directory alphabetizes only by the first letter. Within each letter group all is haphazard. According to the AT&T techs at the helpline, the order within each letter is in order that the items are entered. Not too good for adding a directory item later.
Secondly, while the instructions say that each directory name can be sixteen letters (spaces counting as letters), the sixteenth letter is the letter after the one keyed in. For example, if you key in an "f" as your sixteenth letter, a "g" will appear. Again, I checked this by phone with the AT&T helpline and was told that their models do the same thing. (This was after the first tech told me to exchange the phone. I did and the second had the same problem.
Since no one else has mentioned these problems (but the AT&T techs verified both on their models), I wonder if this is a problem with a more recent run of the product.
I have heard better sound using the receiver.
