Voipblog recently had the opportunity to test the new Siemens Gigaset DE380IPR, the first desktop IP phone from Gigaset. The simple yet stylish looking model is clearly designed for the residential and SME sector and could be a big hit for service providers looking to standardise on a good quality handset.

Gigaset is well known for their range of cordless DECT handsets but relatively new to the desktop phone market. The move is likely to be the start of more SME solutions from Gigaset since Siemens internal divisions have been carved up and there is no longer the conflict of Gigaset stepping on the toes of Siemens PBX division. But enough about Gigaset and more about the phone…

The physical appearance of the phone is appealing with a raised LCD screen and all the common function keys for hold, transfer, conferencing and DND being easily accessable. The one notable surprise on the physical specs is the lightness of the handset, giving it an almost cheap feel, when compared to more sturdy handsets such as snom.

The web interface is the same intuitive interface as the cordless phone models, so a breeze to configure and set up. The phone supports numerous codecs including the G722 wideband codec. This, along with the Siemens HDSP (High Definition Sound Performance) support on the phone, provides excellent sound quality on the device. So the skepticism regarding the weight of the handset was unjustified when it came to performance.

The built in router on the DE380IPR is clearly a feature that would appeal to residential users or ITSP’s allowing for software selectable router or bridge mode. Below are a couple screenshots of the web interface

Overall the Gigaset DE380IPR is a great product, comparable with the snom 300 or Polycom IP320/330 and, supporting wideband, at a local retail price point of about R 900 it seems like a good deal!