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AT&T DL72219 Review

If you are looking for a middle-of-the-road phone at a middle-of-the-road price, then this is it
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AT&T DL72219 Review
Price:  $61 List
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Manufacturer:   AT&T
By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Dec 20, 2021
64
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 9
  • Sound Quality - 30% 7.0
  • Range - 25% 7.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 8.0
  • Features - 15% 4.0
  • Battery Life - 10% 3.0

Our Verdict

While the AT&T DL72219 did fail to claim one of the top spots overall, it is not a bad phone. This product performed moderately well in the majority of our tests, earning it a score right in the middle of the group. It is very easy to use and has both an above-average range and sound quality, two aspects that can improve the user's experience significantly. However, it did exceptionally poorly in our battery life test and is a bit sparse when it comes to features. It's a great middle-of-the-road option at what we think is a fair price, but there are better options if you are searching for a top-tier product or an exceptional bargain.
REASONS TO BUY
Easy to use
Good sound quality
REASONS TO AVOID
Lackluster battery life
Limited features

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  Best Buy Award
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line This phone performed moderately well across the board and usually retails at a reasonable priceThis phone is a fantastic option if you want a bare-bones product that is easy to use with impressive sound quality and rangeThis middling phone is basic in its functions and inexpensiveWhile this phone might not have claimed the top spot, it delivered alright results, earning a score in the middle of the packGreat phone for a great price
Rating Categories AT&T DL72219 AT&T CL82207 AT&T BL102 Panasonic KX-TGD532W AT&T EL51203
Sound Quality (30%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
5.0
6.0
Range (25%)
7.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
Ease of Use (20%)
8.0
7.0
6.0
8.0
5.0
Features (15%)
4.0
4.0
4.0
5.0
4.0
Battery Life (10%)
3.0
7.0
7.0
3.0
4.0
Specs AT&T DL72219 AT&T CL82207 AT&T BL102 Panasonic KX-TGD532W AT&T EL51203
Link to Cell Phone Yes No No No No
Caller ID Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Caller ID Announcement No Yes Yes Yes No
Measured Unobstructed Range 840 ft. 840 ft. 840 ft. 840 ft. 840 ft.
Measured Obstructed Range 280 ft. 300 ft. 290 ft. 390 ft. 220 ft.
Call Waiting Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Call Block Up to 1,000 Smart Call Blocker* Yes Up to 150 Dial *60
Expandable Handsets Up to 5 Up to 12 Up to 5 Up to 6 Up to 5
Corded (Phone) Base No No No No No
Speaker Phone on Base No No Yes No No
Speaker Phone on Handset Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Phone Book Capacity 1000 50 50 100 50
Speed Dial No Yes No Yes Yes
Redial Last 10 Numbers Last 10 Numbers Yes Yes Last 10 Numbers
Wall Mountable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mute Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hold No No No Yes No
Any Key Answer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Push to Talk (PTT) No Yes No No No
Backlit Display Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Eco Mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Silent/Quiet Mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Voice Command No No No No No
HD Audio w/ Equalizer No Yes Yes Yes No
Lighted Keypad Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Optional Belt Clip No No No No No
Headset Jack No No No No No
Additional Lines No No No No No
RoHS Compliant Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Answering Machine Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Our Analysis and Test Results

One handy feature that sets this phone apart from many others is the ability to link to smart devices via Bluetooth. This means you can use the DL72219's handsets to answer calls coming in over your smartphone.

Performance Comparison


at&t dl72219 - if you are looking for a middle-of-the-road phone that won't break...
If you are looking for a middle-of-the-road phone that won't break the bank, this is a solid option.
Credit: Jason Peters

Sound Quality


We began our test by evaluating and ranking the audio quality of each phone. We left messages to be scored by judges and had them compare the call quality multiple times. The DL72219 did quite well, performing above average compared to the competing phones.

Our judges liked that conversations came through very clear and understandable for the most part. Voices didn't sound perfectly crystal-clear like they would with a face-to-face conversation but didn't sound overly hollow or distorted like they do on some of the cheapest models.

We also appreciated that there was negligible background static or buzz, and conversations were plenty loud.

at&t dl72219 - overall, we were quite impressed with this phone's performance in...
Overall, we were quite impressed with this phone's performance in our sound quality metric.
Credit: Jason Peters

Range


Our next set of tests focused on the range of each of these phones, comparing both their unobstructed line-of-sight and obstructed range when determining scores. For the obstructed test, we had several walls between each handset and the base station. The DL72219 again did very well, delivering a solid performance that earned it a great score in this metric.

This phone got off to a great start in the open range test, with conversations being very clear and easy to understand with more than 840' between the base station and the handset.


It maxed out around 1000', though we did get the occasional cutout while walking close to the extent of this range.

This phone also did similarly well in the obstructed range test, coming close to matching the performance of the top phones. It had multiple walls separating the base from the handset, and the conversation still came through clearly with close to 300' separating them.


To note, we did notice that the quality dropped significantly while walking around, only to rebound when stationary.

at&t dl72219 - we like how intuitive and easy to use the at&t dl72219 handset is.
We like how intuitive and easy to use the AT&T DL72219 handset is.
Credit: Jason Peters

Ease of Use


Next, we evaluated and compared how user-friendly and convenient the DL72219 is to operate. For this metric, we looked at both the basic and advanced functions for this phone, covering things like making or blocking calls, adding a number to the directory, navigating the menus, and the ease of reading the screen. This product did very well, earning a top-tier score.

The screen on this phone is easy to read, with our tester able to clearly make out the information at a distance of 6'. It has a nice backlight which, along with the majority of the buttons being backlit, makes it very easy to read at night.

at&t dl72219 - if you are looking for an exceptionally user-friendly phone, then...
If you are looking for an exceptionally user-friendly phone, then this is hard to beat.
Credit: Jason Peters

We like the loud page function that helps you locate a lost handset, and the any-key answer function makes it a breeze to answer an incoming call. It also makes it easy to call back a missed call through the CID menu. Important to some folks, this model lacks a speed dial. The ringer is quite loud, and we found it to be easy to navigate through the menus and settings to set things like the time and date.

It can be a little tedious to enter names into the directory, but we did like how convenient it is to block calls, provided you have a CallerID paid subscription. Finally, we also like how easy it is to set up the quiet mode on this phone. You simply hold down the “#” key and then enter the number of hours using the keypad that you want the phone to remain in “Do Not Disturb” mode.

at&t dl72219 - while the at&t dl72219 is exceptionally easy to use, it can be a...
While the AT&T DL72219 is exceptionally easy to use, it can be a little light on features compared to the competition.
Credit: Jason Peters

Features


We based the scores on the prevalence of common features available in each model for our features test. Unfortunately, we found the DL72219 to be a bit lacking in this regard, earning it a score a bit below average.

This phone system only offers the option to expand up to 5 headsets — considerably less than many of the competitors. However, it does make up for this a bit with a more than ample phonebook capacity of up to 1000 numbers. The main base lacks a speaker and keypad, but the aforementioned link-to-cell feature is a nice addition. It has an integrated answering machine and can act as a household intercom system.

at&t dl72219 - this phone lacks a keypad on the main base and doesn't have the most...
This phone lacks a keypad on the main base and doesn't have the most impressive battery life.
Credit: Jason Peters

Battery Life


Our final metric evaluated and compared the battery life of each cordless phone, looking at both the standby and talk time, as well as time to recharge. Unfortunately, the DL72219 fared very poorly in this regard, earning one of the lower scores of the group.

The manufacturer claims that you should get up to 7 hours of talk time with each handset in normal use or about half that when using the speakerphone. The DL72219 actually exceeded this in our tests, lasting for about 8.5 hours before dying but this was still quite a bit less than the top-performing phones in this test.

It's listed as having a standby time of up to 5 days and taking around 16 hours to charge — both are average to slightly below-average claims in our experience.

Value


The DL72219 is a decent value if you are looking for a slightly better phone than the real bargain options but don't want to shell out the cash for a top-tier cordless phone system.

Conclusion


All in all, the DL72219 is a solid phone that lands squarely in the middle of the group. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that you might want, and the battery life is a bit lacking, but it has more than enough range and sound quality for most people in our minds. This phone is a fine option to consider if you want to upgrade from the most bare-bones options but are still shopping on a budget.

David Wise and Austin Palmer