AT&T Landline Phones: Pros, Cons, Uses, and Types

In the era of smartphones, finding a landline is becoming increasingly less common. That doesn’t mean they are gone, however, and the big three telecommunications companies (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) are still selling landline phones to customers who want that service. While they won’t be found in every cell phone store you come across, landlines are still very much on the market.

AT&T specifically has several types of phones and plan options for people who want to have a landline. From both a hardware and software perspective, AT&T still values landline accessories as an important aspect of the telephone market. Landlines have their pros and cons, and there is a significant chunk of the country that can still benefit from having one in their home or office.

Here, Navi helps you understand the benefits and disadvantages of using landlines.

Landline Phone Plans

There are two primary landline phone packages that AT&T offers.

The traditional home phone plan provides basic landline amenities. This includes a residential phone number and unlimited local calling. Without adding any long-distance add-ons, the traditional plan costs $39 per month.

The Complete Choice Enhanced plan is very similar to the traditional plan, but it sets itself apart with 12 extra features unique to this plan. These include caller ID, three-way calling, call forwarding, speed calling 8, call return, missed call dialing, call again, and selective call forwarding. These improvements over the traditional plan are meant to increase security and quality of life when dealing with your landline phone. This plan costs $53 per month.

In addition to these two plans, there are also long-distance add-ons available. These do not have an official price listed with AT&T and will differ from person to person. If you do not opt to purchase long-distance options then you will be paying a toll every time you make a long-distance call from your home or office phone.

What Are the Benefits of a Landline?

Landlines may not be in fashion anymore, but there are plenty of reasons why getting a landline phone could benefit you. For starters, it’s a great option for an office space. If you want to have a communal phone for a group then using a landline is very convenient. It lets you have your device in a centralized spot while eliminating the confusion of distributing mobile smartphones for the office.

Landlines are convenient to have in case of emergencies. If cell reception goes down or you have issues with your mobile infrastructure, landlines will be entirely removed from that. When large-scale emergencies happen such as natural disasters, it is possible for cell towers to be damaged or for mobile networks to fail. In these instances, landlines act as a fallback plan that may still function.

What Are the Problems With a Landline

One big problem with landlines is that they can cost more than your average mobile network plan. $30 to $50 would be cheap for a high-tier mobile plan, but it is important to remember that there are only basic services that come with a landline plan. You don’t get internet browsing, data allowances, or free subscriptions with these plans. Instead, you are paying a large sum solely for the ability to make phone calls from your landline.

Another obvious issue is that landlines just aren’t mobile. They are only useful when you spend a lot of time in one place, and while that applies to many people there are some who just won’t have a use for this. We live in a time where it is important to be constantly available, which is something that is not possible with a landline.

What Are the Best Phones With AT&T

AT&T sells a variety of both cordless and corded landline phones that you can purchase. Some of these are just basic phones for making easy phone calls while others come with multi-line operations and an answering system.

What is the Cheapest AT&T Landline Plan?

In short, the cheapest AT&T plan for landlines is the traditional home phone plan which costs $51/month, though the website encourages you to call them for the best offer. Note that this price does not include taxes and fees, so expect to add around 10-12% to the final price.

Prices for Corded Phones

For people who want great corded options, AT&T has a wide variety of price ranges.

On the cheaper end, you can get Trimline corded phones in either black or white for $14.95. These come with a speed dial option and a simple handset with a dock. All of the buttons are contained entirely on the handset itself.

For $43.95 you can purchase a corded speakerphone with an answering machine and caller ID mechanism. This phone has a full keypad on the dock, allowing you to utilize several more inputs than are possible on the cheap trimline options.

At the expensive end of the spectrum, you can purchase a four-line expandable corded phone system. This device comes with multiple lines and a speakerphone option, making it great for people who need to have multiple lines running at the same time.

This is especially useful for people who want to utilize this device in an office setting. This phone costs $109.95.

Prices for Cordless Phones

Cordless phones tend to be a little more complex than corded phones, allowing you to remove them from the dock and take them anywhere in the house. Cordless phones function similarly to corded phones, just with a mobile handset that can be removed from the dock.

For $19.95 you can purchase a cordless phone with caller ID and a digital answering system. This is the cheapest cordless option that AT&T provides and it is meant to be a basic and easy-to-use device for the home.

If you want something more flexible, you can purchase the cordless answering system with a caller ID for $59.95. This option lets you utilize push to talk and it has a longer range between the dock and the handset, meaning you can use it in a large office space if needed.

On the very expensive side, you can spend $569.95 on the SynJ 4-line corded/cordless system. This phone has a cordless range of up to half a mile and you can use multiple handsets with it. This is another solid option for people who want to spend their money on a top-of-the-line phone for their office space.

The Bottom Line

Landlines are not for everyone, and many of the most important uses have been taken over by smartphones. However, that does not mean that landlines are completely obsolete. Landlines are great for office space and they have the benefit of being separate from our nation’s mobile network infrastructure.

There are still plenty of ways to purchase a landline and a phone for it if you are interested, and AT&T is a great option with its Traditional and Complete Choice Enhanced plans. These can be pricey and they are much more limited in use than a mobile phone plan, so make sure you know you want a landline phone before you commit to purchasing one.

While Navi doesn’t offer any tools to help pick the best landline for your needs, Plan Finder helps you compare cell phone plans to find the perfect cell phone plan for you by comparing your current plan to all the options you qualify for across the market. Try it for free in seconds!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AT&T offer landlines anymore?

Yes, AT&T still provides home landlines. You can get traditional home phone service through AT&T, and in some areas, the company also offers landlines powered by their fiber-optic network.

What is the disadvantage of a landline phone?

The biggest disadvantage of a landline phone is the cost. Traditional landline services tend to be pricier than VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) options because of the hefty expenses tied to infrastructure and maintenance.

Why do I need a landline if I have a cell phone?

Since a wired landline does not need electricity, you can plug it directly into the wall and use it during a power outage, which makes it a reliable backup if your cell service ever goes down.