Ubiquiti UVP-Pro Phone - My first impressions and initial review

[Frick]

I got a Ubiquiti UVP-Pro phone (the version with bluetooth and a camera) the other week and mentioned I would do a quick write up THIS thread, so here it is. The phone is pretty cool but the software and options for deployment still have a way to go before it being something I would try to sell to a client.

My experience with the phone has been deploying it only with a Unifi controller (no USG/Security Gateway) and connecting it to my RingCentral account. I have not tested the pbx system built into the Security Gateway

Ubiquiti is working hard on addressing bugs and making the deployment/configurations of the phones easier, as they have pushed out numerous updates already and are very active on the forums.

Hardware:

• The phone looks great, and overall feels of quality construction. The hardware is powerful enough to run the Android OS with good responsiveness (although I have not installed many apps up to this point).
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• Something that I anticipated is it is a fingerprint magnet. The glass they use is not as oil/grease resistant as a cell phone so it gets cloudy and oily pretty fast. The frame and handset also easily show where it was touched.
• The speaker in not quite as loud as I would like. Its plenty loud in my office, but in an area with more outside noise it may not quite get the job done.
• There is a mute button on the actual handset which is nice but you have to be careful not to hit it inadvertently.
• The handset cord is not removable/replaceable. Many people have complained about that on the Ubiquiti forums, but doesn't bother me.

Software

• You can use the phone without any Unifi controller or Security Gateway by entering your SIP service info, but you can not really update the phone without the use of the Unifi controller. The software version shipped with my phone was a couple levels back to the current one available.
• The Unifi controller and Security Gateway allow for you to configure the phones easily but are missing some of the settings that currently are only found on the actual phone. This will force you to manually enter these settings, if needed, on each phone. They posted on the forums that they are fixing this in an upcoming Unifi controller update.
• I really like having access to an Android platform on the phone, for stuff like Google Now, contacts, etc.
• There is an audio bug with the handset where the audio you hear is digitized or robotic. The speaker on the phone does not have the same issue.
• The majority of bluetooth devices have low audio issues when connected, where you cant really hear the other end at all, even with the volume all the way up. This makes using bluetooth not viable currently, leaving only the use of the external jack for a headset if you want to go hands free.
• There are other minor bugs such as the phone auto dialing the last number if you pickup the handset, hang it up, and then pick it up again.
• The voicemail indicator function is not working properly with RingCentral if you are not using a Security Gateway in your deployment.
• The software is lacking some customization abilities such as defaulting how the phone should react when ending a call. It does different things if you end a call by hanging up the handset, pressing End Call, or the other party hangs up first.
• Some other minor annoyances but not worth getting into here.

So again, overall a really cool phone with lots of promise, but just not quite there. I would hope in the next 3-6 months they have all the issues ironed out and the general use of the phone refined.

 

[Moltuae]

Very informative. Thanks Frick.

I think I'll probably order one to play with and familiarise myself with but, as you say, seems they're not quite ready for any serious use yet.

I think Ubiquiti do need to focus more on ironing out the bugs. They're in danger of getting a reputation for being a seller of innovative yet buggy/unfinished products.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Going to take home the one we got as a demo....use as a tie in to HQ from home.
I like the "heaviness of the phone, feels solid, metal, not like light plastic such as the RingCentral Polycom based units.

Just got onboard being a RingCentral reseller, we'd like to purchase phones wholesale, provision ourselves, and make money on that...versus getting the pre-provisioned phones from RC and not making money on those.

 

[CTL]

I have had RC since they came out; both RC and Ubiquiti are my favorite vendors. Guess its time to bring the two together and grab a phone!

Thanks for the review!

Story:
One of my clients is a venture capitalist\investor, he purchased a business in NJ a few years and had me come in and setup the server. I still remember that day, he kept saying Ubiquiti this and Ubiquiti that. I said what are you talking about. He said Im an investor in this company called ubiquiti and there equipment is amazing, he gave me a free access point the next day and I have been using there equipment ever since.

 

[Mainstay]

Preface: I know nothing about phone systems or setups... please don't slay me.

We currently get phone via our cable provider. I am not really interested in switching to RC or anything else... but am looking for a better in-house setup. Unify has been really impressing me with their routers, WAPs, and security cameras. Admittedly, my knowledge of these products is still in its infancy... but I am interested in knowing more about their phones etc.

Our current off-the-shelf generic handsets are wearing out a furious rate.

With this sort of phone, can we:

• plug in and use as a regular phone?
• record voice calls to the ubiquiti controller?
• have a routing assistant (press 1 for x, press 2 for y)?
• have in-house mailboxes?
• use the built in camera as a security system (tie into the Unify Video controller)?

I am reading the manuals... so again, please don't respond too harshly =)