A cloud phone system lives on the internet, but people still talk to it through hardware: a desk phone, a cordless handset in the warehouse, a headset plugged into a laptop, or the mobile already in their pocket. Choose that hardware badly and an excellent phone system sounds tinny, drops calls on the shop floor and leaves the receptionist with a sore neck by 11am.
This guide covers how to decide who needs which device, the specifications that actually affect call quality and day-to-day use, the Australian compliance and warranty points to check, and how to avoid buying hardware your provider will not support.
1. Start With the Device Mix, Not the Catalogue
The most common hardware mistake is ordering one desk phone per person by default. In most offices that is too many. Decide by role:
| Role | Best primary device | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reception and front desk | Desk phone with busy lamp field keys, plus a headset | Sees who is free at a glance; transfers fast; hands free |
| Phone-heavy staff (sales, support, bookings) | Softphone on the computer with a quality headset | Integrates with CRM; no handset juggling |
| Occasional callers in an office | Desktop or mobile app; shared desk phone nearby | No hardware cost; works from home too |
| Warehouse, workshop, retail floor, clinic | DECT cordless handsets | Mobility on site without relying on mobile coverage |
| Field staff and trades | Business app on their mobile | Business number and caller ID on the phone they already carry |
| Meeting rooms | Conference phone or room video system | Microphones that pick up a whole table |
Our business phone system cost guide suggests a working rule for an ordinary office of one handset per three to four staff, plus one per shared area, plus a good headset for anyone phone-heavy. Most hosted plans include the desktop and mobile apps at no extra cost, so hardware is where the real savings are.
2. Desk Phones: What the Tiers Buy You
VoIP desk phones from the major manufacturers (Yealink, Poly, Grandstream, Fanvil and Snom are the names you will see most often in Australia) fall into broad tiers. Specifications vary by model, so treat this as a guide to what to look for rather than a description of any particular phone.
Entry level
Monochrome screen, a couple of line keys, HD voice and a basic speakerphone. Perfectly good for a shared phone in a lunchroom, a hallway or a warehouse office. Check it supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) if your switch provides it.
Mid range
Colour screen, more programmable keys, gigabit network pass-through, better speakerphone, and often Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The sweet spot for most office desks that need a physical phone at all.
Executive and reception
Large colour or touch screen, many busy lamp field (BLF) keys or support for an expansion module, a headset port with electronic hook switch support, and the best speakerphone in the range. Reception is where spending more is easiest to justify.
Video phones
Desk phones with a camera exist, but most businesses now run video through a laptop or meeting room system. Buy one only if your platform specifically supports video calling from the handset.
3. The Specifications That Matter
| Specification | What it means | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| HD voice (wideband, G.722 or Opus) | Captures a wider range of the voice; noticeably clearer | Everyone; check your provider supports it end to end |
| Power over Ethernet (PoE) | Phone is powered by the network cable; no power pack | Any office with a PoE switch; simplifies UPS backup |
| Gigabit pass-through | Computer plugs into the phone at full network speed | Desks with one network outlet shared by phone and PC |
| BLF keys | Lights showing whether colleagues are on a call; one-touch transfer | Reception, managers, small teams that transfer a lot |
| EHS / headset port | Lets a wireless headset answer and hang up the desk phone | Anyone using a wireless headset with a desk phone |
| Bluetooth | Pairs a headset or mobile | Useful, but a dedicated headset base is usually more reliable |
| Wi-Fi | Phone connects without a cable | Desks with no network outlet; wired is more reliable where possible |
| Accounts / lines | How many registrations the phone supports | Rarely a constraint on hosted platforms |
HD voice deserves a caveat: it only works when both ends and every link in between support a wideband codec. Calls to an ordinary mobile or landline elsewhere may fall back to narrowband. Internal calls and calls between compatible platforms benefit most. If calls sound poor regardless of the phone, the cause is more often the network than the handset; our VoIP call quality guide covers jitter, QoS and NBN plans.
4. DECT Cordless for Warehouses, Shops and Clinics
DECT is the cordless standard used by business VoIP phones: a base station connects to the network and talks to handsets over a dedicated radio band. It is the right tool when people need to move around a site and mobile coverage is patchy or you do not want staff using personal phones.
- Single-cell systems (one base, several handsets) suit a shop, a small clinic or a workshop.
- Repeaters extend coverage to a back room, yard or upper floor.
- Multi-cell systems let handsets roam between several bases without dropping calls. Needed for large warehouses, multi-storey premises and aged care or hospitality sites.
- Rugged handsets with better drop and dust ratings are worth it in trade and industrial settings.
Do a walk test before you buy: take a demo handset to every corner where staff will need it, including cool rooms and areas behind metal racking, which can block radio signals.
5. Headsets
For anyone who spends a meaningful part of the day on the phone, the headset matters more than the phone. It decides what the caller hears and how the user’s neck and ears feel at 4pm.
| Type | Strengths | Trade-offs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corded USB | Cheap, reliable, no charging | Tethered to the computer | Fixed desks, softphone users |
| Bluetooth | Works with laptop and mobile | Range and connection quality vary; battery life | Hybrid workers who move between devices |
| DECT wireless | Long range, dense-office friendly, can control a desk phone | Dedicated base; higher cost | Reception, busy offices, people who walk while talking |
What to look for
- A noise-cancelling microphone on a boom arm. This is about what the caller hears, and it matters most in open-plan offices.
- Mono or stereo: mono keeps one ear free for the office, stereo shuts out more noise. Reception usually prefers mono.
- Active noise cancellation (ANC) in the speakers helps the wearer in loud environments; it does not help the caller.
- Platform certification: headsets certified for Microsoft Teams or other platforms have buttons that work with that app. For a hosted PBX softphone, check the provider lists the headset as compatible for answer and mute controls.
- Comfort: ear cushion material and weight matter over an eight-hour day. Let heavy users trial before you buy in bulk.
- Hygiene: each person should have their own headset; shared headsets should have replaceable cushions.
6. Compatibility and Provisioning
Hosted phone systems support a list of tested handsets. Phones on that list can usually be provisioned automatically: you plug them in and they download their settings. Phones off the list may work, may half work, or may need manual configuration every time something changes.
- Ask for the supported device list before you buy anything, and before you sign if you want to keep existing phones.
- Check provisioning: does the provider ship phones pre-configured, or support zero-touch provisioning for phones you buy elsewhere?
- Check for locking: phones bought from some providers are locked to that provider. That is fine while you stay, and a cost when you leave.
- Firmware updates: confirm who keeps firmware current. Out-of-date firmware is a security risk as well as a source of bugs.
Some providers solve this by shipping handsets already configured against your account. VOCPhone makes this a core strength, as our VOCPhone review covers, and Uniden Voice over Cloud ships plug-and-play desk handsets as part of its plans. The trade-off is a curated hardware range rather than free choice.
Keeping your old phones
Phones from an old on-premises PBX are often proprietary and will not work with a hosted platform at all. Standard SIP phones may work if they are on the new provider’s list and still receiving firmware updates. Ask before assuming, because replacing a fleet can change the total cost of switching considerably.
7. Buying in Australia: Compliance, Warranty and Power
- Look for the RCM. Telecommunications equipment supplied in Australia should carry the Regulatory Compliance Mark, which indicates the supplier has declared it meets the applicable ACMA and electrical safety requirements.
- Be wary of grey imports. Cheaper overseas-market stock may come with foreign power supplies, firmware intended for another market, and no local warranty support.
- Consumer guarantees still apply. Products bought for business use can be covered by the Australian Consumer Law guarantees in many circumstances, in addition to the manufacturer’s warranty. Buying from an Australian supplier makes exercising those rights much easier.
- Plan power. Phones without PoE need a plug pack each, and desks run out of power points. A PoE switch on a UPS keeps every phone running through a short blackout from one battery. See our Triple Zero guide for why that matters.
8. Buy, Rent or Bundle?
Hardware is a one-off cost if you buy it outright; our cost guide puts typical desk phones at roughly $120 to $450 each. Renting or bundling hardware into a long contract spreads the cost but usually adds up to more than buying, and a handset described as free on a 36-month contract has been paid for somewhere in the monthly price.
Our view, consistent with the cost guide: buy outright where cash flow allows, buy fewer desk phones than you think, and spend the difference on good headsets for the people who live on the phone.
9. Buying Checklist
- Map every role to a primary device: desk phone, softphone and headset, DECT, mobile app or conference phone.
- Get your provider’s supported device list and provisioning options.
- Choose desk phones with HD voice and PoE; add BLF keys for reception.
- Walk-test DECT coverage on site before buying bases and repeaters.
- Trial headsets with your heaviest phone users.
- Confirm the RCM and buy from an Australian supplier.
- Plan power: PoE switch, UPS, and enough outlets.
- Decide who owns firmware updates and replacement of failed units.
If you are setting up a whole system rather than replacing a few phones, our step-by-step guide to setting up a business phone system puts hardware ordering in the right place in the sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a desk phone with a cloud phone system?
Not always. Most hosted plans include desktop and mobile apps, and many staff work well with a softphone and a good headset. Desk phones still make sense for reception, shared areas and people who prefer a physical handset. A common rule is one desk phone per three to four staff plus one per shared area.
What is the difference between a SIP phone and a DECT phone?
A SIP desk phone connects to your network with a cable or Wi-Fi and registers directly with the phone system. A DECT system uses a base station on the network that talks to cordless handsets over a dedicated radio band, letting staff move around a site such as a warehouse, shop or clinic.
What is HD voice on a VoIP phone?
HD voice uses a wideband codec such as G.722 or Opus to capture a wider range of the human voice, making calls noticeably clearer. It only works when both ends and the provider support it, so calls to ordinary mobiles and landlines may still be narrowband.
Which headset is best for a VoIP phone system?
Corded USB headsets suit fixed desks and softphones, Bluetooth suits hybrid workers moving between a laptop and mobile, and DECT wireless suits reception and busy offices. Look for a noise-cancelling boom microphone and check that the headset’s controls are supported by your provider’s app.
Can I keep my old phones when I switch to a hosted PBX?
Sometimes. Proprietary handsets from an old on-premises PBX usually will not work. Standard SIP phones may work if they are on the new provider’s supported device list and still receive firmware updates. Ask before you sign, because replacing a fleet can change the cost of switching.
What does the RCM mark mean on a phone?
The Regulatory Compliance Mark indicates the supplier has declared the equipment meets the applicable Australian regulatory requirements, including ACMA standards for telecommunications equipment and electrical safety. Look for it, particularly when comparing cheaper imported stock.