Cisco Desk Phone 9800 Range
Cisco’s 9800 series is the premium end of what we supply: better audio, better build, and models with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a touchscreen built in. If your desk phone is the one visitors see, or the one that has to work without a network cable, this is the range.
The range
They share a chassis, a menu structure and a handset, so the difference between them is what the desk needs — colour, keys, Wi-Fi or expansion — not how they are used.
Entry / common areas
The phone for a corridor, a stockroom or a spare desk. A compact greyscale display, two line keys and nothing to get lost in — on the same platform as every other phone in the building.
Everyday desk
The sensible default. A backlit greyscale display, four line keys and a USB port, on gigabit Ethernet so it can sit between the wall socket and the PC without costing you a second network port.
Colour and expansion
Colour display, six line keys and USB-C. The first model in the range that takes a key expansion module, so it suits a desk that needs to see more colleagues at a glance.
The workhorse
A five-inch colour display, ten line keys and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in — so it goes on a desk with no network cable, and pairs a wireless headset without a dongle hanging off the back.
Reception and management
The top of the range, and the only touchscreen. A high-resolution touch display replaces the physical line keys, which makes call handling and transfers a matter of tapping the call you mean.
Functionality
Sign in to any phone in the building and it becomes your extension, with your lines and your call history. Desk reservation works the same way for offices where nobody has a fixed seat. Not available on the 9811.
A wider frequency range on both the handset and the full-duplex speakerphone. Two people can talk over each other and still be understood, which is what real meetings sound like.
Pair the phone with your computer and the audio stays on the handset while video and screen sharing run in the Webex desktop app. No model in the 9800 range has a built-in camera, so video comes from the machine already in front of you. Not available on the 9811.
On the 9861 and 9871, pair a wireless headset directly — Cisco headsets pair by simply being plugged in once. No dongle hanging off the back of the phone, and no fight over which USB port it lives in.
Bolt on extra screens of programmable keys for reception and switchboard positions, so busy-lamp status for the whole company is visible at a glance. One module on the 9851, up to three on the 9861 and 9871.
Register to Webex Calling or to a hosted platform, with the same phone. The handset does not need replacing if the platform underneath changes.
Picking a model
Every 9800 makes and takes calls beautifully. What you are choosing is the extras.
The 9841 is the sensible default. Go up to a 9851 if the desk needs colour and an expansion module, a 9861 if you cannot get a network cable there or want a wireless headset, and a 9871 if a touchscreen will genuinely be used rather than admired. The 9811 exists for the corridor.
Key counts, expansion options and firmware features vary by model revision and region. We confirm the exact specification against the current manufacturer datasheet before anything is ordered, so you never end up with a phone that nearly does what you needed.
9871 — the only model in the range with one.
9861 or 9871 — both connect over Wi-Fi.
9851 with one expansion module, or 9861 with three.
9811 for common areas, 9841 for a working desk. Both greyscale, both the same platform underneath.
Side by side
| Model | Display | Line keys | Wi-Fi & Bluetooth | USB | Expansion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9811 | 2.6-inch greyscale | Two | — | — | — |
| 9841 | 3.5-inch greyscale | Four | — | USB-A | — |
| 9851 | 3.7-inch colour | Six, up to 46 | — | USB-A & USB-C | One module |
| 9861 | 5-inch colour | Ten, up to 130 | Yes | USB-A & USB-C | Up to three |
| 9871 | 5-inch colour touch | Touch, up to 128 | Yes | USB-A & USB-C | Up to three |
Every model in the range includes wideband HD audio, a full-duplex speakerphone and Power over Ethernet. Gigabit Ethernet with PC pass-through is on the 9841 and above; the 9811 is 10/100. No model in the 9800 range has a built-in camera.
Next step
Send us a rough desk count and how your people work. We will come back with a mix, a monthly cost and a straight answer about whether you need the Wi-Fi or touchscreen models.
