I have installed a few of the new phones, here is my take.
The ESI 40 phone is a sharp looking phone, basically the same cost as the 48 Key but has 31 keys, 16 programmable. IMHO, that is still plenty of buttons for all the unique features you want to put under a button. The desi on the 40 phone is also much easier to manage and will take less time to deploy. I like the phone and give kudos to esi for this phone. Hey, if you have a user that needs more buttons you can hook up a DSS to this phone, or for that user give them the 48 Key phone. The 48 Key phone is still available and from what I am told will be for quite some time.
The ESI 60, this phone is a back lit, full duplex phone, compare that to the 48 key that is back lit and full duplex, the cost difference is minuscule. Since this is a Desi-Less phone, installation of this phone will be less time, more than makes up the additional cost. This phone also has other benefits the 48 Key does not. Kudos again to ESI. Also on the IP end, there is a Gigabyte phone available, this is a must have going forward in the IP sector.
The 24key phone,
Price in line with a down and dirty phone, good move keeping this phone around.
Overall,
I like what they have done, the new line of phones are great, when I present all 4 models of phones, 60, 40, 48 key and 24 Key, nobody chooses the 48 key, at least not in the last 5 sales calls I have been at since the release of the new phones.
I am anxiously awaiting the Beta release of the color video media phone, I have played with a few others from other manufactures, from what I saw at the roll out, all I disliked about the ones I have played with, ESI has addressed, that phone (if priced right) will be a deal closer, especially if you know the pitfalls of the other like phones on the market. I overheard Doug say that ESI (time of the roll out) had already invested over a million dollars in R&D of this phone.
