Mitel 6800i vs 6900 Series — Which to Deploy in 2026

A KSA enterprise refreshing Mitel phones in 2026 has two current options: 6800i series (mature, ample installed base) or 6900 series (current flagship). Both work. Both are supported. The decision depends on use case.

Mitel 6800i series — the workhorse

6863i: entry-level SIP, 2-line monochrome
6865i: 9-line SIP, monochrome backlit
6867i: 9-line color, gigabit
6869i: 24-line color, gigabit, Bluetooth
6873i: flagship 6800i, 24-line color, 7″ display, Bluetooth

Pros: mature, heavily deployed, Mitel-tested ecosystem, sometimes lower cost Cons: older industrial design, smaller user-base of mid-2010s era

Mitel 6900 series — the current flagship

6920: entry-level 6900, 4-line monochrome
6930: mid-tier, large color display, dual gigabit, Bluetooth
6940: flagship, 7″ color touch, premium executive
6970 IP Conference Phone: large-room conference

Pros: modern industrial design, current Mitel R&D investment, executive aesthetics Cons: premium pricing on flagship 6940; less installed base than 6800i

When to choose 6800i

Cost-conscious refresh — 6800i typically 15-25% cheaper than equivalent 6900
Legacy environment standardization — if the property already runs 6800i, sticking simplifies operations
Simple voice-only deployments without need for executive aesthetics

When to choose 6900

Executive desks — 6940’s 7″ color touch is the right phone for the C-suite
New deployments — fresh-start environments benefit from current flagship
5+ year horizon — 6900 is the current Mitel investment focus
Premium guest-facing roles (front desk reception, concierge)

Hospitality variant

Hotels typically deploy hospitality-specific phones (5301IP, 5302IP, 5304IP, 5310IP, 5312IP, or wireless 6920W) regardless of staff phone choice. The 5300-series hospitality firmware is mature and continues to be Mitel-supported.