VVX 300 vs VVX 301 — which should I buy?

The 301. Same form factor, same line keys, same display, but a faster processor and current firmware track. It's the direct successor. The 300 we carry only for customers maintaining existing fleets.

Does the VVX 301 have a color display?

No — it's a 208×104 greyscale LCD. The color version of this exact phone is the VVX 311. The 301 is cheaper by about $20 and most front-desk users don't actually need color for BLF labels.

Can I add a sidecar / expansion module to the VVX 301?

Yes — it supports the Polycom VVX Color Expansion Module (EXP 50). Each module adds 28 multi-color line keys with three pages. You can chain up to three modules off a single phone.

Does it have a USB port?

No. The VVX 300/301/310/311 generation predates USB on Poly desk phones. For USB headset or Wi-Fi dongle support, step up to the VVX 350 or any VVX 400-series.

Poly · VVX series · greyscale workhorse

Poly VVX 301A greyscale workhorse that just keeps working.

The VVX 301 is the direct successor to the VVX 300 — same chassis, same six-line layout, same 3.5-inch greyscale display, faster processor, refreshed firmware track. It's the volume mid-tier greyscale Poly phone for receptionists and shared assistants who need real line key real estate without paying for color.

Display

3.5″ monochrome · 208×104

SIP accounts

6 lines

Ethernet

Dual 10/100

USB ports

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Bluetooth / Wi-Fi

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Expansion

VVX EXP 50

$139 one-time

or rent for $11.99/mo — month-to-month, return anytime

Ships pre-configured · free next-business-day for orders $200+

Order a VVX 301 Rent for $11.99/mo Datasheet (PDF) ↓

✓ Auto-provisioned out of the box ✓ Warranty replacement included with rental ✓ Free shipping on orders $200+

Poly VVX 301 VoIP desk phone — front view with handset and dialpad — Poly VVX 301

Why the VVX 301 is on the catalog.

The VVX 301 was Polycom's response to the VVX 300 starting to feel sluggish after a few firmware updates. Same form factor, same line layout, faster CPU, more RAM. If you put a 300 and a 301 next to each other you can't tell them apart visually — the difference is internal.

It's the phone we recommend when someone needs six lines, doesn't need color, and wants the absolute lowest-friction Poly experience. The 3.5-inch screen is wide enough to show full BLF labels (call names, not just numbers), the soft keys are well-laid-out, and the dialpad has good tactile feel.

Where it isn't the right phone: if anyone in the team uses a USB headset, the 301 doesn't have a USB port — get the VVX 350 instead. If the phone is going on a desk where someone needs gigabit Ethernet to their workstation through the pass-through port, the 301's 10/100 limit will be a problem; again, the VVX 350 fixes that.

Full technical specifications.

Display & user interface
Display	3.5-inch 208×104 monochrome backlit graphical LCD
Line keys	6 programmable line keys
Soft keys	4 context-sensitive soft keys under the display
Physical keys	Dialpad, hold, mute, transfer, headset, message, redial, volume, navigation
Languages	Multiple on-screen languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, etc.)
VoIP & SIP
SIP accounts	Up to 6
SIP protocols	SIP v2 (RFC 3261), TLS / SRTP, NAT traversal, BLF / BLA, shared call appearance
Codecs	Opus, G.722, G.722.1, G.711a/μ, G.729AB, iLBC, Siren 14 / 22
DTMF	In-band, RFC 2833, SIP INFO
QoS	802.1p/Q VLAN tagging, DiffServ ToS, LLDP-MED
Audio
Speaker	Full-duplex with Polycom Acoustic Clarity (AEC, dynamic noise reduction)
HD voice	Polycom HD Voice on handset and speakerphone
Headset support	RJ9 headset jack, EHS via APP-51 adapter (sold separately)
Connectivity
Ethernet	Dual 10/100 Mbps
PoE	IEEE 802.3af Class 2
USB	None
Bluetooth	Not supported
Wi-Fi	Not supported (USB dongle not officially supported)
Power & expansion
Power source	PoE 802.3af Class 2 (preferred) or Poly 5V/0.6A power adapter (sold separately)
Expansion module	VVX EXP 50
Physical
Weight	1.02 kg
Dimensions	248 × 178 × 165 mm
Wall-mountable	Yes
Operating temperature	0 to 40 °C (32 to 104 °F)
In the box (from voip.army)
Included	Handset, base unit, curl cord, ethernet cable, stand, quick-start card, voip.army provisioning card with extension & SIP credentials pre-loaded
Not included	Power adapter (PoE preferred), EHS adapter for wireless headsets, expansion module

How it works on voip.army.

Plug the VVX 301 into PoE and ethernet. About a minute later it has registered to your extension. Same auto-provisioning flow as every other supported phone — no SIP credentials to type, no firmware to chase.

60s

Time from plug-in to first call

Boot, fetch config from our provisioning server, register, ready. About one minute on a normal internet connection.

SIP accounts on one phone

Run up to 6 simultaneous SIP registrations. Each line key has a dual-color LED for status.

Per-device onboarding fees

Bringing your own? Send us the MAC, factory-reset, plug in. No charge to add it to the fleet.

100M

Ethernet to the workstation

10/100 Mbps pass-through is fine for voice but caps a daisy-chained workstation at 100 Mbps.

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USB headset ports

No USB. Wired RJ9 headset jack only (if equipped).

802.3af

PoE class

Class 2 on most VVX. Any standard 802.3af switch powers it; no separate adapter needed.

Need VVX 301s for every desk?

Tell us how many you need and what extensions to map. We ship pre-configured next business day; you plug them in and they work.

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✓ Free shipping on orders $200+ ✓ 30-day hardware return ✓ Pre-configured before shipping