Over the last month or so we took a look at several of the more popular stereo Bluetooth headset options so we could get ready for the iPhone 3.0 goodness set arrive sometime today. In case you’re itching to get your ears on some as well, here’s a quick roundup of what we looked at:
Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth Headset ($49.95 – WMExperts Store link): Chad thought this headset was great, and I will “suffer” through the minor ear fatigue just to use them. They provide a great value in functionality and sound great. Minus side, they’re a tad heavy and aren’t the best for use when lying down.
Plantronics Voyager 855 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset (69.95 – WMExperts Store link): Jeremy said this headset is a fantastic deal. Not only will you be able to take full advantage of the upcoming 3.0’s A2DP feature you get a very good overall bluetooth stereo headset. Cons include the lack of noise cancellation.
Motorola S9 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset ($49.95 – WMExperts Store link): Rene’s take is if you want something solid, affordable, portable, and functional for your iPhone 3.0 device on the go, you’d do well to consider the Motorola S9s. On the negative side, fitting may be an issue and they don’t work well for lying down.
Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones ($84.95 – WMExperts Store link): Rene’s conclusion is if you want this form factor and sound quality matters to you more than price, these are top of the charts — easily. Cons were same as the non-HD version.
Come this “summer”, iPhone 3.0 — see our walkthrough — will allow iPhone 3G (and perhaps next-generation iPhone users) to enjoy new Bluetooth functionality including stereo headsets, both the A2DP audio and ARCP control protocols. For consumers, the Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth headset (available from our sibling store, WMExperts) may be an option you want to consider come release day. For developers testing using the A2DP/ARCP profiles on the iPhone 3.0 Beta, they might even be something you want to consider now.
Note: This pre-review will not be focusing on iPhone 3.0 functionality, which is currently in closed beta. It will concentrate only on the headset itself. However, for those developers needing an A2DP headset for testing 3.0, it’s our understanding this one works well on multiple units, over multiple carriers.
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With WWDC 2009 right around the corner, there is excitement in the air. The iPhone OS 3.0 software and a highly possible next generation iPhone are right around the corner. Now what does this have to with the Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset? The answer to that question is simple – A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). Finally A2DP is coming to an iPhone near you… unless you still plan on keeping that first generation iPhone. (Sadly, for A2DP, you guys will need to upgrade to a current 3G model or the soon-to-be-announced next generation hardware.)
So, iPhone 3G owners, what better way to get a jump on things than by picking up the Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset?! It is available in TiPb’s sibling store WMExperts for a cool $69.95. After the break, a full review!
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Come this “summer”, iPhone 3.0 — see our walkthrough — will allow iPhone 3G (and perhaps next-generation iPhone users) to enjoy new Bluetooth functionality including stereo headsets, both the A2DP audio and ARCP control protocols. For consumers, the Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth headset (available from our sibling store, WMExperts) may be an option you want to consider come release day. For developers testing using the A2DP/ARCP profiles on the iPhone 3.0 Beta, they might even be something you want to consider now.
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A while back Dieter asked for a fast way to toggle Airplane Mode on the iPhone — a triple click of the home button, perhaps. Yesterday he and I were talking about all the new Bluetooth functionality in iPhone 3.0 and the same point came up — right now, to turn Bluetooth on or off you have to:
Wake the iPhone, Slide to Unlock, (type a Passcode perhaps), (return Home perhaps), tap Settings, tap General, tap Bluetooth, and then toggle the ON/OFF switch.
That’s a lot of overhead, in terms of mental “work” and physical interactions.
With Bluetooth headsets, Stereo Bluetooth speakers, Bluetooth connectivity for accessories, Bluetooth connectivity of tethering, P2P gameplay and P2P app exchange, etc. a much faster way to flip the Bluetooth switch would be really appreciated.
Triple-click may not work in terms of usability, but surely there must be some other way? Maybe surface the ON/OFF toggle on the main Settings page, just before the drill down arrow? Jeremy thinks letting users add Settings shortcuts as icons on the Home Screen (like we can currently do with Safari bookmarks) would work. Anyone have any other ideas?
We hear via Crave and confirmed via a quick check at the Apple Store that Apple is discontinuing their Apple-branded Bluetooth headset. It had a nice run, we suppose, but aside from a clever dual-charging iPhone accessory, the headset was actually pretty bare-bones compared with other options (My own personal favorite is the BlueAnt Z9i headset).
It’s probably a safe bet that Apple is going to replace it with a set of Stereo Bluetooth headphones in the fairly near future, given that their A2DP implementation on iPhone 3.0 is pretty nice (check out the images in our walkthrough — much easier to toggle it on the iPhone than it is on most other devices). Another safe bet may be that Apple’s ‘phones, as with their current headphones and also this now-discontinued Bluetooth headset, will be decent enough but not as good as what you can find from other manufacturers. I’m fond of the Motorola S9-HD, if you’re curious, but the Voyager 855 is my day-to-day, as it’s sorta-kinda safer while riding my bike as I can leave my left ear open to listen for cars.
[Thanks to all of you who sent this in!]
There were plenty of things we were hoping for with iPhone 3.0, but that list definitely included improved support for the many things we can do with Bluetooth. The list was as long as the feature list for Bluetooth itself and though Apple didn’t get everything, they certainly got a lot. Here’s the list of what you can (and can’t) do with Bluetooth on iPhone 3.0:
- A2DP Stereo Bluetooth. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And come this summer, your bluetooth stereo headphones and speakers will work with the iPhone 3G. Note, it will not work on the original iPhone 2G.
- Peer to Peer. This is a big one, folks, but it’s a little strange. You can share files and talk to other apps over Bluetooth. This means you’ll be able to do multiplayer games, for example, or ‘beam’ your contact card from one iPhone to another. Or heck, play a trombone duet. No pairing is required, either. Discovery of other iPhones happens with Apple’s Bonjour ZeroConf autodiscovery protocols
- Control Accessories. In addition to the dock accessory control, you can now control Bluetooth accessories from within an app. The example from the event was a glucose meter, but the possibilities are honestly endless.
- Tops on my Bluetooth list: Bluetooth keyboard support. Technically, you will be able to do with with iPhone 3.0. The weird issue there, however, is that this keyboard support would have to happen on an app-by-app basis instead of happening device-wide. That, friends, is a bit of a bummer.
Biggest Bluetooth surprise of the event: confirmation that the 2nd Generation iPod Touch DOES have Bluetooth and they can ‘unlock’ it to reveal Bluetooth features.
Apple’s consistently been providing us with inconsistent information as to whether the iPod Touch has Bluetooth installed or whether it doesn’t. We won’t know for sure until someone does a tear-apart and chip analysis of it, but the software for sure seems to indicate that it could, as referenced by the screenshot of an iPod Touch in diagnostic mode. Note also the awesomeness of the Cereal Number, ambient light sensor, and temperature sensor.
figure 1: the only reason I can think of to include Bluetooth for an iPod that isn’t a phone is for Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP. That, or wireless syncing. Either would be fine really.
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If it has no Bluetooth, then it stands to reason that it has no stereo bluetooth either.
Why would an iPod Touch need Bluetooth? I mean, the only purpose I can think of offhand for Bluetooth is Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)… and there’s no way that they’d put stereo bluetooth in just the iPod touch, since that’s not even their “best” iPod, Steve Jobs consistently says that’s the iPhone’s honor… hmmmm.
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Plantronics Voyager 855 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset (69.95 – WMExperts Store link): Jeremy said this headset is a fantastic deal. Not only will you be able to take full advantage of the upcoming 3.0’s A2DP feature you get a very good overall bluetooth stereo headset. Cons include the lack of noise cancellation.
Motorola S9 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset ($49.95 – WMExperts Store link): Rene’s take is if you want something solid, affordable, portable, and functional for your iPhone 3.0 device on the go, you’d do well to consider the Motorola S9s. On the negative side, fitting may be an issue and they don’t work well for lying down.
Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones ($84.95 – WMExperts Store link): Rene’s conclusion is if you want this form factor and sound quality matters to you more than price, these are top of the charts — easily. Cons were same as the non-HD version.
