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.

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iPhone 3.0 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset Review Roundup

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.

Form Factor

Controls

There is the “M” logo that blinks blue when the headset is on and each earpiece has a unique function. The left earpiece is used for making calls and has the volume control buttons (up and down). The right side is for music, skipping tracks, charging USB port and attaching an extra 3.5mm headset.

Functionality

This headset boasts some really nice functionality; 17 hours of talk, 15 hours of music, 500 hours of standby. This is more than enough to get you through a couple of days of use. In my testing, I was very pleased with the battery life. I am not an audiophile (heck, I listen to everything in 128kbps) so these things sound awesome. I can’t attest to this if you are huge audio-junkie. Regardless, they sound better the the headphones that come with the iPhone.

Conclusion

I have never used a stereo  Bluetooth headset before and I have to admit I was very impressed. Not only from the wireless freedom they give, but the sound was rather good. The added value of making phone calls was a really nice bonus. The only real issue I have with this headset is the weight. I wear glasses and these headphones rest directly on the top of your ear. The “resting piece” is a solid rubber, but still, after 20 minutes of use, I would notice ear fatigue. I don’t attribute this to the headset, but if you wear glasses, this type of headset may not work since it adds more pressure on the top of your ear since it is also competing for space with your glasses’ frame. If you don’t wear glasses, this headset might work for you. If you do, I recommend the Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth headset; check Rene’s review for more info.

This headset is great, and I will “suffer” through the minor ear fatigue just to use them. They provide a great value in functionality and sound great.

Pros

• Stereo bluetooth and headset in one!
• Sound is great
• Very comfortable, padded earpiece
• Additional 3.5mm jack for headphones
• Built in volume controls and skip tracks functionality
• Awesome battery life

Cons

• Heavier than your average headset
• If you wear glasses, can cause fatigue on your ears
• Not best for laying done

TiPb Accessory Pre-Review Rating:

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Pre-Review: Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth Headset for iPhone 3.0

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!

Design

The Voyager 855 consists of two pieces: a headset unit, which is where you will find all of your controls, and the detachable earpiece, which is what you will use to turn the 855 into a stereo headset – pretty crafty indeed.

The headset is sleek and stylish with its black coating with silver trimmed accents. The mic boom slides out to bring the microphone closer to your mouth. That not only makes it easier for the person with whom you are speaking to hear you, it’s also a way to answer and end calls – more on that a bit later.

Next up is it’s size. The Voyager tips the scales at mear .53 ounce (11 Grams) so it is surprisingly on the lighter side compared to other headsets available. It measures 2.25 inches by 0.5 inch by 0.6 inch. So again, not large by any means unless you have the boom extended. With the boom, look to add another inch or so to it’s length. To get a better grasp on it’s size below you will can see the Voyager next to the Jawbone 2 and Apple’s no longer available headset.

Now if you are looking to get in on the stereo bluetooth action you will need the separate stereo plug-in cable with earpiece. It looks just like a regular earbud attached to an ear loop. To get stereo bluetooth you simply need to attach the ear loop with earpiece to the main headset. The stereo setup is meant to be worn with the cable resting behind your neck.

Also included in the box: ear loop stabilizer (2 sizes), sound isolating ear buds, micro USB charger, lanyard, and carrying case.

Usability

I’ve been using the Voyager 855 for about a week now and I will admit the sound quality is pretty good compared to other headsets I have used in the past. While the headset is not as clear as — or does not boast noise cancelation like the Jawbone — it does contain AudioIQ, which is simply a fancy name for digital signal processing or DSP. Without noise cancelation, loud conditions did create a bit of background noise but people I spoke with did not have any problems hearing me or vice versa. So overall the AudioIQ does it’s job well. To make your voice heard even better you can also slide the boom down closer to your mouth. The boom can also be used to answer and end calls simply by sliding it out or in respectively.

The added bonus of the Voyager 855 is it’s ability to turn into a stereo bluetooth headset by simply adding the stereo plug-in cable. The sound quality for listening to music was pretty decent as well. I have no complaints in that department.

The big question I always have when it comes to bluetooth headset is how comfortable is it to wear and how is the battery life? This headset comes with three earbud pairs in different sizes, allowing you to pick and choose the most comfortable fit for you. You can wear the headset with or without the included earloop, on either your left or right ear. So with that said, you should not have any issues finding the right combination that will comfortably fit your needs. Battery life was excellent. Plantronics claims 7 hours of talk time, 6 hours of listening time, and 160 hours of standby time. I’ve put it through the ringer this week and have had to charge it two times within the week with a good amount of usage.

Conclusion

The Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset, which is available in the WMExperts store for $69.95 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.

Pros

• Low price for what you get
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Fits comfortably
• Great battery life

Cons

• No noise cancelation
• Micro USB charger

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Pre-Review: Plantronics Voyager 855 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset

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.

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.

Form Factor

The Motorola S9 is a fixed form, if flexible plastic horse-shoe shaped, behind-the-head fitting audio solution that combines stereo music with phone functionality. The advantage of being a singular unit is that it’s solid, unlikely to become loose or break off at some weak join point. The disadvantage is that if your head is too thin or too wide, the headset will be either uncomfortable or unusable. Likewise, the behind-the-head layout will appeal to those who like wearing hats or otherwise don’t want the bar crossing over their head. However, it may be a non-starter for people who want to use them while reclining or lying down.

Controls

A status light in the middle of the bulge along the back of the headset separates the standards-friendly mini-USB charging port on one side from the power button on the other. Both are covered by soft touch red plastic. The right-side earpiece has controls for play/pause, forward, and back. The left side earpiece has controls for answering the phone as well as volume up and down. These controls are under harder black plastic, with the play/pause and answer buttons providing a tactile, click feedback, and the volume and track buttons on either side lying flat and flush.

Functionality

The S9s are rated for 6 hours talk and 7 hours music, but like any re-chargeable product, battery life can and will vary based on usage and cycle. Sound volume is good, as is music quality, though the compression required for AD2P stereo Bluetooth transfer might not be to the liking of audiophiles. If you’re happy enough with traditional MP3 sound reproduction, however, you’ll likely have no problem with this device.

Conclusion

The freedom provided by wireless Bluetooth stereo headsets like the Motorola S9 will be a boon to iPhone users, the convenience easily outweighing concerns of audiophile-level sound reproduction (at least for most). They won’t fit everyone on either end of the physical or usage pattern scale, but as with the quality, they’re well suited for a large enough swathe down the middle.

Bottom line, if you want something solid, affordable, portable, and functional for your iPhone 3.0 developer unit, or upcoming iPhone 3.0 release unit, you’d do well to consider the Motorola S9s.

Pros

• Good sound
• Good battery life
• Good price-point
• Light and comfortable
• Well suited for on-the-go use.

Cons

• May not fit all head sizes
• Not well-suited for lying down

TiPb Accessory Pre-Review Rating

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Pre-Review: Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headset for iPhone 3.0

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?

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Dear Apple: Could We Have a Faster Way to Toggle Bluetooth on the iPhone?

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!]

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Apple Bluetooth Headset Discontinued

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.

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What’s new with Bluetooth in iPhone 3.0?

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.

[via]

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Does the iPod Touch have Bluetooth or Not?

If it has no Bluetooth, then it stands to reason that it has no stereo bluetooth either.

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Rumor Quashed: iPod Touch Has No Bluetooth :(

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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iPod Touch Has Bluetooth?