What I hate most about Bluetooth devices is ending up with yet another gadget to charge. Frequently requiring a proprietary cable and, along with that, needing another free jack or port to juice it up. So it’s not that the first gen iPhone has a nearly worthless speakerphone (it does), but the promise of wireless charging that led me to LG’s solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphone (HFB-500, ~$80).
I’m not terribly fond of the button placement and lone status indicator (within the power button), but I’ve yet to plug it back into the AC adapter after a week of relatively heavy usage during my sucktastic daily 90 minute commute home. Ideally, I’ll never need to plug it in again - letting it (re)charge via solar cell while it’s suctioned to my windshield. And, to save juice, I’ve been powering the unit down when I’m not in the car. Overall, I’m very pleased with the LG car kit’s performance, including sound quality and volume on both sides of a conversation.
Next up is a Jawbone Prime ($130) review sample. Because I frequently make calls outside the car. While I’ve been sporting the great looking and sounding second generation Jawbone the last few months, I have two complaints: lack of multipoint pairing and wind noise. Which is why I was fired up about Aliph’s recent device refresh that addresses both. And the timing couldn’t be better, as I’m picking up another phone (for work) today. I haven’t used the Prime yet, but I’m expecting excellent results given their track record and recent coverage (PC Mag, SlashGear). Not to mention I’m a sucker for sexy.
But wait. There’s more. The Bluetooth updates extend will beyond just me… You’re getting some too. With a surplus of headsets, I’ll be giving away the very nice Jawbone 2 and Jabra BT8040 later this week. Maybe the Plantronics Voyager 510 (’Old Faithful’), too. Stay tuned.
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