37 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
A nice introduction to Bluetooth technology
Date of Review: Apr 19, 2009
The Bottom Line: It works very well and is a tremendous value
I bought a Blackberry Storm and switched my cell service to Verizon a little more than a month ago. In the city of Chicago, where I work, it is illegal to hold a cell phone while driving. Now, the approximately 1 hour a day I spend commuting to the day job could be useful for making personal calls and calls related to my performing and teaching business. I did get a wired phone/mike set, but it was the earbuds, which I dislike and I also disliked the cord. So, I decided to check out wireless headsets, which provide hands-free conversations on a cell phone.
My Blackberry manual told me that the wireless headsets use a protocol called Bluetooth which refers to how the headset and the phone make the connection with each other.
The Bluetooth headsets available from Verizon started at $40. So, I surfed over to Ebay to see what was available. I saw this unit, the Jabra 2010 for under $18 delivered and saw that there was respect for the brand online. So, I went to the Jabra web site and checked out the features. It comes with a removable earhook, a wall charger and quickstart guide. A more thorough manual was available by download.
It came with 3 buttons, one of which, in the middle had an LED. It was billed as having a range of 33 feet, 7 hours talk time, 200 hours standby time. The plug was a standard USB 5-pin. The unit charges great on the chargers I had for my Blackberry 8703. Weight is a very light .5 oz
So, I bought it.
Once I got the unit, I charged it and then spent a few minutes pairing it to the Storm. In essence, this gets the respective units to recognize each other. It was easy.
When a call comes in, I get a ringtone in my ear and tap the middle button to answer. I am able to make calls using voice dialing by holding the middle LED button for a few seconds. This works ok sometimes, but other times it's difficult to get the unit to identify the proper recipient if there are two or three similar contacts to what the unit thinks I said. It's a shared problem - I don't enunciate and I have lots of contacts. So, usually, I'll identify the contact while I am stopped and dial it using the phone.
The volume buttons work well. Redialing works well also, I just tap the LED button twice. Using the earhook is very comfortable. I have had no problems with hearing the other party on phone calls and having the other party hear me.
It has a one year warranty. It is billed as being compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or smart phone.
There are a few things I don't like:
Once the headset is paired and on, it is as if there is a headphone plugged in. So, I have to turn the speaker on the phone to talk if I don't have the headset on. I do not wear the headset at the day job, so that is a minor hassle. However, I don't answer the phone when I am working unless it's from Mrs. Saxguy.
There is no indicator of remaining power. I think it holds charges for not quite as long as billed. It's run out on me a couple of times already. So, I generally charge it when I get up in the morning.
It's small. It was hard to find a case that would fit it and the Storm. In my pockets, it has been hard to find when misplaced.
The hook is removable and has gotten separated from the rest of the unit in my pocket. I'm a little concerned about whether I will be able to replace it if I lose it.
Still, I've gotten a well-functioning unit at a great bargain and I can recommend this headset for use with a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or smart phone.
4 stars
Thanks for reading. God bless!
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