Why You Can Trust CNET Jabra Freespeak Bluetooth Headset review: Jabra Freespeak Bluetooth Headset
Jabra Freespeak Bluetooth Headset
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At first glance, with its bright-blue MiniGel ear cover and silver styling, Jabra's FreeSpeak wireless headset looks like something that a character on Star Trek: The Next Generation would wear. That said, it's attractively styled, and though not supercompact, it's fairly lightweight (0.8 ounces) and comfortable. It took a little tinkering, but we found it easy enough to adjust to fit either the left or right ear.
Pairing the headset with a cell phone is easy. Just select Connections from the menu on your phone, activate the Bluetooth feature, then turn on the headset--the match is made. Features on the headset include a talk/end button and a volume control. If your phone supports voice-activated dialing, you simply say the name into the headset, and your mobile does the rest. And like most Bluetooth headsets, this one has a built-in rechargeable battery that's juiced up via an included cradle/holster. A blue light flashes from the headset when it's on.
We tested the FreeSpeak and adapter with the Sony Ericsson T68i and found call quality to be good. Callers typically couldn't tell we were using a headset. Additionally, we met the 10-meter range of use.
As for battery life, we managed to get only 2 hours of talk time vs. the company's claims of 3 hours and about 48 hours of standby, compared to Jabra's reported rates of 96 hours. Comparatively speaking, this isn't bad, but it's not fabulous, either.
At first glance, with its bright-blue MiniGel ear cover and silver styling, Jabra's FreeSpeak wireless headset looks like something that a character on Star Trek: The Next Generation would wear. That said, it's attractively styled, and though not supercompact, it's fairly lightweight (0.8 ounces) and comfortable. It took a little tinkering, but we found it easy enough to adjust to fit either the left or right ear.
Pairing the headset with a cell phone is easy. Just select Connections from the menu on your phone, activate the Bluetooth feature, then turn on the headset--the match is made. Features on the headset include a talk/end button and a volume control. If your phone supports voice-activated dialing, you simply say the name into the headset, and your mobile does the rest. And like most Bluetooth headsets, this one has a built-in rechargeable battery that's juiced up via an included cradle/holster. A blue light flashes from the headset when it's on.
We tested the FreeSpeak and adapter with the Sony Ericsson T68i and found call quality to be good. Callers typically couldn't tell we were using a headset. Additionally, we met the 10-meter range of use.
As for battery life, we managed to get only 2 hours of talk time vs. the company's claims of 3 hours and about 48 hours of standby, compared to Jabra's reported rates of 96 hours. Comparatively speaking, this isn't bad, but it's not fabulous, either.