Why You Can Trust CNET Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset review: Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset
Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset
- North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
Editors' note: The Motorola H17txt is a re-release of the previously reviewed Motorola H17 Bluetooth headset with the addition of compatibility with the MotoSpeak app for Android and BlackBerry. Accordingly, we've reproduced the H17 review here with a new section dedicated to the new functionality.
Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Motorola continues its trend of making tiny Bluetooth headsets with the Motorola H17txt. As a successor to the H15 and the H12, Motorola touts the H17txt as one if its smallest headsets yet. The reason it can be so small is because it has a flip-switch boom mic that can be folded into a more compact shape when not in use. The H17txt boasts Motorola's CrystalTalk noise-canceling technology as well as voice prompts that let you know if the call is muted or if the battery is low. The H17txt is overall a decent headset with a number of cool features, and it's available for $99.99.
MotoSpeak app
The Motorola H17txt's most obvious new feature over the previously released H17 is its compatibility with Motorola's new MotoSpeak application for Android and BlackBerry devices. However, this is hardly what we'd call a "new" feature, as we were able to successfully test the Android version of the app with the H17txt and the Motorola Rokr S7-HD stereo headset, which is an almost two-year-old device.
Based on a version of the cross-platform Drivesafe.ly app, MotoSpeak will read incoming text messages aloud over Bluetooth A2DP so that users don't miss a critical message while they're behind the wheel. The app is able to interpret and translate about 150 commonly used acronyms, such as LOL (laughing out loud), brb (be right back), gtg (got to go), and l8r (later). To reduce the temptation to grab the phone and respond to those incoming messages, the app also features a user customizable autoresponder that lets everyone know that you're not in a position to reply immediately.
However, there are a few limitations. The free version of the app only reads the first 25 words of the incoming message aloud, after which it will abruptly stop. This isn't too much of an issue if your messages are typically short. Those of us with verbose friends found that the app's stopping midsentence actually left us more tempted to grab the handset and read the rest of the message than had we not heard the beginning.
To have more than 25 words read aloud, users must purchase a Pro version of the app, which unlocks options for 50, 100, 250, and 500 words. The Pro version also unlocks the choice between male and female text-to-speech voices with the ability to autoselect based on the gender of the sender, options for how quickly messages are read, and enables the application to also read aloud incoming e-mails. However, rather than simply being a one-time purchase, the premium version must be subscribed to for an annual fee of $13.95.
Design
The Motorola H17txt is indeed one of the smallest headsets we've tried. It measures 1.65 inches long by 0.67 inch wide by 0.39 inch thick, and it has an oval shape that is slim, small, and very lightweight. On the front of it is a large oval multifunction call button, which is easy enough to press, even when the headset is worn on the ear. On the right spine is a very skinny volume rocker with an LED indicator in the middle of it. Though it is raised above the surface, we did find the rocker a bit too skinny for our tastes. The charger jack is on top of the headset.
When you turn the headset over, you'll find a slim folded boom mic underneath the earpiece. To turn the headset on, simply flip the boom mic out. This adds about half an inch to the length of the headset. Folding back the boom mic shuts everything off, which is really easy and good when you're in a hurry. Also, the Motorola H17txt has a RapidConnect technology that automatically reconnects the headset to the last paired phone the second you flip open the boom mic.
The H17txt comes with three different ear hooks with rubber rings that fit around the earpiece. The ear hooks are thin and flexible, and when outfitted with the rubber rings, the earpiece sits comfortably on the ear just outside the canal. There are also two optional in-ear-style cushions with loops that fit in the folds of the ear so you don't need an ear hook to wear them. We thought the ear hook option was more secure and comfortable, but it did take a longer time to put it on.
Features
Features of the H17txt include the typical answering, receiving, and ending calls, last number redial, call mute, voice dial support where available, and the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa. It also has multipoint support, which means it can connect up to two devices at the same time. When there's an incoming call on one of the two phones, the headset will announce if the call is coming from Phone 1 or Phone 2; Phone 1 is the first connected phone, and Phone 2 is the second. You can place one call on hold if there's an incoming call on the other line as well. The H17txt will also announce the battery level to you every time you power it on, and it'll tell you if call mute is enabled.
The H17txt adds A2DP audio streaming to its bag of tricks. Once paired to a compatible device, the headset is able to stream music and podcasts. However, with only monaural playback in one of the user's ears, no play, pause, or skip controls, and tinny audio quality, the H17txt offers a less-than-optimal experience for extended listening sessions.
Performance
We paired the Motorola H17txt Bluetooth headset with the Motorola Debut. The H17txt goes into pairing mode automatically when it's first powered on, and we didn't even need a PIN to pair the two devices. We were pleased overall with the call quality. We made calls from a variety of locations, including a quiet conference room and a noisier city sidewalk. We heard our callers just fine in all situations. There was a bit of static at times, but nothing that was too distracting.
On their end, callers said call quality was good most of the time, especially in quieter situations. Our voice sounded natural without a lot of distortion. In noisier situations, like on a city sidewalk or in a busy restaurant, they heard more static and even clicking at times. Still, we could hear each other just fine for the most part. The H17txt even did well in moderately windy conditions (up to 5 mph, according to Motorola), though it didn't block out the wind noise completely and voice quality did suffer a little. Overall, the H17txt did a good job blocking out extraneous noise.
The Motorola H17txt has a rated talk time of up to 5 hours and a standby time of up to seven days. It has a quick-charge feature that only takes 15 minutes to charge it up for 2 hours of talk time.