Samsung WEP460 Bluetooth Headset review: Samsung WEP460 Bluetooth Headset

Samsung is so well known for its cell phones that some may forget it also makes a number of Bluetooth headsets, many of which are quite affordable. One such headset is the Samsung WEP460, a lower-end model. You have to make some sacrifices to get that lower price, though, as the sound quality of the Samsung WEP460 is simply mediocre. So even though the WEP460 is only $40, you might want to consider looking at other headsets--even other Samsung sets such as the Samsung WEP200.

We won't lie to you: the Samsung WEP460 won't impress anyone with its cheap design. Measuring 1.85 inches long by 0.75 inch wide by 0.43 inch thick, the WEP460 has a lightweight, plastic body and simple, rectangular shape. On the front under the Samsung logo is a skinny, clear, plastic button that acts as the multifunction call button. It's slightly raised above the surface, so it's easy to find by feel. Right underneath that is a slim sliver of a blue LED that flashes when the headset is active. The volume rocker and charger jack are on the left spine.

On the back of the headset is a round earpiece with a rubbery earbud cover. The earpiece is a little big for our tastes, though we did manage to wedge it just inside the folds of the ear. It felt OK at first, but the longer we wore it, the more uncomfortable it felt. Also, the earpiece sits slightly outside of the ear canal, and because of that, you do need to crank the volume a bit more than usual. We wish it came with different sizes of ear bud covers. The WEP460 comes with an optional plastic ear hook, which you might need, since the headset doesn't feel too secure without it.

The WEP460 has pretty standard features. Like most headsets, you can answer, end, and reject calls, plus it has last number redial, voice command support, call hold, call mute, and the capability to transfer a call from the phone to the headset and vice versa.

We paired the Samsung WEP460 headset with the Apple iPhone 3G without any problems. We weren't that impressed with the sound quality, unfortunately. Incoming call quality was decent for the most part, though we did hear a bit of static at times. Callers sounded loud and clear, with slightly tinny voice quality.

Outgoing call quality did not fare as well, though. Callers said we often sounded muffled on the phone, and they struggled to hear us, especially in noisy, crowded environments. When we didn't sound muffled, they reported a bit of echo and interference in the background, even in quieter environments. The muffled sound issue seemed to fluctuate: sometimes our friends could hear us clearly and sometimes they could not. The call quality is rather erratic overall.

The Samsung WEP460 has an impressive rated talk time of up to 8 hours and a rated standby time of a whole week.