>> Antwon: Hi, I'm Antwon Goodwin and this is your first look at the iVoice R1 Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit. The iVoice R1 is a fairly basic Bluetooth V2.1 plus EDR hands-free kit. Ours is finished in this cheesy faux carbon fiber print but the unit is also available in both flat black and red. The R1 is about the size of a deck of cards discounting the removable visor clip and features 4 buttons for volume up, volume down and in answer calls. These buttons perform double duties when held. For example, holding the In button powers the device on and off. The R1 features 2 microphones that can be utilized in 2 ways. The default mode, noise cancellation mode, works best in loud environments such as a moving car to reduce echo and background noise. The second mode, conferencing mode, uses both microphones to pick up dialog from 360 degrees, that's best for use with multiple users for phone conferences. Switching between these modes and performing other functions such as disabling the flashing LED for night driving or checking the battery status is very easy. But the button combinations required for these advanced functions aren't labeled on the device so you'll either have to memorize the commands or keep your instruction manual handy. The R1 does not download or store your phone's address book upon pairing. Instead it relies on your phone's voice dialing feature and audible caller ID to initiate calls. If your phone doesn't support voice dialing you're stuck using the last redial or handset to initiate calls. The R1 features a non-serviceable battery that charges by a USB. You can connect to the R1 via a computer or use the AC and 12 volt adapters that ship with the device. The included micro USB to USB cable that the R1 ships with is too short to allow the unit to be used effectively while charging. But iVoice claims there's a 30 hour talk time and 800 hour standby time from a full charge and that should be enough to get you through a week of use. There's a lot to like about the R1. Call quality's surprisingly good and the R1's dual mic setup does a great job of filtering out road noise from calls. The ability to use the R1 as a conference phone is also a plus. We just wish the interface was easier to understand. I'm Antwon Goodwin and this has been your first look at the iVoice R1 Bluetooth Hands-Free Kit.
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