Jabra has been in the mobile phone accessory business for a long time and I have been a fan of their products ever since I bought their first Ear-Gel wired headset for my Nokia phone. Over the years, they have improved the product line and moved into Bluetooth products. Having reviewed a number of Bluetooth headsets, I was curious to see how they improved their latest top-of-the-line product, the BT800.

The BT800 is a lightweight (3/4 ounce), small (2.7” x 1.3” x 1”) headset that fits over the ear and has more features than any other Bluetooth headset that I have tried. The features include:

Digital Signal Processing
Noise canceling microphone
LCD Display for Caller ID and Menus
Call Vibrate
Five Ring Tones
Small size and lightweight
Firmware and feature upgradeable

The BT800 has very clear sound and good range. The maximum range for Bluetooth is 30 feet with a clear line-of-sight. The BT800 has very good range, although some static is apparent when you go beyond 15 feet. It usually takes a second or two for the phone to acknowledge the connection when you push the buttons, but the delay is minor. The Digital Signal Processing automatically adjusts the volume level for noisy environments. The noise canceling microphone does a great job of reducing noise and giving clear sound to the person at the other end of the phone.

The BT800 is so light that after a few minutes of using it, you will not even notice that it is on your ear. The BT800 does not use the Jabra Mini-Gel earpieces. Personally I like the Mini-Gels since they channel the audio directly into the ear and keep the headset from “shifting” position. The BT800 sits on top of the ear and has a soft, flexible ear loop which is comfortable, but I found it to have a loose fit. When walking, it did not feel secure on my ear, especially when wearing glasses.

The BT800 has a 21 x 64 pixel, blue backlit display. The display provides Caller ID on incoming calls and menu options. The BT800 can display a list of recently received calls. It can also display the most recently placed call, but this feature is not available with all phones. From the BT800, you can select a recently received call and place a call to that number. Unfortunately, there is no ability to select a number from your phone book. Calling will still need to be initiated from the phone unless you have voice dialing. The Caller ID feature is great for seeing who is calling you and answering or refusing the call without having to remove the phone from your pocket or purse. Menus and settings are also shown on the display.

The controls on the BT800 are simple and easy to use. There is an outer jog dial which is used for adjusting the volume and selecting menus. The center of the jog dial is a button for muting the call and accessing the menus. The Bluetooth function light is inside this button. The other two are Answer / Select and End / Power buttons.

The BT800 features a Vibration Ring feature which works well and is great when the BT800 is in a pocket or purse. However, I found it a little annoying when I was wearing it and it started vibrating on my head. The BT800 offers a choice of five different ring tones.

Bluetooth paring is accomplished by using the included Pairing Stylus to push a button inside a small hole on the bottom of the BT800. This is an unusual way of pairing since most people will lose the Pairing Stylus after the first time they use it. Fortunately there is an optional way to initiate pairing from the Settings Menu.

The BT800 has a maximum talk time of up to 6 hours and a stand by time of up to 125 hours. More than a match for the most power conservative phone.

The BT800 come complete with a travel charger and a USB cable for charging from a PC. Jabra has indicated that this model is capable of firmware and feature upgrades which will be available from the web site in the future. However, there is no information in the manual or on the web site as to how this will be accomplished.

The BT800 is a solid product with good performance and great features. One of the smallest units on the market, it is comfortable and easy to wear. What more can you ask for in a top-of-the-line product? The Jabra BT800 delivers the most advanced features for “power” mobile phone users.

Pros
Easy to use
Vibrate Feature
Caller ID
Long Battery life

Cons
No Mini-Gel
Loose fit
Cannot display phonebook

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Stars.

-Harvey Lee
Technology Editor

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Product: Jabra BT800 Bluetooth Headset
Manufacturer: Jabra
Web Site: www.jabra.com
Category: Mobile / Hardware
Price: $149.99
Supported Devices:

Any mobile phone with Bluetooth capability
Features of BT800 will vary depending on the capabilities of the phone