When I got my Sanyo Katana phone I picked up this Jabra BT160 Wireless Bluetooth Headset to go with it since the phone has bluetooth capability. The sprint store that I got this from had no less than 10 different bluetooth headsets and I had no idea which one to get.

So..which one to choose?

Well, not knowing how much I would use the bluetooth features I didn't want to spend a whole lot and this Jabra headset seemed to fit my bill at around $69 dollars. It also had what I thought would be a fun "feature" in that you can change the faceplate, and I could make it be pink to match my Cherry Blossom pink phone. Yes, I went with fashion over function - I admit it freely.

So as it turns out, you don't actually change the faceplate but instead you change a paper insert that goes under a clear plate. The default one is a funky striped pattern but it comes with 33 choices and one of them is pink. You can see the design covers by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser window:

http://www.jabra.com/NR/rdonlyres/7B6B1EC4-E480-4CEA-B4CF-CD0C2C9999DF/0/collageBt160revisedfri.jpg

And... if the 33 design covers that come packaged with the unit aren't enough for you...you can even make your own. So if you want to put a photo, some text, a favorite logo or whatever you want - you can do it. They have a skindesigner program set up on the Jabra website that includes templates or "make your own". Then all you need is a color printer and some scissors and you are good to go. Here's the URL for BT160 Skindesigner program:

http://uswww03.gnnetcom.com/jabra/zupa/v3/index.html

Features of the Jabra BT160

The BT160 is an egglike shape with a wrap around ear holder. The headset measures 2.48 x 1.42 x 0.47 and it weighs just 0.63 oz. The set is Bluetooth 1.2 compliant.

Here's some key stats about the headset:
-6 hours of talktime
-11 hours of standby mode
-supports voice activated dialing
-supports last number redial
-has a battery status indicator
-supports rejecting calls

Here's a few things that this headset does not have that you may think are important:
-No mute
-No Caller Waiting or Call on Hold
-No USB Charging

My experience with the Jabra BT160

Well, my husband charged it up for me and then paired it with my phone. Then anytime I turned on my headset within range of my phone I got a message from my phone about my Bluetooth being on and ready. The headset is fairly simple to use as it just has one big button on the front to power it on or off, or answer calls and then 2 smaller buttons on the side which are for volume. The few times I used this I found that calls were clear and I was pleased with its performance.

My issues with this headset lie elsewhere in that it just wouldn't stay on my ear. The headset has a plastic speaker that you put into your ear and then a plastic piece that wraps around your ear to hold it on. I have to wear it on my left ear because I have a tragus piercing in my right ear making it uncomfortable. (The tragus is that little triangle of cartilidge that juts out from your head into your ear). Still, left or right it shouldn't matter once you switch the ear wrap part to be on the correct side for you. Well, the speaker part is a bit on the big side and then the ear wrap part once I wrap it around just means this headset basically hangs there. It was very loose and if I turned my head it would sometimes fall off. Since the point of a bluetooth headset is to have hands-free communication anyplace you go this doesn't work. It fell off mid conversation in the car and I was driving - a disaster. And then another time when I was out with it, it fell off and I almost lost it (I was in a store!).

You may or may not have these poor fitting issues, my husband has this same headset (not with the pink design cover) and it fits well for him. For me, the ill-fit was enough of a deal breaker that I took it back and got a different headset. This time, I tried all of them on and found one that was secure on my ear.

Overall
If you want a basic headset that you are able to change the color of and play with it so it matches your outfit - here's one for you. My advice, try it on and see if it fits your ear first. For me it was just way to bulky and loose making it completely unusable.


www.jabra.com


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