readhttp's Full Review: Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset
Recent legislation in the City of Chicago requires all persons in control of a vehicle to be required to use a hands free device if using a cell phone. This, along with the added benefit of ease of use with my BlackBerry 8700c I chose the Motorola HS850 to be able to be legal and add the convenience of communication.
Talk Time Up to eight (8) hours
Stand-by Up to two hundred (200) hours
Range Thirty (30) feet
Weight Twenty (20) grams
Bluetooth 1.2 Compliant
The basics of the headset….
The Motorola HS850 boasts improvements over its earlier versions that make this unit well worth the additional investment. First and foremost, the HS850 has a flip to connect boom microphone that makes the unit much more compact during storage. A one-touch call, answer, call forward, and end button is large and located on the body of the unit. On the top and bottom of the device both a raise and lower volume button are easily adjusted without removing the headset. The moveable earhook allows the user to alter the out of the box “right ear” to switch to a “left ear” headset which is obviously dependent on the users preference. The HS850 also contains a very bright blue glowing light on the body of the headset which clearly defines to all that you are on a call.
Out of the box…
Out of the box (actually a plastic container) you will find the headset, wall charger, and instruction guide. Pairing the headset with a compatible device takes less than one (1) minute to complete which is why you will find the instructions to be quite compact. Charging the unit to full load takes about two (2) hours and the unit will stop glowing when fully charged.
Time tested and proven…
I have been able to test the use of this headset in various conditions and have found all to be very positive. Conversations have been very clear and crisp, and upon requesting confirmation from my callers they also have expressed very positive clarity on the call. One of the best features is the lack of an on/off button, since you turn the unit on/off by opening the flip boom microphone and close it to turn it off. This is a huge benefit, because there is no way you will forget to turn off the headset unless you leave the boom fully open after removing the headset. The other wonderful feature is the very bright LED light which glows when on a call, letting anyone staring at you that you are not as crazy as you may look and relieve their fears that you are talking to yourself. Speaking into the boom microphone does not require any louder speaking voice than normal, including in the car with the window open, obviously any extreme ambient noise will take precedent but this would be the same as speaking into any device directly. Battery life has been as expected with no major variances from the product specifications.
Is it really on ???
This headset like many others is very comfortable to wear and not at all distracting. The longest time frame I have worn the unit was for nearly three hours and during this longer than usual duration I did not find the unit to cause any discomfort. It should be noted that this has a thin rubber gasket around the ear piece which does help, but also appears that it may be the first part to show wear after use. As stated above, the volume buttons are easily adjusted during wear, but I must admit the main large button has taken a few seconds to find each and every time. I think it is because, I expect it to be in the center of the headset, but it is located closer to the boom microphone. This may not be a problem for a new user, as my previous headset had the button located in the center and this may just be a adjustment period.
In the end….
I am very pleased with the performance of the HS850 which paired with the BlackBerry 8700c has been a perfect match. You will find both quality of the call and comfort in the design, and quickly see that for such a small unit you will not only be legal, but much safer when driving!!
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