Short Yourself of Getting a Wrong Bluetooth Headset. Part 2

Compatibility

Bluetooth headset compatibility stems from two main features you should check upon buying one. These are:

• Compliance with Bluetooth 1.1 and higher (mainly 1.2 and 2.0)
• Availability of both headset and hands-free profiles

As long as these two requirements are features of your BTh, you should lack compatibility problems.

This also cuts you down of matching-headset-to-phone problems characteristic for regular wired headsets. The latter requires a correct type of plug for the phone you use, which is rather inconvenient considering the diversity of plugs being used by different phone manufacturers.

Range

Most of the Bluetooth Class 2 devices are designed to have a range of 10 meters (about 33 ft). If the space between your headset and your phone is not blocked by anything than you'll get even a greater range. If your cell phone is in another room or in your briefcase than the range will considerably drop. In this case you should check out the range of your phone and headset to know the permissible distance and have a reliable connection. You can easily do this by testing the phone/headset combination in various places.

Questions you should answer upon buying a Bluetooth headset

Questions of comfort

1. How comfortable and quickly is the headset fixed to/on your ear?
2. Is it easy to use the control buttons on the headset?
3. Is it comfortable to use with a pair of glasses?
4. Can you wear it on both ears?
5. Where to put it when not wearing?

Questions of control

1. Are commands/controls easy to remember?
2. How to adjust the volume level?
3. How quickly does the unit turn on?
4. Is there a support number you can call for extra help?
5. Does it have all necessary documents: pairing password, user manual, etc?

Questions of features

1. What is the battery life of the device (talk and standby time)?
2. How to determine when the battery is out?
3. What type of battery does it have? (Lithium is the best)
4. Is the battery removable?
5. How to charge the battery and how long does it take?
6. Are there any other ways to charge the battery (USB cable, car adapter, etc)?
7. What are the devices to pair the unit with?
8. Does it have both headset and hands-free protocols?
9. What are the ports it is compatible with?
10. What is its warranty period?
11. What is the range, sound quality, etc?

Bluetooth headsets and non-bluetooth cell phones

You might wonder about the compatibility of BTh with certain cell phones. Well, logically it is supposed that BTh should work with all bluetooth enabled cell phones. If not, the easiest thing you can do is to check out some of your settings.

What about using Bluetooth headsets with non-Bluetooth phones? In this case you can get a Bluetooth adapter. The adapter plugs into your regular non-Bluetooth phone to make the linkage between the headset and the cell phone.

We have to admit that it is quite uncomfortable to use the headset that way, this is why a better solution is to simply replace your current phone with a new Bluetooth equipped phone.

A good BTh can make your life much more comfortable as it is easy to setup and use. And vice-versa, a bad BTh makes it difficult to communicate.

A key factor to decide which BTh to choose is the way you feel about it!