I've been using Bluetooth headsets for about 3 years now and I love them. I'm probably one of those people who walk down the street seemingly talking to myself until you notice the small piece of plastic and electronics hanging from my ear. Well I've been through quite a few headsets and as with any piece of technology they have improved significantly over time. Recently, Motorola released the H700 Bluetooth hea [...]I've been using Bluetooth headsets for about 3 years now and I love them. I'm probably one of those people who walk down the street seemingly talking to myself until you notice the small piece of plastic and electronics hanging from my ear. Well I've been through quite a few headsets and as with any piece of technology they have improved significantly over time. Recently, Motorola released the H700 Bluetooth headset in its popular open-boom form factor. Basically, the headsets boom open and closes to turn it on and off. There are lots of advantages to this unique setup:
  • The headset remains off when not in use - most BT headsets are designed to remain on so their standby time is limited by battery life. Given that the H700 can be turned on only when needed, the standby life can literally be weeks
  • When you do receive a call, you simply open the boom - the headset will connect to your phone and answer the call (in most cases). This allows you to carry it turned off in your pocket - again significantly increasing battery life
  • It's by far the smallest Motorola BT headset using this open-close boom form factor. It's comfortable on my ear (personal preferences vary of course) and it's so light I can't tell it's there. This is obviously an objective area so try it for yourself
  • It features digital noise cancellation - not really sure how much it helps but it hasn't hurt. People have reported that I come across loud and clear when using it and I can hear them perfectly fine
  • By pressing both the volume up and volume down buttons the headset is muted - independent of the phone so it will work irregardless of which phone you use it with
  • It can worn on either ear - the ear hook is easily removed and re-applied for either ear
  • It uses a standard mini-USB charger. This to me is a huge advantage because I can charge it by plugging it into any mini-USB charger, whether it be a wall socket or a laptop/PC USB port
  • The finish is nice - I find that it looks quite nice which of course matters a little bit.
  • Supports Bluetooth 1.1 and 1.2 - basically means will work with older BT phones as well as utilizing enhancements in the newer BT phones. Win-win situation.
The best part about this little wonder is that although the list price is $100 and major retailers like BestBuy and CircuitCity sell it for $120 - you can actually find it on Amazon.com for $70! That's quite a bit in savings - over 30% to be exact. So whether you are looking to replace an old BT headset or looking for a new one, I highly recommend you try the H700, especially if you can get it for $70 from Amazon. Post questions or comments - I'd love to hear your impressions. MotoH700 Pic 1: The H700 with the boom closed next to a US quarter MotoH700 Open Pic 2: Same US quarter but this time with the H700 boom open.  Link to Amazon.com's Motorola H700 Product Page Note: As you will see on Amazon.com, it didn't get the best user reviews. In situations like these, I would strongly suggest trying it yourself before making an opinon. You may or may not like it but you will only know for sure after you give it a shot.