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Hi guys!
Great forum you are running here. I have been a regular reader for some time now and learned a lot. I solved a few problems as well. So let me stress the reason writing this post. I currently own a TyTN, with which I am more then happy. Due to my job and private requirements the TyTN is lacking some features and I intend to swoop it for the Advantage. Before doing so I would like to know few, for me essential, things.
1.) how long does your battery last (going from full charge 100% to 0%), let’s say with the amount of conversation per day lasts 10-20min, few SMSes, some gaming…. I have seen some posts »long time« ago, when the Advantage was releases, but now you have more experience…
2.) how strong are the magnets holding together the KB and the device? In another words how easily can the devise fell off? I saw on the BBC World, last Thursday in the evening, on the show called “Click” that the device has detached from the KB very quickly when trying to operate it with finger. Any thoughts? Your experience?
Thanks for your answers! Would very much appreciate your comments!
Uros, Slovenia
So far I'm very satisfied with the battery considering the screen big size. Compared to my previous Hermes, I feel not much difference. And the magnets are very strong. Relating to the "Click" show, I think it's just a matter of how you hold your phone. I always type using my thumbs, the rest fingers supporting both the keyboard and the main unit.
I had the HTC TYTN and Uni before i bought this. i can tell you will be satisfied. it is a great device.
I get a good 1 day of very heavy usage, possibly 36 hours if I were to push it to very low battery. I prefer to charge it during the night though, so I have a fresh charge in the morning. That way I have absolutely no worries that I will run out during the day.
I have my LCD brightness on the 3 step from the lowest, and I do not use WiFi at all (I use Edge for data, maybe 2 hours a day). I also talk about 1-2 hours daily. Plenty of emails, SMS, and other typing is done. The screen is probably turned on 5 hours a day in total.
You can easily pick up and use the keyboard if you use both hands (very safe when using the leather case, less so without). 1 hand typing is possible, but it's not very comfortable.
I suggest you get a bluetooth headset with a very strong battery though, I find that the Dopod bluetooth headset isn't very long lasting and I run out at the end of the day (sometimes in mid conversation )
wired connection to the internet, but not via USB-ActiveSync or WiFi
Thanks guys. My made my decision very easy...
One additional thing though: can the device connect to the internet via usual Ethernet outlet (not via USB&ActiveSync or Wifi). Which adapters are required to do so? At home I do not have a wireless router so I am wondering if this is possible…
Thanks again
Ameo usability problem and solution!
I thought I'd give my opinion on the Ameo after a week of usage.
My primary intention when upgrading to the Ameo was to sell me Vario 2 and use the Ameo as an all-in-one device for emailing, calling, texting, surfing and multimedia. Unfortunately the phone aspect leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion:
In fact I found the device to be pretty much unusable as a phone.
For one, simply holding the handset to my ear feels embarassing, ridiculous and not at all comfortable. Separating the device from the keyboard and carrying the main device alone is also impractical as it leaves me without a keyboard should the need to text arise (it also leaves the phone more prone to scratching).
If a call comes through I have to pull the magnetic keyboard off, turn the volume down and hope no-one is standing near enough to overhear my conversation!
THE AMEO JUST FEELS WRONG AS A PHONE!
Using a bluetooth headset is a solution of types, but it means I don't know who's calling without unpacking the device and checking. It also leaves the added disadvantage of having TWO batteries liable to drain with heavy usage of the phone. The wired earpiece is a battery-free alternative which is fine if you happen to be sat in a cafe with your earphones plugged in, but hardly practical!
Everything else about the device I love:
The keyboard, despite opinions to the contrary, feels very responsive to me. It has a beautiful soft, high-quality feel to it. It doesn't feel 'clacky'. I was originally going to use my freedom bluetooth keyboard but I actually prefer the Ameo one - it just takes a bit of getting used to.
Battery life is astonishing in my opinion: I spent all day on it yesterday using WiFi and it didn't run out of juice till the evening. I would say battery life is as good if not BETTER than the Hermes.
The screen is superb for Satnav and web browsing, particularly with Mrtruevga installed - it feels almost like surfing on a laptop. My only gripe in this respect would be that Opera in particular (put PIE to some degree) is a little sluggish loading pages given the quality of the Ameo's hardware.
After getting used to the Ameo's features I decided that I definitely want to keep it, but don't want to use it as a phone as I SIMPLY COULDN'T LIVE WITH IT FOR THIS PURPOSE. My solution was this:
Sell my Vario ii,
Buy a Samsung z560 on Ebay (78quid!)
setup bluetooth DUN on AMEO with z560 (very easy)
I now have a pocketable phone with a decent auto-focus camera and mp3 capabilites for when I'm out and about, and a permanent BT connection to my Ameo for when i need to surf, email and use messenger. The Ameo connects automatically when in range which is rather useful, and battery life with both devices is great in my opinion (the fact that the z560 comes with two batteries is doubly helpful).
So all-in-all i'm very happy with my setup now. If anyone has any other ideas on how to make the Ameo into a practical telephone then I'd be very interested to hear them!
leoni1980 said:
Using a bluetooth headset is a solution of types, but it means I don't know who's calling without unpacking the device and checking. It also leaves the added disadvantage of having TWO batteries liable to drain with heavy usage of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using my Dopod U1000 pairing with i.Tech Clip D bluetooth headset for the whole month and have no problem at all identifying incoming calls. Very handy I believe.
Ameo usability problem and solution!
I thought I'd give my opinion on the Ameo after a week of usage.
My primary intention when upgrading to the Ameo was to sell me Vario 2 and use the Ameo as an all-in-one device for emailing, calling, texting, surfing and multimedia. Unfortunately the phone aspect leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion:
In fact I found the device to be pretty much unusable as a phone.
For one, simply holding the handset to my ear feels embarassing, ridiculous and not at all comfortable. Separating the device from the keyboard and carrying the main device alone is also impractical as it leaves me without a keyboard should the need to text arise (it also leaves the phone more prone to scratching).
If a call comes through I have to pull the magnetic keyboard off, turn the volume down and hope no-one is standing near enough to overhear my conversation!
THE AMEO JUST FEELS WRONG AS A PHONE!
Using a bluetooth headset is a solution of types, but it means I don't know who's calling without unpacking the device and checking. It also leaves the added disadvantage of having TWO batteries liable to drain with heavy usage of the phone. The wired earpiece is a battery-free alternative which is fine if you happen to be sat in a cafe with your earphones plugged in, but hardly practical!
Everything else about the device I love:
The keyboard, despite opinions to the contrary, feels very responsive to me. It has a beautiful soft, high-quality feel to it. It doesn't feel 'clacky'. I was originally going to use my freedom bluetooth keyboard but I actually prefer the Ameo one - it just takes a bit of getting used to.
Battery life is astonishing in my opinion: I spent all day on it yesterday using WiFi and it didn't run out of juice till the evening. I would say battery life is as good if not BETTER than the Hermes.
The screen is superb for Satnav and web browsing, particularly with Mrtruevga installed - it feels almost like surfing on a laptop. My only gripe in this respect would be that Opera in particular (put PIE to some degree) is a little sluggish loading pages given the quality of the Ameo's hardware.
After getting used to the Ameo's features I decided that I definitely want to keep it, but don't want to use it as a phone as I SIMPLY COULDN'T LIVE WITH IT FOR THIS PURPOSE. My solution was this:
Sell my Vario ii,
Buy a Samsung z560 on Ebay (78quid!)
setup bluetooth DUN on AMEO with z560 (very easy)
I now have a pocketable phone with a decent auto-focus camera and mp3 capabilites for when I'm out and about, and a permanent BT connection to my Ameo for when i need to surf, email and use messenger. The Ameo connects automatically when in range which is rather useful, and battery life with both devices is great in my opinion (the fact that the z560 comes with two batteries is doubly helpful).
So all-in-all i'm very happy with my setup now. If anyone has any other ideas on how to make the Ameo into a practical telephone then I'd be very interested to hear them!
leoni1980
very simply- buy a bluetooth headset and keep the brick in your pocket.
I use an I-tech d clip as I don't like something stuck on my ear.
With microsoft voice command you have nearly 100% accuracy dialing from contacts and the d clip has call number display. the only drawback of the d clip is no vibrate alert.
regards
CPA said:
leoni1980
very simply- buy a bluetooth headset and keep the brick in your pocket.
I use an I-tech d clip as I don't like something stuck on my ear.
With microsoft voice command you have nearly 100% accuracy dialing from contacts and the d clip has call number display. the only drawback of the d clip is no vibrate alert.
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the BlueAnt V12 headset, which has a vibrating feature AND an LCD display to display incoming calls (number only) and status (nice). This is working very well for me. It also has a very good range. I left my phone in the car and came into the house... and it was still connected. I have been keeping it in my shirt pocket or, if sans pocket like today, on the included lanyard, which is fine if you don't mind the fashion statement. Using voice dial, the BlueAnt is essentially a mini-phone.
Also the speakerphone feature on the phone itself is also very usable, best I've seen. Signal strength has been better than any phone to date. All in all, as a phone, I would give it a solid rating... if you can get past not having being able to hold it up to your ear.
As an alternative bluetooth headset besides i.Tech Clip D, try Jabra BT8010 that is also able to show contact names when using with Jetware.
cayotte said:
As an alternative bluetooth headset besides i.Tech Clip D, try Jabra BT8010 that is also able to show contact names when using with Jetware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think these are all good ideas but i still prefer my solution.
Yesterday for example I was able to take my pup for a walk in my shorts and tee shirt with my samsung sat merrily and comfortably in my pocket. The idea of having my Ameo swinging round my neck by a Lanyard with a Bluetooth device on my ear is slightly frightening - particularly given the delicate nature of the microdrive and the possibility of being both mugged and garotted at the same time.
I don't need an Ameo when I'm going to the shops or popping out into town, but its there for me whenever i need it - ready to connect just as easily to my phone as it would to a bluetooth headset. The only disadvantage I can see is that a Bluetooth 1.2 connection does not have the same bandwidth as a direct HSDPA connection through the device itself. However in practise I have found there to be great difference in browsing speed using Wifi, HSDPA through the Ameo itself or HSDPA through a BT DUN connection.
The benefits, I think, clearly outweigh the drawbacks.
Any thoughts?
Well to me i just find it slightly impractical to to carry two devices around... for example when u want to use gprs on the ameo do you switch the sim card?
just seems a bit much to do to avoid having to use a bluetooth headset
I don't think it's any more impractical than carrying a bluetooth headset around. i would say it's more convenient really as the ameo is very cumbersome to have on one's person at all times .
For GPRS I never use the Ameo's built in transmitter- as I said I just have a bluetooth connection to my other phone which gives me very fast browsing speeds in itself, but where available i also use WiFi.
I see no need to use my Ameo as a phone outright - as it stands I have all the browsing and multimedia capabilities I need wherever I need them with my Ameo, coupled with the convenience of a 'normal' phone for making and receiving calls and texting on the move.
All this with no Sim-swapping in sight!
can't the dog carry the Ameo?????
he may need it for the weather forecast.
CPA said:
can't the dog carry the Ameo?????
he may need it for the weather forecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha very good. I'll have to take a look on Pucci for a doggy Ameo travel case. Seems like a must-have.
Seriously though I love my Ameo: it's got serious wow factor as a portable browsing device, emailer and music/video player and the build quality is SUPERB. (I really like the keyboard too despite the lack of backlight). However i can't help but feel that all that 'wow' factor is immediately negated once someone calls you and you are forced to fumble for your bluetooth headset (or unfasten wallet, take keyboard off, turn volume down and hold monolythic metal brick against head). Any avoidance of using the device as a phone without losing any other key features is in my opinion a wise move, especially if it lessens the chance of my Ameo being seen/stolen, or getting knocked about.
seriously
the d-clip can sit in your ear on a walk and no-one will notice it.
the mic clips on your neckline
to answer the call you put your finger to your ear and push the button on the earplug, very simple, no fumbling.
every pooch needs http://www.pielframa.net/prodi.asp?id=1798
they can then bragg about the crocodile hunt.
Regards
CPA said:
seriously
the d-clip can sit in your ear on a walk and no-one will notice it.
the mic clips on your neckline
to answer the call you put your finger to your ear and push the button on the earplug, very simple, no fumbling.
every pooch needs http://www.pielframa.net/prodi.asp?id=1798
they can then bragg about the crocodile hunt.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thiis a lot more practical than using the built-in speakerphone! theres still the major drawback of having to carry the handset with you at all times though. whilst this is fine if you have a jacket or combats with big pockets its still never goong to be practical in a lot of instances; for example if you wanted to go out of an afternoon and sit in a beergarden with your mates. i just dont feel comfortable having such a big expensive item on me. as i imagine most people got their ameos on upgrade i wonder how many of them have kept their old phone for more practical communication when big pockets arent available.
CPA said:
can't the dog carry the Ameo?????
he may need it for the weather forecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... i'll buy my dog (a big bernese-mountain-dog) next week an Ameo !
... what's about the quality (sound & volume) of Ameo's hands-free? - is it usable in the car?
- is it good enough to take calls when "Flocki" (the dog) is carrying the Ameo?
mapre64 said:
... i'll buy my dog (a big bernese-mountain-dog) next week an Ameo !
... what's about the quality (sound & volume) of Ameo's hands-free? - is it usable in the car?
- is it good enough to take calls when "Flocki" (the dog) is carrying the Ameo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, absoultely (although his / her fur is kept out the way of the mic).
I fidn that the Ameo comes into its own in partnership with a Jabra BT8010 - a fantatsic little device.
Curious if it works with the Kaiser and if you would recommend it.
Thanks!
http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=177
Motorola S9
New to this site. First time poster. I just got these headphones for my Tilt. I tried them with my 8125 using mfrazz WM6 rom and they worked well. Volume got fairly loud and sound quality was pretty good.
I haven't gotten my microSD card yet for the Tilt, but listened to some of the music that came with phone. Volume was lower, but I don't know if that was the audio level of that particular file. I haven't tried it with any personal mp3 files. I placed a phone call with this headset and sound quality was average. The caller could only be heard through the left earphone, not stereo.
The headset was fairly comfortable to wear, but I haven't tried it for extended periods. I'm going to try using it while running this weekend to see how well it stays in place.
that combo works great for me, used them at the gym all the time
There are many many user comments about these headphones over at Howard Forums bluetooth message forum. I went thrui 2 paris of these. Both failed for the same reason, The first lasted 1 week. the second lasted 1 month. The issue is they aren't really sweatproof as they claim. if you sweat alopt (and running in Phoenix will make you sweat), they konk out (i.e. technical term for stop working altogehter) after a while. The seals aren't really tight enough to keep water out. I tried a second one cuaz there were rumors of a bad inital batch. so I got a one from a later batch a couple months after and it did the same.
Two other issues with them: they tended to skip alot and also people complained it wasn';t very good for calls. So, if you have had good xperience with them that's great. But if you are still considering them, be forewarned. I loved the concept of them. But they just didn't meet their own marketing's expectations IMO.
Im now looking at the Plantronics 855, which is just becoming avail. No it's not sweatproof (but at least they don't claim to be). I;ve given up on getting a sweatproof BT headset for now. But otherwise, it looks like it might be a great solution for both calls and "casual" music.
Here's my two cents...
I bought the S9 headphones a few months ago after using the Motorola HT820's for close to a year (the HT820's are the ones that make you look like Mickey Mouse when you wear them).
The pros:
- The sleeker design of the S9 dont make you look like Mickey Mouse or Princess Lea. In fact, many people don't even realize I'm wearing headphones at all...
- They generally sound good
- The controls on both ears allow you to start/stop phone calls, raise and lower the volume, start/stop music and change music tracks
The cons (as compared with the HT820):
- Battery life is not wonderful -- the HT820's provide 14 hours or music, the S9 seem to provide more like 8
- Phone call audio plays only in one ear (the left one, to be exact). I had gotten used to phone calls in stereo...
- The middle button on each ears' control panel is a bit hard to use -- and those are the buttons which are used to start/stop phone calls and play/pause music
Overall, the sound quality is good. I dont usually have many dropouts during music and almost never during phone calls. People have never complained that they cant hear me speaking when using the S9 for calls.
Hope this helps....
Music sounds pretty decent. Not on caliber with a nice set of wired phones, but compared to the Shure Ec3, I'd give them a 7. On the plus side, if you can get a good fit for your ear, the bass response is a bit better than some of the "reference" quality earbuds. I think this is a matter of taste though.
Comfort is OK, but my ears do get a bit sore after an hour or so, but never to the point where I feel the need to take them off.
Music controls work fine, but I have not had great luck with activating incoming calls from the headset. Sometimes it works, others not. The buttons don't have a great tactile feel, so I may not be hitting the accept call button squarely. I also notice the music does not always pick right back up after using the head set activation button, so for these reasons, I usually hit the call accept button on the phone. This works fine.
I do get occasional skipping, but this seems to be related to Activesync.
I get occasional droped connections. Just turn the headset off and back on to reconnect. Happens maybe 1 out of 7 times I use them, and usually in the first few minutes - odd.
Phone call quality leaves a lot to be desired. For some reason, they only play through one ear when on a call and is seems that no matter what I do, the incoming person is too loud and boomy, even when I turn it way down. Usually this is passable for a short conversation, but if the person on the other end has an unfamiliar accent, I wind up having to switch over to the handset. People in general say they can hear me fine, but I don not use them in an environment with a lot of ambient noise.
That being said, I still use them very often at work as I don't get a lot of personal calls during the day. Battery life is usually sufficient for most of the day on a full charge. If you are at your desk the entire day, you may find they are drained before the end of the day (6-7 hours).
For home, I was thinking about picking up a pair of the Bluetrek phones. From the reviews I have read, if they fit you well, the sound quality is good, the battery life is a bit longer (though not much), they play phone calls in both ears and come with a nice carry case.
One final consideration, for some reason they do not get very loud with the Kaiser connection. It is still adequate, but if you like your music really loud, they may be lacking. I wouldn't rile them out on this though as they are plenty loud when connecting to my laptop, so there might be some software limitation on the volume which can be tweaked in the registry. I have seen some others mentioning this too and have not come across a fix yet, but I'd be willing to bet there will be one as soon as the BT headphones start getting more use.
Does anyone on here have it? How well does it work with WM6 and the Kaiser in general?
Sorry if this has been addressed in the past. I tried searching the Accessories forum with both basic and advanced searches and came back with no results. Which is odd considering I could have SWORN I saw it talked about here at some point int he past.
I have a Jabra BT620s, which is also A2DP. It is total crap. I would look at a different brand. Motorola headsets are supposed to work well.
Jabra BT8010 and Tilt
joshuah82 said:
Does anyone on here have it? How well does it work with WM6 and the Kaiser in general?
Sorry if this has been addressed in the past. I tried searching the Accessories forum with both basic and advanced searches and came back with no results. Which is odd considering I could have SWORN I saw it talked about here at some point int he past.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 8010 and it with all due respect to the previous poster, it works great. I have used it with the original shipped ROM and several cooked ROMS (Currently on Sleuth's 6.1 ver 3) and it worked well with all of them. I will say it seems to work the best (longer distance from the PPC) with the radio included in Sleuth's 6.1
Can either of you provide more specific information about the issues you had with it? I've never had a bluetooth headset before so I might not even notice.
My BT620s sounded like a bad record. The pitch kept shifting very subtly, but it is INSANELY annoying and makes it completely un-listenable. Also, it would drop audio for about 5 seconds of every minute, which is very annoying. It had trouble with pairing, when you turned it off, it would sometimes refuse to re-connect to the phone. The call quality with it was OK though. I sold mine and bought a pair of Motorolas.
i have the bt8010 (only for a week) and the head set is pretty good
i have had the headset cut out on me i think there is interference from the cell or wifi. but it doesn't happen all the time. the battery life is good i have played at least 9 hours of music (stereo) straight before it need a charge. the sound quality is ok, there is some distortion on the extreme high and low notes.
but it is wireless
the headset need to be angled in a upward angle in order to be conformable (at least for me) i was able to were it for 3 hours with out a problem
the cord between the ears some times get pulled by twisting my neck, it's about 1 inch too long
i have used it in a noisy production floor and the person on the other side head me fine, a little downed out but they didn't hear the hum of the loud machine in the background and because i had the stereo on i head him better then on my phone, and yes you do hear the person on both right and left sides.
i was going to get a Motorola (mono) one but i got this one because the talk time and standby life is longer (according to specs) and this one has stereo option.
this is the only headset that you could switch from work to play
i am happy with it, and other around me like it.
btw i got mine refurbished.
I have the BT8010. I've had it for about 7 to 8 months now, maybe longer.
I really do not like the headset at all. It has great sound so don't get me wrong. If sound is all you are interested in then go for it. But if you are looking for fit or the ear loops to stay on then they aren't the ones.
For me, the fit for me is horrible and the headset hurts because I have small ears.
SECOND and this is the BIGGEST LET DOWN, the ear loops keep falling out.
So if you get it go ahead and call and order some extras right away. You can contact them via phone I think and they will send you a few. Just keep one in your wallet and one in the car and some @ home, and some in your briefcase.
The ear loops fall out way too easy for my tastes. I'm currently looking for another set of A2DB enabled headsets.
I use it for some 4 month. Mostly monoaural. It's ok, but...
Pros: VERY good sound quality (noise reduction, environment supression), good battery lifetime (up to 3 days), clear display, handy controls.
Cons: the ear hanger (? sorry for my english) slips out from the unit causing unit to fall, fast dial numbers are too short (cannot add cell codes e.g. enabling my phone number identification before dial number), does not fit perfectly into the ear - the sound is good when I puch it with my finger toward my ear, but listening to the music is a bit painful (not full spectrum due to distance between speaker and ear-hole that cannot be, at least in my case, adjusted).
Overall: good design/performance. Better quality then BT800 (my previous earphone). Cannot be securely and properly adjusted toward ear.
has anyone got more insight on this headset... i am looking in purhcasing it.
I use the 8010. The only complaint I had was the ear hook kept falling out, like the poster above. What I did was to superglue the hook in. Now, it doesn't fall, and it fit tighter to the ear, making it better to hear conversations and music. I lost one of the hooks before, and when I called jabra to order another set of hooks, they sent me out a Free pair, no ? asked, so support is great. Now, you can find the headset at a very good price. I paid $100 for mines, you can find them for $40-60.
Jabra BT8010 connection
I also have problems with the ear loop falling out. But it's not that often.
What I find annoying is that it doesn't automatically connect to my HTC prophet as stereo headphones when I switch the Jabra to music mode. I have to manually go into bluetooth settings and click on Jabra BT8010 to set as stereo headphones. Does anyone have a fix for this? If I don't do the above steps, AVRCP is able to work, but music will still come out of the phone. It would be nice if I can just listen to music with a push of the mode button without having to fumble for my phone.
i have em .. and to be honest i cant really complain
the only problem ive actually had is like everyone else has mentioned...the ear loop comming off..but thats so small in comparison to what they have to offer.
imo :
the sync from my car to my home bt system is awesome!
the clarity is superb
volume, settings, caller id and the phonebook work flawlessly..and to top it off i got em off of ebay for 25 bucks brand new with a reciept..
cant beat it!
i ahve jabra bt620s and sound is too low, how can i increase the sound on bt headset
the best bluetooth I know so far is Itech. They don't sell here but you can find it on ebay. A2DP, bluetooth stereo, cliping on you cloth, looks like a ipod shuttle on you collar.
I would like some advice specific to these to bluetooth devices. I'm going out to get one this week and would like to purchase the best of the two. Basically I'm looking for good audio quality on both ends. Stable compatibility with the tilt. Good looks, of course. The Jawbone seems to be pretty popular, how does the Blue Ant compare? Pros and cons please.
Like most of these questions, you're going to get both opinions. Bought them both - ended up keeping the Blue Ant. Better price (got mine for $60 delivered). Upgradeable firmware. Great call quality/voice command quality. Liked the noise suppression better. Smaller (more comfortable for me and I always thought I had bigger ears). Again, you'll probably find others that will disagree with me.
Thank You... I'll do a little more research
OK. So I got the Jawbone ($129.99) last night and I am very happy, so far. I thought it would look too Star Trekish, but actually, its not too bad. Certainly, considering you have some atrificial device hanging from your ear anyway. How I arrived to this state of happiness: Last week I bought the Jabra BT8040 ($79.99) and after about 6 hours I took it back because it did not sit firmly in my ear (didn't try the extra ear buds), the sound quality was poor, and people complained about noise in my background (noise that I hardly considered). The Jawbone fit perfectly, right out the package and sound quality was perfect on both ends.
I would still like feedback on the Blueant Z9, please.
I have lots of Jawbone experience and I like it the best so far. I've just checked out the BlueAnt site and have now ordered one to test side by side. I do like the idea of downloadable firmware, we'll see.
Did you guys order from the BlueAnt site or from another retailer?
lopezpm said:
Did you guys order from the BlueAnt site or from another retailer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do a pricegrabber search, I used Tiger cause I know them but there were lower prices, $60-70 range
Best Buy. i'm impatient.
Jawbone sound is spectacular, function is pretty good, but for me the fit was terrible. Spent so much time fiddling with the wire ear loops they both broke -- my fault, not a quality issue.
Let me know how the BlueAnt works out. So far, I pretty much *hate* the fit of every headset ever made.
gt
I have Jawbone. They are fantastic. A little bulky on the ear but the technology is wonderful. I have no complain from people telling they hear static or winds noises.
my only complain is, the earbud keeping falling off here and there (interchangable depending on your ear). The earloop sometimes doesn't fit properly due to my status.
RemE said:
I have lots of Jawbone experience and I like it the best so far. I've just checked out the BlueAnt site and have now ordered one to test side by side. I do like the idea of downloadable firmware, we'll see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to your test results.....
So far I'm still happy with Jawbone. However (grins), I wish it would alert me when I get text and other messages. If my phone is at my desk and I'm at my workbench I miss incoming text messages. Can this be set up?
Keeper of the Grail said:
So far I'm still happy with Jawbone. However (grins), I wish it would alert me when I get text and other messages. If my phone is at my desk and I'm at my workbench I miss incoming text messages. Can this be set up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://teksoftco.com/index.php?section=bluemusic
or
http://teksoftco.com/index.php?section=freeware
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I've been reading reviews on the Z9 and the Jawbone, and every review contradicts the other. I couldn't make up my mind from reading reviews so I bought both and tried them out myself. Here is a comparison as I saw it.
1. Loudness - The Z9 has separate volume buttons for up and down and is plenty loud to hear in a noisy place. It’s loud enough that when I was in a quiet place or in my car with out the radio on I had to turn the volume down a bit.
The Jawbone doesn’t have an up and down volume button. It has a button that every time you press it, it raises the volume one level. Once you reach level 5 it goes back down to the lowest level and you have to start raising it again. It relies on it’s audio enhancement technology that will automatically adjust the volume depending on the surrounding noise. Overall, I felt that the Jawbone just wasn't loud enough for me.
2. Fit - They both fit really well but the Z9 hurts my ear after I take it off if I've had in for more than 30 minutes. The Z9 goes on fast when you get a call if it isn’t in your ear.
The Jawbone fits nice also, but it takes a little longer to put it on if it’s not in when you get a call. The good thing is that I can leave it on longer than the Z9 because it doesn’t hurt my ear at all. It just takes time to find the right combination for your ear, between the 4 ear pads and the 4 ear loops. But once you do it fits great. There is a shake test on YouTube showing that if you shake your head rapidly the Jawbone falls off while the Z9 stays on. I tried it and it's true. But who the hell goes around shaking their head like that.
3. Noise cancellation - This one was too close to call, I tested with the radio turned up in my truck and called my voicemail at work. They both did a great job. You could barely hear the music playing in the background and the music would cut in and out, while I was talking. It sounded like you had music in the background at a very low volume. As for the voice, it came across loud and it never cut out.
4. Size – Now this is a huge difference, the Z9 is about third the size of the Jawbone. This doesn’t mean that the Jawbone is overbearing or anything it just means that the Z9 is really small.
After testing them both for a couple of days, I am keeping the Z9. The deciding factor was that the Jawbone just wasn’t loud enough for me. Both are great noise cancelling headsets. If the Jawbone were louder I would be keeping that one because of the comfort level.
If you guys and gals have any questions let me know and I will try to answer them.
Keeper of the Grail said:
So far I'm still happy with Jawbone. However (grins), I wish it would alert me when I get text and other messages. If my phone is at my desk and I'm at my workbench I miss incoming text messages. Can this be set up?
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Try this free app, BTaudio toggle, it directs all sounds out thru the BT headset. It works great on the Kaiser. I map a a key to make it easy to direct all sounds when needed. Search for it to get the thread about it.
I tried Bluemusic and found that it did NOT work well with my Kaiser in that it seems to kill the voice dialer function. When pressing the headset button voice dialer does not work, bluemusic seems to use it to toggle the sound between the headset and phone, showstopper for me.
I haven't had much luck with a headset that fits my ear properly, and is loud enough. I've had a bunch ... have/had a Jawbone. I just can't get it to stay in my ear regardless of which hook or bud I use.
On a whim i bought a Moto H375 at Costco with wall and car charger (std mini USB) for $40.
I can charge it from any standard mini USB cable
It fits and stays in my ear
It is so loud I often have to turn the phone volume down
Battery life is good
It has some kind of auto pairing, so all you have to do is turn it on and tell your device to search. I didn't have to fumble with some odd button press to put the headset into a pairing mode. Both my Tilt and BB 8310 found it immediately ... laptop too.
When my phone rings I actually hear my ringtone in my ear ... not some generic bleep bleep sound.
It worked fine with MS Voice Command, without any hacks, with the current STOCK AT&T ROM, does name announcement just fine.
My only complaint is that the ear hook isn't super comfortable if you wear it for longer than an hour ... but then I don't walk around like a drone all day wearing one anyway.
for $40 it certainly is worth checking out.
Thanks lopezpm for your review.... if RemE comes to the same conclusion..(soon)... I'll go for the Z9
Jawbone
I got the Jawbone for the last 4 months with it's amazing audio. The only thing that "burn" it is the charging cable, They use their own type of connector which require me to take the only cable they supplied with me when I travel for something longer then 3 days.
I tried contacting throught the web site in order to get another cable but after 2 months of waiting I understood they won't reply.
I got my'n at the MobilityToday.com shop for 80$ (the red version)
Got my Z9 and so far I have to say that I'm impressed. I downloaded and updated it's firmware from their web site. It was a bit of a project but the instructions were good. The Z9 is truely tiny compared to the Jawbone and the Z9 has many more call control features, controlled with button combination presses.
Fit for me is good, the clear plastic hooks are slightly less comfortable than the Jawbone but with careful adjusting while looking in a mirror can help you get a fit that works well. The Z9 weighs next to nothing and can be adjusted to be almost invisible to your senses. They give you two spare ear hooks.
Sound incoming is loud and clear and I do appreciate the dedicated up and down controls. I wear my headsets on my left ear so that puts the buttons on the bottom in my case which is not as good from an operational standpoint, especially when using button combinations.
Charging is done with a dedicated charger with micro usb type connector (looks identical to Jabra's). The Z9's charger is rated at 5v, the Jabra is 6v. The Z9 also comes with a micro USB to standard USB charge/data cable. The cable's have labels stating to ONLY use them with the Z9.
Noise Cancellation, so far so good. One difference from the Jawbone is that the Z9's noise cancelling is default at "standard" at call connect where the Jawbone's NC is "On" at startup and can be turned Off while in a call by pressing it's rear button (where you get a multi-tone indication that it's Off) The Z9's NC can be turned from "standard" to "Max" with a tap on the call button and it actually says "noise cancelling max" in your ear with a male Austrailian accented voice tag. A 3 sec press on the call button is needed to "end call". I called a friend with a Jawbone and did quality tests and was told that the quality was very good. I did walk around outside and the Z9 did fairly well in wind compared to Jawbone, maybe slightly better. I have not had a chance to torture test in the car at high speeds yet but so far I'm pretty happy.
Annoying Bits, should you walk out of range of your phone (eg. left phone on desk and walked out of room), the Jawbone gives a single "lost connection" tone while the Z9 gives it's lost signal tone, every 2 seconds, over and over for about a minute or two, then it powers down. When you are back in range it won't auto-pair like the Jawbone, you need to tap the call button to wake it, then it re-pairs quickly. Also I'm finding that the single tap of the button during a call (disconnects call with Jawbone, changes Noise Reduction Level with Z9) with the Z9 I often change NC level by accident because I'm so used to tapping the button to hang-up, they really should reverse the two features and tap-hold for 3 sec to change noise cnx level since it's not used as much as hanging up! At least we could rally for a firmware change
All in all for the price ($70 USD in my case) the Z9 is a contender!
Edit, after a few days use I will say that the Jawbone is the most comfortable. The Z9's clear plastic ear clip does hurt after a while, more than the Jawbone.
Edit, after driving with it a few hours today, well, it was better than my Jawbones! (and I love my Jawbones) It was way louder, in fact I had to turn it down! I called a fellow nit-picking, Jawbone using friend and did many in-car tourture tests, speed, wind, etc. The Jawbone might have a slight edge in noise cancelling but overall I was loud and clear to them and they were loud and clear to me.
So in my book both are great headsets, I'll keep and use both.
I have owned headsets by Jabra, Plantronics, Sony and Cardo (god-awful, threw it at my window and broke it after only two days) and I must say that my Jawbone blows everything else I've previously owned out of the water, the fit is great for me, sound quality is excellent, no one complains when talking to me except when I'm in heavy wind. You can't really go wrong with the Jawbone!
Does anyone actually use the phone as a phone? I'm finding that the echo cancel really limits the quality of the phone. I can hardly carry on a decent conversation in the car using the supplied headset.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Try this: connect the headset. Call your phone from another phone. Listen to both at the same time. You can clearly hear when you talk that the phone is suppressing noise.
What I find is that when I'm in the car, it actually seems to suppress the volume of the person on the other end! So, it can be very frustrating as I miss words that they say.
Combine this with AT&T's marvelous AGC (where if you don't talk, it cranks the volume so that when you do talk, it blows the person on the other end away!), and the total quality of the call is horrible.
I've been using cell phones for almost 20 years. This is the worst phone quality I've ever experience.
When I use the phone directly for calls, everything sounds clear and at a consistent volume with one exception, while waiting for the other party to answer, the call ringing tone goes up and down in volume.
I've paired 3 different bluetooth headsets to the phone and found that the volume in my headset goes up and down quite a bit. Usually it's the worst at the beginning of the call. Sometimes I can't hear the other person answer but then it levels out a bit and the volume fluctuations are less extreme. I've tried an old Sony Ericsson, a Jabra Extreme, and have settled on a Plantronics Voyager Pro+. The Voyager is about the best I've tried but still exhibits the volume fluctuations but not as bad. It also supports A2DP so I can listen to podcasts through the headset.
I use it with the Sync system in my ford f150 and have no problems at all. It works great. I dont use headsets so..........only my sync system
I thought it was just me. My Plantronics 925 does this as well. Calls from the phone are fine, but the headset volume cuts in and out. Is this a bad Bluetooth stack or other problem? I think I remember another phone (WM 6.5) that had to get hacked to fix this. I'm a little miffed on this. Did anyone at Samsung or ATT test the bluetooth on this phone before selling it?
I have had very good call quality whether using the "phone as a phone", the phones speaker phone, or a blue ant bluetooth headset. I have had poor call quality only when trying to call someone in very low signal area. That has only been once. Otherwise overall clarity and volume have not been an issue, actually phone volume on high is too loud for my ears!
adding to my earlier post. I exchanged my Focus due to an unrelated issue. Both handsets had the same fade out issue with the bluetooth headsets. I've experienced it on every call so I don't think it's signal related. I don't see any volume fluctuation at all when using the handset without the bluetooth headset. I've tried the same three bluetooth headsets on my wife's iPhone 3GS and all work fine. I've also streamed at least a couple of hours of podcasts from the Focus to my headset and the volume is perfectly level. Whatever the issue, it's only related to phone calls. Very frustrating.
I've experienced the same issues. I have an Aliph Jawbone Icon. Before I updated the firmware on it I could barely hear someone on the other end. With the new jawbone firmware I have the ability to control the volume in the headset and only when I have it turned all the way up does it work ok. I do, however, still have trouble when people are talking that when the first start and or finish talking what they say seems to get clipped. Further, the volume seems to fade in and out. Also, if I'm using the AT&T navigator software and have my headset attached it will give me directions through the headset, but the end of every direction gets chopped off. So, the avene or street part of a direction doesn't come through.
I've been following this issue in a few different forums. Today a moderator in the Microsoft Answers forum jumped in and said they were experiencing the same problem and they would escalate the issue.
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...4ce-30ee-4734-9dab-28ce0d561132?prof=required
Can't recommend this phone
I was so excited when I first got my Focus. I thought it was such a huge step forward for MS mobile and actually had some chance at being mainstream. Sure it lacked a few features but there was the hope that MS would update the phone quickly. After all, they seemed to have made such phenomenal progress in getting the phone to market, seemed like fixing a few things and adding a few features would be a no-brainer.
Well, here we are 3 months later (Apple released the first update for iPhone 1.0.1 only one month later) and lots of rumors but nothing substantial on the long-awaited update. We'll see cut/paste but it's not at all clear if they will address anything else.
Here in CA we have a law that says we can't talk on the phone unless it's hands free. For the first time since that law was imposed, I've been regularly breaking it. I can't use a handsfree headset. Even the wired one that comes with the phone is so damn inconvenient that by the time I get it going, the caller is long gone. So, seemingly MAJOR features like BT headsets appear to get no notice at all from MS. I've looked through all the threads and there's nothing from MS. They don't even acknowledge the problem.
Looking at the thread from mcraine, I don't see where MS is going to do anything about this. Also, don't see any indication that it's part of any forthcoming updates.
Too bad. I thought this MS had a chance with this phone but they are blowing it big time. Momentum is gone now. If we have to wait another 3 months to get the browser fixed then the phone is destined to be like the Palm Pre. Good phone but can't keep up with the 'big' boys. This horse jumped out of the gate and was looking really good for the first couple of strides but then completely fell down and they are trying to coax it to get up again.
same issue here as well. mine is only a month old. it is not as noticable when sync'd to the car, but still noticable. and as said before more at the beginning of the call. if there were not issues, it would not be M$