Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset (Color Sent Based on Availability. Comes in Black, Blue and Grey, or Silver)[Bulk Packaged]
Customer Reviews
Awesome sound quality, battery life, and range.
I can leave my phone in my bedroom, and still make and receive calls on this headset twenty-five - thirty feet away IN MY LIVING ROOM Amazing.
Pairing was as snap on a Motorola V80, and my PC, but other phones may be different.
The only drawback I find, as I did on the HS820 review, is that my phone reverts to a default ring for both voice ; messages, so the cool MP3 ringtones are useless when using the headset :(
Ear fit is on par with the HS820 as well. It flaps around your ear sometimes and it feels like it's going to fall off, but it doesn't, and it also fits well when wearing sunglasses.
The battery life is unprecedented. Probably the best on the market as of this writing.
Audio quality:
The sound quality is unequaled. The party on the other end of the line will never know you're on a headset, calls are clear and they sound like a wired phone/headset. The caveat is that in windy conditions, it will be impossible to use, but so will be a wired headset, so there's no way around that situation.
The headset functions w/o any issues almost all the time, except in a couple of instances when, if the phone is answered first, and the headset is turned on afterwards, I've encountered a very loud static noise, which would go away when folding the boom and extending again thereby turning off and back on.
A couple of times I've lost calls and had to revert back to using the phone, but that may have been due to external RF since it only happened twice in a three week period.
Fit and finish:
Motorola has a winner here. The look is stylish, and fit and finish is first class.
Size:
This unit is bigger (longer) than the HS820, since it incorporates a boom, which, when extended, increases the overall lenght to 3.3 inches long, making it more noticeable then other integrated units. It also feels slightly heavier, but not by much.
To it's credit, the boom doubles as a on/off switch, making it a no brainer figuring out the unit's state: folded=off and extended=on
Accessories included:
I was surprised that the U.S. version does not come with the leather carry holster and lanyard like the European version does.
Tried to shop for an replacement Motorola holster online and THERE AREN'T ANY, not even replacements for the HS810 which does include the holster.
Also, the U.S charger is noticeably larger then it's European counterpart (Hello Moto, anyone home?).
A USB charger would also have been nicer than a regular AC adapter, specially when traveling, since all one would have to do is plug into a laptop if the battery is running low.
To recap:
Pros:
Easy one-button function
Fit/Finish
Stylish
Battery Life
Call quality
Range
Cons:
Size
Overrides phone's customized rings
Ear fit may prove too loose for smaller ears
No holster provided
No USB charger
I have been very happy with this headset. I use it with a Motorola RAZR V3.
My last Bluetooth headset was a Jabra, and it broke after just a few months -- the power button quit working, so it was always on until the battery drained.
I love the HS850 since it has no power button! Instead, you just flip it open or closed. It gets great battery life, since it's so easy to put it in standby by flipping it closed.
I have also used this headset successfully with Skype on both Windows and Mac. The only catch is that it can only be active with one device at a time, so you have to disconnect/release it from your cell phone, before you can successfully use it with Windows or Mac. This makes switching back and forth between your PC and phone a bit cumbersome. Of course, it took a couple of hours to get it working under Windows, but it worked first try on the Mac ;-)
Product Description
Amazon.com Hands-On Review
The Motorola HS850 is the company's update to their HS810 headset, one of my personal favorites. The changes made to produce the new HS850 are few, but the effect is relatively substantial. But first, let's start with what is the same.
Like the HS810, the HS850 makes use of a body design that employs a folding microphone boom. The folding microphone boom acts as the on and off switch, as well as just providing a convenient way to make the headset smaller and more pocketable when not in use. When a call comes into your phone, you can turn on and answer the phone at the same time just by unfolding the microphone boom. You can end the call and turn it off by removing the headset and re-folding it. Using the headset in this way conserves battery power, since no battery juice is wasted on standby time - time where the headset sits around waiting to be contacted by a mobile phone or other compatible device. The physical design of the HS850 and the battery savings it imparts is my favorite aspect of the Motorola HS850.
Of course you don't have to remove and turn off the headset between calls. If the headset is already on when an inbound call comes, you will hear the ringing come through on the headset and can answer it by pressing on the main multi-function call control button. You can end the call with this same button, and adjust volume levels with the two volume buttons. If you are using a phone that supports the Hands Free Bluetooth profile, then you can also use the call control button to reject an inbound call or redial the last number.
The HS850's audio properties are also like those of the HS810 before it. The audio quality in both directions is very clear and understandable, but sounds a bit thin. You and the party on the other end of the call will both be able to understand each other easily, it just doesn't sound as full and natural as it might with some other headsets. The HS850 makes up for this small lacking by having great resistance to wind noise, though. That makes the headset perfect for people that enjoy driving with their windows down, or those that work outside. Most headsets are very susceptible to wind noise, the HS850 bucks that trend.
And now for the new stuff. First up, a more powerful battery. The HS850 I tested managed an amazing 7 hours and 50 minutes of talk time. That is a full two thirds improvement over the older model. The truly amazing part is that this new battery life didn't come at the expense of added weight. Like the HS810 before it, the HS850 weighs only .7oz (19.9g).
The next major change perhaps sounds more important than it worked out to be in reality. The HS850 supports the newer Bluetooth v1.2 spec, whereas most headsets support v1.1 only. Motorola claims that when used with a v1.2 compatible phone (there are still relatively few available at the time I write this), the HS850 will be able to connect faster, use less battery power, and offer improved audio quality. While I can see what appears to be a slight improvement in connection speed, I haven't really noticed much of a change in battery life or audio quality.
The last major change is purely cosmetic. The new HS850 headset is blue-gray in color, like a darker version of the HS810's color. I find it more attractive than the light silver found on the HS810.
But regardless of the color, you can't go wrong with Motorola's HS850, which I consider to be perhaps the best value on the market.
--Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com
Pros:
- Small, light
- Comfortable
- Nearly 8 hours of talk time
- No wind noise
- Can be worn on both ears
Cons:
- A bit unusual looking
- Audio lacks bass
What's in the box: Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset, User Manual, and Quick Start Guide.
No wires. No limits. Designed to enhance the experience of any Bluetooth technology enabled phone, the Motorola Wireless Headset HS850 also stores information and wirelessly interacts with up to eight different Bluetooth 1.1 and 1.2 compliant devices, including handsets, PDAs and computers. The Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset is in it's original condition. Product also includes original charger, warranty, and manual.
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Product Details
- Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches ; 3.2 ounces
- Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
- ASIN: B0007WWAGI
- Item model number: HS850
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