The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
Entered CNET Catalog: 10/07/2006
SKU: TXCKT10139
Manufacturer: Kyocera Int'l Inc.
Manufacturer description
See who's calling, even if your phone is out of reach. Kyocera new wireless headset is lightweight, comfortable to wear, and offers excellent sound quality.Product summary
The good: The Kyocera Bluetooth headset has an LED display that shows caller ID. It also has a variety of features including voice dialing, plus call quality was pretty good. It can also be worn on either ear.
The bad: The Kyocera Bluetooth headset with LED display was a little uncomfortable to wear, and it doesn't fit too securely around the ear.
The bottom line: The Kyocera Bluetooth headset with LED display has an uncomfortable design and we weren't too convinced of the LED display's practicality. However, it did have solid audio quality.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/12/2006
Kyocera is better known for its cell phones, such as the Oystr, rather than its accessories. So we were intrigued by the company's latest Bluetooth headset, which comes complete with an LED display. Though we have seen this feature before in headsets such as the Jabra BT800 for example, it's still a bit unusual. The Kyocera Bluetooth headset with LED display will be available for between $69 and $89, which is very pricey for a Bluetooth headset.
The first thing you'll notice about this headset is its large ear loop,which measures about 0.75-inch in width. The reason for this girth is that it also houses the headset's battery; a charging port is located at the top end of the ear loop along with a light indicator. The base end of the ear loop is more rubberized, making it easier to maneuver, and on the back of the headset is an earpiece with a gel-like cover. Measuring 2.2 by 1.25 by 0.3 inches, the unit itself is skinny but wide, and even though the overall device isn't too lightweight at 0.37 ounces, we still found it acceptable. That said, the inclusion of the large ear loop makes this one of the bulkiest headsets we've ever tried. It felt quite uncomfortable when worn, mostly because of the large ear loop. Occasional attempts to adjust its position resulted in the headset falling off, meaning that the fit isn't too secure either.
The primary feature of the headset is the 0.75-inch LED display in the middle of the unit. The display shows caller ID, battery, and signal strength, plus you can view and browse your phone's contacts from the headset. On top of the display are two volume controls with a small multifunction button in the middle. The volume buttons are rounded and textured enough to press when the headset is worn on the ear, but the multifunction button is slightly sunk into the unit, making it a little more difficult to press. On the bottom left and right sides of the headset is where you can connect the detachable ear loop. Note that because the ear loop contains the battery, you probably won't want to wear the headset without it.
We tested the Kyocera Bluetooth headset with LED display with the T-Mobile Sidekick 3. Pairing is fairly painless--simply hold down the multifunction button (be sure the headset is turned off first) until you see the word Pairing on the LED display. Audio quality was good, though we did have to raise our voice quite a bit to be heard in windy environments. Callers said we sounded just fine otherwise. I wasn't entirely convinced of the practicality of the LED display, since we often had to take it off our ear to see who it was, then put it back on to answer the call. Still, if you want an easy way to browse your contacts while leaving your phone in your pocket, this is a way to do it.
The Kyocera Bluetooth headset with LED display has a rated 6 hours of talk time and 4 days standby time. Other features of the headset include call muting, call transfer from headset to phone, voice dial, and call waiting.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2out of 2 user reviews
My favorite Bluetooth headset to date
Pros: Sound Quality Excellent, LED displaying caller ID is very helpful. Current Sale Price fantastic!
Cons: Ear loop could be a little smaller
out of 2 user reviews
Somewhat useful for me, but no name display
Pros: Info icons are great and sound is very good
Cons: Earloop is too big and button too small
