Palm Treo 650 Wireless review

PalmOne's Treo 650 was one of the most anticipated handsets of 2004. The smart phone offered a few improvements over its successor, perhaps, most notably, the addition of integrated Bluetooth. And because Bluetooth and wireless headsets go hand in hand, it's no surprise that PalmOne rolled out its own signature device for Treo loyalists. The headset is pricey at $80, but if you've already forked over the cash for the smart phone, you shouldn't feel the pinch too much.

Unbelievably tiny and lightweight at 2.2 by 1.0 by 0.3 inches and 0.6 ounce, the headset is outfitted in a relatively stylish silver and gray casing. It slips on and off easily, and the highly flexible ear loop can be adjusted for either ear. The only downside was that it felt a little loose, and the plastic construction seemed somewhat flimsy.

The amply sized controls took no acclimation and were easy to manipulate when wearing the headset. A multifunction button turns the headset on and off, manages calls, and readies it for pairing, while a phone-shaped LED light indicates the headset's status. A big plus was that it uses the same charger system as the Treo, which makes it more convenient than a headset from another vendor.

We had no problem pairing the device to our Treo 650. The performance was decent, with low static and good range, especially compared to other headsets such as the Jabra BT200, which we've used with the smart phone. It had very good noise reduction in windy environments--an uncommon trait. Our real complaint was that the volume was a bit low, but it wasn't particularly bothersome. One other item worth noting: The Treo didn't support voice dialing, a feature found on even today's cheap phones; you'll have to dial from the handset itself. There was voice-dialing software available for an extra cost, but it didn't work with Bluetooth headsets.

The headset also worked with other Bluetooth 1.2-enabled phones. We used it with the Motorola V600 and enjoyed great performance. Also, because the V600 had voice dialing, we were able to use the headset to make calls, though only after we pressed the voice-dialing button on the phone. The headset promises seven hours of talk time and a little more than seven days of standby battery life, which we met in our tests.