10 Things You Need to Know before Buying Bluetooth Headsets

When you have successfully chosen a good mobile phone from the seemingly endless supply of cell phones, picking a headset can just be as overwhelming. To narrow your choices down, a Bluetooth headset may just be the perfect choice for anyone looking for a hands-free solution. Why, you may ask?

Bluetooth headsets offer a convenient wireless connection between the headset and your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. But before grabbing the first Bluetooth headset you see in stores, there are a few things you need to know about the integration of Bluetooth technology in modern mobile headsets.

1. Bluetooth is considered the most misunderstood technology in the wireless age because many people are not familiar of how it works. However, technology experts estimate that more than 50 million Bluetooth devices will launch at the end of 2007.

2. Bluetooth technology works in a simple way. It allows two devices (i.e., your headset and your mobile phone) to communicate with each other by sending data over a low-cost, short-range radio waves.

3. With Bluetooth technology, both devices do not need any wires and cables; they also do not need to be within line of sight. The only requirement for this technology to work is that both your cell phone and headset should be Bluetooth-compatible.

4. Bluetooth technology does not cost a cent, aside from your initial investment with your mobile phone and headset.

5. Bluetooth has a range of 10 meters and up to seven connections with a speed of 1 Mbps is possible at one time.

6. Bluetooth comes in several versions, so you need to consider your mobile phone’s technology when picking out a headset. Make sure your two devices will work with each other smoothly. Most devices in the market work around Bluetooth 1.1, but Bluetooth 2.0 is available with enhancements to the technology, enabling higher connection speeds and higher number of devices.

7. Bluetooth headsets come in two styles – models with a boom and without a boom. This “boom” is an extended microphone, designed to arch towards your mouth. Be aware that Bluetooth headsets with a boom tend to be bulkier than models without booms. However, they are designed to rest behind your ears, giving you a more comfortable experience.

8. Today, Bluetooth headsets without a boom have become more popular because they are compact and offer more design choices. Some headset models are designed to fit directly into your ear, instead of just resting against the ear. To ensure you are comfortable with a particular model, check several styles to find the right fit.

9. Some Bluetooth headsets available in the market have various features, such as caller ID display. While your mobile phone has caller ID, this feature is a great help when your phone is out of reach. Simply glance over the LCD display of your headset and you’ll know who’s on the line.

10. When you find a compatible headset with your mobile phone, don’t just buy it at once. Make sure that you receive the best sound quality when making and receiving a call. Say goodbye to all its impressive features if sound quality suffers greatly.

Choosing a Bluetooth headset from the endless supply of features and models can be an overwhelming task. However, as long as you understand how this technology works, what features are important and what models give you comfort, then you can be sure to buy the best headset fit for your mobile phone.

The Bluetooth Solution

The technology of Bluetooth will take small area

networking to the next level by removing the need

for user intervention and help keep transmission

power very low to preserve battery power. Each

transmission signal to and from your cellular

phone will use just 1 mw of power, giving you

plenty of space on your battery to talk.

Bluetooth is a networking standard that will

work on two levels:

1. It will provide agreement at the

physical level, as Bluetooth is a radio frequency

standard.

2. It will provide agreement at the level

of protocol, where products will have to agree

on when bits are sent, how many are sent, and how

the parties in conversation can be sure the message

recieved is the same one that was sent.

The major draws to Bluetooth is the fact that

it's wireless, inexpensive, and automatic. There

are other ways to get around wires, including

infrared. Infrared uses light waves of a lower

frequency than the human eye can, and is normally

used in television remote controls.

The technology of Bluetooth is intended to get

around the problems that normally come with

infrared systems. The 1.0 older standard of

Bluetooth has a max transfer speed of 1 MB a

second, while the 2.0 Bluetooth standard can

manage up to 3.0 MB a second. To make things

better, 2.0 is compatible with 1.0 devices.

As a solution to wireless, Bluetooth will

eliminate the need for messy cords, keeping

everything nice and neat. It's perfect for those

who like to talk on cell phones, as you no

longer need to hold the phone next to your

ear - which is great for those who travel a

The Future Of Bluetooth

Because it meets the basic needs of connectivity in

close range, Bluetooth has a very bright future

ahead of it. Bluetooth is actually the result of

initiatives from nine leading communications and

computer industry giants, including 3-COM, Sony,

Lucent, IBM, Nokia, Microsoft, etc.

Since the forming of the original group, more than

1,800 manufacturers around the world have joined

the initiative. According to reports, the Bluetooth

technology is expected to be built into more than

100 million devices, with over 670 million enabled

Bluetooth devices.

Resulting from the amazing success of WAP (Wireless

Application Protocol), the adoption of smart phones

and hand held devices, Bluetooth can easily have

an amazing impact on your day to day life. Bluetooth

is one of the key technologies that can help to

make the mobile information society happen, by

blurring the possibilities between home, the office,

and the outside world.

The seamless integration and connectivity that

Bluetooth promises will make it possible to explore

a wide range of interactive and highly transparent

personalized services which were actually quite

difficult to dream of simply because of the

complexity involved with making such devices

communicate with each other.

Many Bluetooth pilot products have already been

rolled into the market and backed by big vendors,

which is a healthy sign for the overall acceptance

of the technology. The support for Bluetooth isn't

limited to companies that develop only Bluetooth

enabled products.

The applications for Bluetooth can have great

impacts on other industries as well. The adoption

of Bluetooth technology is expected to spread

throughout the industry of computers.

Unlike infrared technology, Bluetooth is used by

many different wireless devices. Bluetooth offers

exceptional quality for short range wireless, even

going through walls and obstructions. While

infrared is the biggest competitor at this time,

Bluetooth far surpasses it, proving to millions that

it is the wireless communication technology of the

present day and age.

In the beginning, Bluetooth started with version 1.0,

then gradually moved from there. The current

version is 2.0+EDR, with another version currently

in development. The technology behind the Bluetooth

specification always getting better and better,

which is why it's so popular.

In the future, you can expect the technology

behind Bluetooth to get better. Bluetooth has

proven to be the wireless standard of the future,

offering you wireless connectability for hundreds

of different devices. For cell phones or other forms

of wireless connections, Bluetooth is the one

technology that you don't want to find yourself

Using Bluetooth

The amazing technology of Bluetooth presents a great

way of exchanging data between two wireless devices.

Unlike telephones, there are no wires or messy

leads to worry about. You can enjoy wireless

communications with short distances of up to thirty

feet.

Bluetooth also offers interoperability, meaning that

you can use your portable Bluetooth device to connect

with existing Bluetooth points. This way, you won't

have to carry a data lead or CDs of drivers around

with you everywhere you go. You can enjoy the best

of wireless without having to worry about installing

your software.

With today's Bluetooth, you can use your PDA and cell

phone to surf the net or check emails as you travel.

If you are in the business field, this can be very

beneficial, especially if you like to check your

email throughout the day. Bluetooth will enable you

to check your email no matter where you are - which

is great news for those who like to travel.

Bluetooth will also enable to you to transfer files

as well, such as MP3 and photo to and from your mobile

device. Bluetooth dominates the world of short range

wireless, enabling you to do more than you may

have thought possible.

One of the best things to Bluetooth and something

everyone loves is the wireless headset. Bluetooth

offers wire free headsets for your cell phone or

computer, which is great for those who like to walk

around or talk on the phone in the car, without

having to worry about your hands getting in the way.

To make things even better, you can use a Bluetooth

GPS device for satellite navigation on your PDA,

laptop, or mobile. If you travel - this can be