We need to make up a good name for devices like this, remote units designed to act as a speakerphone (or in the case of VIOP, a handset) but are not phones in themselves. The Roadmaster Bluetooth hands-free speakerphone is a module that clips onto your sun visor. It also shows caller ID information so you can decide whether or not to take the call without touching your phone.
In use the device is nearly transparent. You leave your phone on your hip, and when you turn the device on it syncs to the phone (once you program it the first time) automatically. If you drive often, just leave it on all the time, it lasts a few days between charges (how it charges is a minor drawback, see below). Incoming calls light up the caller ID and you just push a button on the device to accept the call.
The documentation says the speakerphone works with voice dial, but I hate yelling at my phone so I just dial (talk about an anachronistic word). Once a number is dialed it picks up the call immediately.
The only real drawback is the way the unit charges. It comes with a 12-V lighter plug but it shuts down when charging, so you’re better off with a wall wart charger so you can do it at night at home. (I used a wall wart with a 12-V socket in it to do that very thing.) At $69, it’s the cost of a decent Bluetooth earpiece.
Sounds neat! Does anyone know of any competitive products?
I have a Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS. It does this but it is also 12x the price. Of course, you get the GPS for free! 🙂
That charging method would turn me off too…. One more gadget to remember to feed & carry….
My stupid Razr (unless I missed something) came with a bluetooth earpiece widget that works quite well. Except that it takes a complex button dance to turn it on (to get the phone to use it) and a very different complex button dance to shut it off. Wouldnt’ care, but sometimes I don’t want to use the earpiece, and the changeover is a PITA….
(The voice dialing provided with the phone is useless.)
(The manual’s more than a little vague about a lot of things….)
Regards,
Stu.
Since you brought up cellphone bluetooth devices I have a bitch.
I’ve got a Plantronics ear piece. The thing sounds better than the mike and speaker on my Razr. The thing is close to broadcast quality while driving at highway speeds and was even good when I had a convertable.
The only problem it uses a charging plug that no one else makes and even Plantronics doesn’t make a car charger for it.
It is the only plug I’ve ever seen that Rat Shack doesn’t have an adaptor for.
One problem with Bluetooth at least on my Razr is phone battery time. I have both built in to car (Infinity 2006) and Garmin Nuvi 660 bluetooth. If I am on a road trip and keep the phone on Bluetooth even plugged into car, the phone battery can’t keep up. I tend to make a lot of business calls on the road.
The Infinity system is nice except it will not download the address book from phone. Takes a while to program but once it is the voice dialing is great and it sounds great too. It will also voice dial a number.
No shouting required. It lacks Caller ID though.
The Garmin downloads the book and has caller id but it sounds like crap. One way cool feature is that when you find a business like a hotel near your location you can dial it from it’s database.
I think both of these systems have great features, just too early in development.
Its a cheap looking device and the sound quality isn’t that good.
6,
I’ve heard better, true, but not for $69.
It doesn’t matter how much you pay for the device if the audios#cks then it ain’t worth anything.
The plastic casing looks so cheap I’m sure it wouldn’t stand up to a bounce test….
Needs to charge by solar panel or something.
8,
Actually, its quite audible, just not the best fidelity. I’ve used it in and around NYC for a while now with no problems. Have you tried it?
9,
Excellent idea.
Nice reference to JCD – “I hate yelling at my phone” – I thought instantly of the graphics for his Inside Track column in PCMag.
Does anyone know of any competitive products?
There are at least 6 on sale here, although I haven’t seen this make. Most seem to cost around €80 – €100. I’ve had one for 2 years or so, although I can’t remember the make and I’m too lazy to go out to the car and look right now. It works just fine and doesn’t cut off when it’s charging. It’s illegal to hold a phone and talk while driving here in Spain (€600 fine) and all types of headsets or ear pieces are banned for drivers too.
Sorry, my linking skills aren’t up to snuff…
I meant to talk about the “Motorola T305” that I have…
and the Jabra SP100, Jabra SP500 and Sony Ericsson HCB-100
They banned using handsets while driving in Albuquerque last night. If I can find a cheap Bluetooth adapter for my Samsung phone I might buy one of these speakerphones.