Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset

When I initially started to use my Blackberry 7290, I received complaints about the headset that came with it. Although the sound was clear on my end, I was told by many people that it sounded like I was going through a tunnel. I remembered that my father had bought a Motorola Bluetooth Headset when he was last in town from my urgent complaint of him driving unsafely with a phone in his hand.

However, I also recalled my father telling me that he did not have the patience to figure it out and decided to throw it in a drawer. Well, it had not been used since. Considering that he had spent nearly $120.00 on it, I figured there was no harm in asking him to have it. I have had this small popular device now for a little over a month and a half and here are my thoughts on the Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset (HS850).


~What Comes In the Packaging~

Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset
Charger (plugs into an outlet)
User Manual (well written and explains the device thoroughly)


~Specifications from Motorola~

Size ~ 5cm x 3cm x 2cm (folded) - 8cm in length when boom microphone is not folded
Weight ~ 20 grams
Talk Time ~ up to 8 hours
Standy Time ~ up to 200 hours


~Basic Description of HS850~

In this particular case, there is a nice picture of the HS850 included on the top of this review for your viewing purposes.

There is a "Multifunction Call Button" nearly in the center of the headset used for various reasons such as answering a call, putting a call on hold or even rejecting an incoming call.

On the top and bottom of the headset there are two silver buttons about a centimeter in length that runs flush with the headset. I did not even notice them initially. These buttons run the volume of the headset and you may turn it up or with the top button or turn it down with the bottom, very simple.

The Earhook is made of a rubber substance that does bend easily in one place.

The speaker that goes up against your ear is close to 3 cm x 2 cm and has three holes for listening. The speaker has a rubber lip surrounding it in order to help block out noise or wind.

For the foldable boom microphone, at the very end is just one hole that you use to speak into.

There is a slight opening at the left end of the HS850 that doesn't have a name from Motorola and it may just be there for style.

The charger plug-in is located at the end of the HS850 that is not visible to others with a perfect position. As with many Motorola products the charger plug-in works with other various chargers they offer due to using the same type of plug-in such as a car travel charger for a Motorola phone works with the HS850.

It is also compatible with any other 1.1 compliant Bluetooth phones or devices manufactured by Motorola and other companies.


~Popular Specific Features~

~Distance with Connection~

In my opinion, the reason why most people will buy a wireless headset, including myself, is the convenience of not having to be attached to a wire with your phone/device. In this case with the HS850, you have the ability to walk up to thirty feet away from your phone/device with a clear connection. I must say that Motorola is not deceitful about this feature at all. Currently, I live in about a 1200 ~ 1300 square foot two bedroom and two bathroom apartment and I have full range of using the HS850 throughout the entire residence. I can be in my walk in closet on the south end of my apartment and my Blackberry will be at the furthest north point while still having the ability to receive and make phone calls easily and with clarity.

~Size~

The second most popular feature of the HS850 is the size. It is quite small like most Bluetooth Headsets that are now out on the market. If you were to line up two quarters together, that would be length when the boom microphone is folded in. The width of a quarter is a bit smaller compared to the widest part of the HS850. The size of the HS850 is easy to carry around whether in your pocket, purse and most importantly on your ear.

~Weight~

The third characteristic that comes to mind that people have asked me about is the weight of the HS850. It is twenty grams as I mentioned above. It sounds pretty light to most people and when I put it in those technical terms, I suppose it does. Well put twenty grams on your ear and you will soon discover that it is not as light as it sounds. Now please bear in mind that I haven't owned any other wireless headsets, so I cannot compare the weight of the HS850 to another one. However, I know that the weight did take some getting used to for my ear and the first week the headset was a tad bit uncomfortable for me. After using the HS850 for over a month and a half now, I am used to the twenty grams hanging off of my ear. When I hold the HS850 in the palm of my hand the weight reminds me of holding a roll of film, if you can remember those days before the digital world took over.

~Foldable Boom Microphone (FBM)~

The last aspect that you want to worry about when it comes to any wireless headset, not just the HS850, is how effortlessly am I able to connect to a call? Is it quick and is it handy? Motorola designed a FBM that when you open it up, you are connected with your caller swiftly. How is the speed?

Honestly, it may be because I am working with a Blackberry most of the time and not a Motorola device, but I am not always impressed with this feature. Why? There are times that when I open the FBM and it takes over five seconds to connect with my device. There are even times when I have experienced being forced to click on the "Multifunction Call Button" in order to connect my device with the HS850.

So am I impressed with the FBM? Frankly I could leave it or take it from the experience I have had with it. I have had the HS850 in my hand while then placing it on my ear with the FBM unfolded of course (just for point of reference you cannot wear the HS850 with the FBM actually folded in) and not been able to connect with a caller in time before my voicemail kicks in. I find that to be incredibly frustrating. The connection is not always that speedy and handy as one might believe.

You can turn the HS850 off and on with the FBM and it does save power for standby time when folded up. It is this technology that allows up to 200 hours of standby time.

On the other hand, I would rather have the actual comfort of having this particular headset in my pocket to carry around or to clip onto my shirt than other available Bluetooth headsets on the existing market. The reason just being that it is not pointed when folded and the FBM can act as a clip onto my t-shirt neckline as well.

Lastly, when it does work properly it is easier than trying to find a button to click on and off. So basically the FBM has its' benefits and drawbacks, but overall I am not entirely impressed with the technology behind it.

~Style~

When it comes to the actual look of the HS850, it is stylish. It does only come in the two-toned color of dark grey and blue LED (the blue will light up when charging and blink when you the FBM is open or the HS850 is in use or resting on your ear). It may not be as fashionable as some of the different colored Bluetooth headsets that can match the faceplate of your phone or even for some people their clothing, but this is a far cry from being unattractive. It does not come out any further than other wireless headsets when in use and in my eyes is not bulky looking. I do believe that men would find the HS850 more attractive because I have been told it doesn't have a "feminine style" to it. I would say it comes down to personal preference but for me it is stylish enough.


~Pairing Your HS850 with your devices~

I had a problem pairing my HS850 with my Blackberry. I had followed the instructions by my Blackberry, which were quite straightforward, to turn on the Bluetooth Technology. However when I went to have it scan for any Bluetooth devices within range, it was not able to pick up the HS850. I ended up bringing my Blackberry with the HS850 to the local T-Mobile store for support. It took them less than one minute to do it for me and they said it was common for this occurrence with Bluetooth devices. I have a feeling it was my Blackberry rather than the actual device. I have found that pairing it with my other cell phone it was rather easy. So pairing it with a cell phone is quickly done but with a PDA or Blackberry may need some support.


~Sound Quality~

When it comes to using any sort of headset whether wireless or not with a cell phone/device, the quality of sound is the most important element. How well can you hear the party on the other end? Can they hear you clearly? I have to say that with the HS850, I am quite disappointed with the sound. I have always been told that it does not sound like I am on a headset when I have asked by family and friends. However, I struggle in certain environments to hear the caller. These surroundings would include driving in the car with the window down, outside on a patio at a restaurant where automobiles may be passing through, people who are sitting closely to you that may be speaking louder than normal, inside a busy eatery or perhaps walking through the mall if it is a busy weekend afternoon.

Obviously there are many places where you need to either press the HS850 closely to your ear to hear your caller or you may just have to end the call until you are in a quieter place. For me, it defeats the purpose of having a headset for the convenience while out and about running errands or if I am expecting a call while sitting and having a cup of coffee outside of Starbucks. I am not expecting for the HS850 to work in a crowded bar on a Friday night but it is annoying that the sound is so low.

On the other end of it for the caller, the FBM does not seem to pick up other noise from outside parties. If I am having a conversation while walking through the grocery store, I don't have to worry that every person I may pass by will show up in my conversation with a caller. So the FBM does work well with focusing on your voice rather than surrounding noise when the other end is listening in.

When a call comes in and rings in my ear, for me it is faint. I would rather have a stronger or louder ring but I have settled for what the HS850 has offered.


~Dropping Calls or Static~

I have been fortunate enough that I have not once dropped a call when using the HS850 whether I have been traveling through the mountainous areas of Phoenix, Arizona. I am quite pleased with that characteristic of this headset.

I have also not experienced any static when it comes to using the HS850. Whether I am not near my actual Blackberry regarding distance, I have not had static enter the conversation. I have not had the unfortunate occurrence of trying to connect to a call and receiving static or loud jumbled noise.

So when it comes to dropping calls or static, I give the HS850 a thumbs up. Motorola did an excellent job keeping you connected properly to your device.


~Basic Wear and Tear~

Accidents happen and for some reason I seem to be accident-prone. I have dropped the HS850 on various surfaces whether it is on my tiled kitchen floor, carpet in the living room, sidewalk outside, or in the car. The result of my personal clumsiness has not affected the HS850 at all as far as its' use. However I personally have found that it does scratch easily when dropped on a hard surface but that doesn't concern me as long as the functions still are intact.


~Comfort of Earhook~

If you have small ears like myself, this may not be the Bluetooth Wireless Headset for you. I can see why men who generally have larger ears than women purchase the HS850. The Earhook is bendable and believe me I tried to form it so that it would fit on my ear better. However it stays true to its' original form and even if you try to alter it, it will not stay. It opens at an automatic 45 degree angle to place on your ear quickly. The Earhook is stronger, thicker rubber material around the top of it for better control and end of the hook that would wrap around the rest of your ear is more flexible. It is very thin in design and does take a bit getting used to as I previously mentioned. However even with my small ears, I am now comfortable wearing the HS850 without issues with the Earhook.

It does come with the HS850 set up for your right ear. You can change the Earhook to fit your left ear instead although it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. However it is possible to do.


~How Long Does it Really Last and Charging~

I have been able to get about a little over seven hours of talk time out of the HS850 which is great. As for standby time, I have never quite paid attention to it. For this review in particular though I kept it off the charger to see how long it would last. It needed to be charged around the 185th hour. Motorola is almost right on the money when it comes to the marketing of the talking and stand by time of the HS850.


~Using Various Functions with the Multifunction Call Button (MCB)~

The HS850 has the ability to be used to:

Make and Receive Calls (obviously)
Redial a Number
End a Call
Put a Call on Hold
Swapping Calls Back and Forth
Reject an Incoming Call
Three-Way Calling

I have found that using all the capability that the HS850 is easy to use once you learn how with any new device you would buy. The MCB works well and is easy because you only use one button rather than trying to use more than one. It is quite straightforward in the manual how to proceed with all the functions of the MCB and I was able to teach myself how to use it properly.


~Other Uses~

It is compatible with other Bluetooth Technology that is on the market such as a laptop computer from what I have read. I will say that I have only used it with my cell phone and Blackberry. I have no experience using it with other Bluetooth Technology currently available.


~Recommendations~

The HS850 has the Bluetooth Headset Technology that many people are using these days as new phones come out that are compatible. However, I am not that impressed with my experience of the HS850. It is mostly due to the sound quality and the slower speed of connection to my Blackberry. I would like to be able to hear my party with a stronger volume control and sometimes I have to struggle to find a quieter area to have a phone call.

As far as the connection speed, it is not as quick as I had hoped it would be but I also leave the possibility that this is caused by the device I have compatible with it rather than a Motorola phone/device.

It is for these two reasons that I would not recommend the HS850 to consumers especially at the higher price tag that comes with it. I have noticed that the price is now $99.99 on the Motorola website rather than the $120.00 my father originally spent. You can also find it on Amazon for $59.99. The price varies but it is definitely going to run you between $60.00 ~ $100.00.

I tried to include the drawbacks and benefits of the HS850. Overall though the sound quality is just not loud enough for my ear and for me that is what is most important when it comes to a Bluetooth Wireless Headset. I would say that there may be other wireless headsets that are better on the market from what I have heard as far as sound quality but also a bit heavier on your ear. For now, I haven't found a headset that suits all of my needs. So for now I will stick with the Motorola Bluetooth Wireless HS850 until I find something else that comes around including all the great features that were described in this review along with a great sound. To me though, this an average wireless headset and I certainly would be disappointed if I had personally bought it for $99.99.


~Websites you may find interesting ~

(1) www.motorola.com
(2) http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/Motosupport/source/SetUpproduct.asp?productid=HS850&Category=Headsets&bluecat=Bluetooth



Thank you for Reading!



kparsons13 Copyright2006