[u] Top Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for iPhone & iPod touch

Yesterday saw the release of a major software update for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The update brought over 100 new features, but one of the best new features is that the iPhone 3G and 2nd generation iPod Touch now support Stereo Bluetooth. Stereo Bluetooth lets you enjoy your music in stereo and without wires connecting to your phone. As Stereo Bluetooth has been around for years there are plenty of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets to choose from.

Thereare a couple of points that you’ll need to remember though, the iPhone and iPod Touch support the A2DP profile only. If you have an iPhone this means you can answer & end calls, play / pause your music, but not control it fully. If you have an iPod Touch 2G then you will be able to play / pause your music and adjust the volume, but you won’t be able to use these headsets with any of your VOIP apps (such as Skype) on your iPod.

In order for you to be able to control your music fully, the iPhone or iPod Touch would need to support the AVRCP profile – hopefully we’ll see this in a future software update from Apple. Stereo Bluetooth is not available on the first generation iPhone or iPod Touch.

UPDATE: It appears that volume control when using a Bluetooth Headset is a bit of a mystery – it works on some headsets, but not on others. We’ve tested the headsets shown here and listed whether or not the volume levels can be adjusted.

UPDATE: April 9th 2010 iPhone OS 4.0 was previewed yesterday by Apple and early development previews show that Apple have now included support for volume adjustment, but music controls still don’t work as the AVRCP profile still seems to be excluded. It’s a step in the right direction, but still not ideal. Hopefully this will change between now and the official release of iPhone OS 4.0 in June. Look out for an updated post nearer the time.

Right, on to the headsets! With so many to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming, so I’ve been through our current range of Bluetooth Headphones and compiled a list of my top 5 Bluetooth Headphones for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S and iPod Touch 2G.

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones

Sony Ericsson IS-800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

These are without doubt my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, hence they’re at number 1 in my list. It’s incredibly small, and although it still has a wire, the IS-800 is pretty much the only headset that doesn’t feature a fairly bulky control unit. Instead this has a small, simple in-line control that allows you to answer and end calls. Battery life is impressive at upto 270 hours – especially considering how small this headset is. The IS-800 doesn’t support AVCRP, which in this case is a good thing as it means you’re not going to be paying for features that you can’t use. Volume levels are currently fixed when using this headset, but hopefully a fix from Apple is on the way.

Sony Ericsson HBH-DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Sony Ericsson DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
The DS-200 is designed to hang around your neck in a similar way to the Jabra BT3030. It comes with ‘in ear’ style headphones that can be replaced with any standard headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug. Battery life is great with upto 300 hours stand by and 6 hours of music play back, and an LCD Display will let you know when you’re running low. This headset allows you to control the volume levels by pressing and holding the play button.

Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The Jabra BT3030 is probably more suited to the iPod Touch than the iPhone. The reason I say that is because the BT3030 is a Multipoint Headset – this allows you to connect to two devices at once, so you can connect it to your mobile phone and your iPod Touch to listen to your music, and when a call comes in, it will pause the music and answer the call from your mobile. It hangs around your neck on a chain or can clip to your belt or pocket, and can be used with any 3.5mm headphones. Volume control on the BT3030 is not a problem, press the ‘+’ or ‘-’ keys to adjust the volume.

Nokia BH-604 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones

Nokia BH-604 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

These are probably the most normal looking headphones of the bunch. They’re solid, comfortable and well built and have the best battery life out of all the headphones listed here with up to 19 hours of music playback, 18 hours of talk time and 2 weeks standby. Sound quality is excellent and set up is incredibly easy. Volume is controlled using a slider on the base of one of the ear cans and worked as you’d expect.

Nokia BH-501 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones

Nokia BH-501 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The baby brother to the BH-604. A smaller more compact design that goes around your head rather than over it, and folds away neatly when not in use. The controls for music and calls are mounted on the outside of the earpiece and are easy to use. One of the more comfortable headsets thanks to the large, padded earphones. We weren’t able to test the volume control on the BH-501, but as all Nokia Headsets work in the same way, we would expect the volume controls to work perfectly fine on this headset.

This isn’t the full range of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone and iPod Touch, so if you’ve not seen one here that does what you want, take a look at all Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.

If you’ve got any questions or queries about Stereo Bluetooth on the iPhone get in touch with us using the comments form below!

Hands on with the Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones

Stereo Bluetooth Headsets come in all shapes and sizes, from the incredibly tiny Sony Ericsson IS-800 to the rather large Nokia BH-604 – and most of them still involve cables, which to some extent takes away the point of having a Stereo Bluetooth headset in the first place.

Jabra have always made great Bluetooth headsets, but until recently their only Stereo Bluetooth Headset was the Jabra BT3030 – a great handsfree/headphone solution that hangs around your neck and allows you to connect any standard 3.5mm headphones to it. The ‘Dogtag’ style control unit gives you full control over your music playback and volume, but it’s unique styling might not appeal to everyone.

Earlier this month, Jabra released the Halo – a pair of stylish compact bluetooth headphones that are completely free of wires and have dual microphones to reduce background noise during calls. The Jabra Halo supports streaming music in stereo, playback controls (A2DP & AVRCP) and volume control. All sounds great on paper, so I decided to get a pair out and try them.

Jabra Halo

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Samsung SBH-650 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Review

Stereo Bluetooth Headsets haven’t always been the most popular accessory in the world, but now that mobile phones are becoming focused on music and video playback, more and more people are finding a need for a way to listen to their music in stereo, but without wires tying them to their phones.

Stereo Bluetooth Headsets allow you to listen to your music over a bluetooth connection and generally have a range of around 10 metres. This means that you can put your phone down and wander freely around your house with out having to take your phone with you – great if your phone is on charge but you want to listen to your music without having to sit on the floor next to a plug socket!

The big names in Stereo Bluetooth headsets tend to be Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Jabra as these all tend to have a large range of headsets available. Other manufacturers such as Samsung also make stereo headsets but tend to concentrate on just a couple of models, and I’m going to review one of them here – the Samsung SBH-650 Stereo Bluetooth Headset.

Samsung SBH-650 with iPhone 3G

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Top 10 Accessories for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G

The Apple iPhone 3GS is a touchscreen phone packed full of features. To get the most out of your phone, youll need to treat yourself to a few extras but what do you need? The amount of iPhone 3G Cases and other accessories available for phones now is almost overwhelming, so to help you out, weve compiled a list of our top ten accessories for the Apple iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

Xtand for iPhone 3GS & iPhone 3G

1.Xtand for iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS

One of the best new features I’ve found with iPhone OS 3.0 on both the iPhone 3G and the 3GS is the ability to type in landscape mode, and this stand makes it even easier as it holds your iPhone at the perfect angle for landscape typing. With the Xtand you can keep your phone in clear view on your desk, and can rotate it to use the phone in both portrait and landscape mode. The Xtand is ideal for watching movies, browsing the internet or flicking through your music using coverflow. The Xtand is styled to match Apple iMacs and the new Unibody MacBook Pro.

Having spent a lot of money on the iPhone 3GS, the last thing you’re going to want to do to it is damage it or scratch it, so a case is a worthwhile investment.

Protective Cases for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

2. InvisibleSHIELD Full Body Protector for iPhone 3GS

Technically this isn’t really a case, but it gives the same amount of protection against knocks and scrapes without adding any extra bulk to your phone. InvisibleSHIELDs are a tough, thin plastic film that covers all of your iPhone 3GS. It has a non slip feel which reduces the chance of it slipping out of your hand. It also has an anti reflective coating that eliminates reflections and reduces fingerprints.

3. Piel Frama Case for iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS

By far this is our most popular Leather Case for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. It is hand made from premium leather and designed specifically for your phone. As well as protecting your phone, the Piel Frama cases have storage space for Bank/Credit cards and cut outs that allow you to use your headphones and charger while your iPhone is in the case.

4. OtterBox Defender for iPhone 3GS

One of the new features of the iPhone 3GS was a built in Compass, great if you enjoy outdoors activities such as camping, hiking etc. If you do enjoy these kinds of activities and want to take your iPhone with you, then you’ll need a case that will keep your phone protected in some pretty harsh environments, and that’s exactly what the OtterBox cases do. They are a triple layered case that will withstand serious knocks. They consist of a Clear membrane to protect your screen, a High Impact polycarbonate shell that wraps around the iPhone and surrounding this is a strong silicone skin that absorbs bumps and shocks.

Stereo Headsets and Charging Cases for iPhone 3GS

5. Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Another new feature was the introduction of Stereo Bluetooth. This allows you to listen to your music on headphones, but with out the hassle of a wire going from your headphones to your iPhone. The BT3030 will work for both calls and music and allows you to use any 3.5mm headphones. While full music control isn’t supported by the iPhone, the BT 3030 will let you play/pause your music, answer/end calls and adjust the volume. If the Jabra BT3030 isn’t quite what you’re looking for, take a look at our Top 5 Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone,

6. iPhone 3GS Charging Leather Case

Apple have improved the battery life on the iPhone 3GS, but realistically you’re still only going to get about a day out of a full charge. This Leather case has a built in battery that will charge your iPhone and increase talktime, standby time and music playback time. It has its own on/off switch, so you can turn it on only when your iPhone needs recharging. Unlike some products, this case doesn’t add excessive bulk or weight to your iPhone.

7. Apple iPhone 3GS Sync & Charge Cable

You got one in the box with the phone, but if you’re anything like me, this will spend its life plugged into the wall or your home PC. Getting yourself a second cable will allow you to carry one with you or leave one at work so that you can charge your iPhone from your PC or Laptop.

iPhone 3GS Car Accessories

8. Apple iPhone 3GS Car Charger

It’s simple and effective and will make sure you get to your destination with a fully charged battery.

9. Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Car Kit

The Jabra SP700 does a lot more than you’d think. As well as being a Bluetooth Car Kit for handsfree calling in the car, the SP700 can stream music from your iPhone using Bluetooth and using its built in FM transmitter can then play your music through your car stereo speakers. When a call comes in, music playback will be paused automatically and the callers voice will also come through the stereo speakers. Most handsfree kits tend to suffer when you travel on motorways or go above 50mph, but as the call audio is routed through your stereo speakers, you can adjust the volume on your stereo to make sure that you can hear the caller. It’s portable too, so you can easily transfer it between vehicles. Battery life is fantastic with upto 14 hours talktime and over 250 hours stand by time.

10. Parrot MKi9000 Stereo Bluetooth Car Kit for iPhone 3GS

Parrot have always made fantastic car kits and the Mki range are no exception. There are three options available, the MKi9000, Mki9100 and the Mki9200. The main differences between them being the display screen that comes with them. I’ve chosen the MKi9000 as the best one for the iPhone 3GS because you don’t need an external screen. You can play music from your phone through the MKi9000 either by connecting the Dock Connector (which will also charge your phone) or you can stream it using Bluetooth. The Mki9000 will synchronise with your phone book, and supports voice dialing – even on the iPhone 3G. There is also a small remote that you can attach to your dash or steering wheel to control your music (Play/Pause and Volume only when streaming using Bluetooth).

If youve not seen the accessory here thats right for you, why not take a look at our full range of Apple iPhone 3GS Accessories.

The Best Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for iPhone are…

The iPhone OS 3.0 software update for the iPhone and iPod Touch brought over 100 new features to both devices, but one of the best new features is that the iPhone 3G and 2nd generation iPod Touch now support Stereo Bluetooth. Stereo Bluetooth lets you enjoy your music in stereo without wires connecting to your phone. As Stereo Bluetooth has been around for years there are plenty of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets to choose from so I thought I’d give them all a try and see how they shaped up.

There are a couple of points that you’ll need to remember though, the iPhone and iPod Touch support the A2DP profile only. If you have an iPhone this means you can answer & end calls, play / pause your music, but not control it fully. If you have an iPod Touch 2G then you will be able to play / pause your music and adjust the volume, but you won’t be able to use these headsets with any of your VOIP apps (such as Skype) on your iPod.

In order for you to be able to control your music fully, the iPhone or iPod Touch would need to support the AVRCP profile – hopefully we’ll see this in a future software update from Apple. Stereo Bluetooth is not available on the first generation iPhone or iPod Touch.

Another thing to note is that volume control when using a Bluetooth Headset is a bit of a mystery – it works on some headsets, but not on others. I’ve tested the headsets shown here and listed whether or not the volume levels can be adjusted.

Right, on to the headsets! With so many to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming, so I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 Bluetooth Headphones for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S and iPod Touch 2G.

Jabra Halo Stereo Bluetooth Headphones

Jabra Halo Stereo Bluetooth Headset
Ah, the Jabra Halo. Is it possible to love headphones? These weren’t on my top 5 initially, but only because I couldn’t get hold of any. I got my hands on a pair last week and they are great. They’re relatively small and can fold away when they’re not in use. The controls on these are extremely simple and everything is controlled with a touch sensitive slider on the right ear or the answer button. Pairing was a doddle, as always with Jabra headsets and audio quality is great and a lot clearer than it is with the standard earphones that came in the box. Adjusting the volume isn’t a problem. The Halo is a multipoint headset, so if you wanted to, you can use them with your PC, games console or a second phone at the same time as having them connected to your iPhone. If you want more info on these then take a look at my Jabra Halo hands on review.

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones

Sony Ericsson IS-800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
These were my favourite Bluetooth Headphones until the Halo came along. They’re incredibly small, and although it still has a wire, the IS-800 is pretty much the only headset that doesnt feature a fairly bulky control unit. Instead this has a small, simple in-line control that allows you to answer and end calls. Battery life is impressive at upto 270 hours – especially considering how small this headset is. The IS-800 doesn’t support AVCRP, which in this case is a good thing as it means you’re not going to be paying for features that you can’t use. Volume levels are currently fixed when using this headset, but hopefully a fix from Apple is on the way.

Sony Ericsson HBH-DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Sony Ericsson DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
The DS-200 is designed to hang around your neck in a similar way to the Jabra BT3030. It comes with ‘in ear’ style headphones that can be replaced with any standard headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug. Battery life is great with upto 300 hours stand by and 6 hours of music play back, and an LCD Display will let you know when you’re running low. This headset allows you to control the volume levels by pressing and holding the play button.

Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
The Jabra BT3030 is probably more suited to the iPod Touch than the iPhone. The reason I say that is because the BT3030 is a Multipoint Headset – this allows you to connect to two devices at once, so you can connect it to your mobile phone and your iPod Touch to listen to your music, and when a call comes in, it will pause the music and answer the call from your mobile. It hangs around your neck on a chain or can clip to your belt or pocket, and can be used with any 3.5mm headphones. Volume control on the BT3030 is not a problem, press the ‘+’ or ‘-’ keys to adjust the volume.

Nokia BH-604 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones

Nokia BH-604 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
These are probably the most normal looking headphones of the bunch. Theyre solid, comfortable and well built and have the best battery life out of all the headphones listed here with up to 19 hours of music playback, 18 hours of talk time and 2 weeks standby. Sound quality is excellent and set up is incredibly easy. Volume is controlled using a slider on the base of one of the ear cans and worked as you’d expect.

This obviously isn’t the full range of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone and iPod Touch, just one’s that I’ve tried and think are really good. I’ve tested these headsets with a 2nd Generation iPod Touch running OS 3.0 and the microphone on a Stereo Bluetooth Headset will work with most VOIP apps.

If you’ve got any questions or queries about Stereo Bluetooth on the iPhone leave me a message using the comments form below!

How to update your iPhone or iPod Touch

Last night Apple released the long awaited iPhone OS 3.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch. The update adds a number of new features to the latest versions of both devices, including adding support for Stereo Bluetooth Headphones and Speakers.

The update is free for iPhone 3G users, and there is a small charge of 5.99 for iPod Touch users.

To update your device, you need launch iTunes and connect your iPhone or iPod Touch. Once it is recognised by iTunes, you need to select it from the list of devices and click on the summary tab. Here you will see the option to ‘Check for Update’.

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