12 months on and it looks as though Apple are finally about to roll out full support for Stereo Bluetooth in their next iOS software update, as developers are reporting that version 4.1 includes support for both the A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth Profiles.

AVRCP Explained

AVRCP stands for Audio/Video Remote Control Profile and as the name suggests, it allows you to use controls built into your bluetooth headset, bluetooth speakers or bluetooth car kit to control music playback from your iPhone or iPod touch. The iPhone has a very limited version of this built in already, but it only allows you to play/pause your music and increase the volume. By adding full support for AVRCP it means that you will be also be able to skip tracks without touching your phone. You can find out more about Bluetooth Profiles on our ‘What is Bluetooth Page’

iPhone 4 Stereo Bluetooth Headsets

There is an upside to Apple arriving late to the party though, and that is that there are already loads of stereo Bluetooth Headsets and Bluetooth Headphones that will work with the iPhone. I compiled a list of my favourites last year, but as this update changes how well they work with Apple devices I thought I’d take another look at what was available. These have been tested using the 4.1 beta software on iPhone 4 so the results maybe slightly different when Apple release the final version or on older models of iPhone.

A few points that are worth mentioning here are that in most cases the headsets will not only control music playback from both the standard iPod app, but also any third party music apps that stream music from the internet. I used Last.FM to test the headsets and was able to play/pause and track skip and increase volume both when the app was in use and when it was running in the background. The only exception to this was the Sony Ericsson IS800 – you’ll find out why later in this post.

Also, if you have the iPhone 3GS, latest iPod touch or iPhone 4, these headsets will activate voice commands, allowing you to make calls, change song, switch playlist find out the time etc, all without having to touch your device.

Nokia BH-505 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The BH-505 is one of the latest Stereo Bluetooth Headsets to arrive at Mobile Fun and is one that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago. The BH-505 is a really slim, smart looking headband style headset. Setting the headset up is simple and it’s comfortable to wear. One earpiece has phone controls on it and the other has music controls.

For the basic answer/end, play/pause it’s just a case of tapping the large silver button, but volume control and track skip is a little fiddly as you have to slide a switch up or down. It’s easy enough once you’ve got the hang of it, but if you’ve got big fingers you might struggle a little.  Audio quality is excellent and battery life is good too.


Sony Ericsson MW600 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The MW600 is incredibly popular at the moment and with good reason. It’s an excellent compact headset that allows you to use any standard 3.5mm headphones with it. What makes this one special is that it also has a built in FM Radio – a feature that many people have been calling out for on the iPhone.

The Bluetooth unit is not much bigger than a standard AA battery and is designed to be clipped on to your clothing. The controls are straight forward and easy to use, with 3 dedicated music keys as well as a separate key for calls and to activate voice dialling.

The volume controls on the MW600 take a little getting used to as they’re touch sensitive. To adjust the volume level you just slide your finger up or down the side of it. It has a screen which shows caller ID, but track information wasn’t displayed with either iPhone or iPod touch.


Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones

I loved the Jabra Halo when it came out, and still do – especially now that it works fully with the iPhone. They’re probably the most normal looking headphones out of all of the ones on offer and I think they’re the smartest looking too. Unlike the rest of the headsets on this list, the Jabra Halo has only one button. Everything else uses touch sensitive controls on the right earpiece.

The one button answers and ends calls and plays/pauses your music. Track Skip and volume share the same controls. Slide your finger up to increase the volume, down to decrease it. A quick double tap at either end of the volume bar will skip or rewind track.

You get quite a few accessories in the box, including a USB to 3.5mm cable that you can use to connect the Halo to devices that don’t have bluetooth.


Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Jabra have always made great headsets and the BT3030 is one of their most successful. It’s a ‘dog tag’ style headset that can be worn around your neck or clipped to your clothes. It has a standard 3.5mm jack so that you can use any headphones with it and a clear, backlit keypad.

Of all the headsets listed here, this is the easiest to use as the controls are clear and well spaced.

Battery life is pretty good too with over 7 hours of music playback from a single charge.


Altec Lansing BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Headset

The BackBeat Headset is another popular one, despite it’s more unusual looks. It combines the over the ear style of a mono headset with a headband to provide a very secure fit, making it perfect for those who want to listen to their music while they’re working out, running or cycling.

The controls are a little on the fiddly side and it will take some getting used to – especially the track skip controls, but once you’ve got the hang of it you’ll be flying through your songs.

Because of their unique over/in the ear design, these may not be the most comfortable solution if you wear glasses.

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

This was my top rated headset last year, mainly because of its size. The fact that it didn’t have any track control buttons also won me over as I felt as though I wouldn’t be paying for features I couldn’t use with it. Having said that, the lack of controls now works against it as it means that you have to use the phone to change song and adjust the volume, or rely on voice control.

It’s still the smallest headset available. It has no bulky bluetooth receiver and is just two earpieces connected by a short cable and despite its tiny size the sound quality is excellent.

iPhone 4 Car Kits

It’s not just Stereo Headsets that will benefit from the addition of AVRCP support, Car Kits also make use of this technology. Here’s a quick look at two of the best in car solutions for the iPhone.

Parrot MKi Car Kits

The Parrot MKi range of car kits are the best way to fully integrate your iPhone or iPod touch into your car. They have 3 ways to connect your iPhone to them, dock connector, 3.5mm or Bluetooth.

Up until now, the Dock connector has always been the best option as it gives you full control of your music, using a small wireless remote. With the introduction of AVRCP support you’ll no longer need to plug your phone in – unless of course you need to charge it.

For a completely integrated solution you’ll need the Parrot Unika. This is an additional control box that allows you to connect the Mki Car Kits to the stereo controls on your steering wheel, completely eliminating the need to use the remote control.


Jabra Cruiser FM Car Kit

The Jabra Cruiser is so much more than just a speakerphone. It connects to your iPhone using bluetooth and transmits audio from it to your car stereo using its built in FM transmitter.

The Cruiser has play/pause and track skip controls built in so that you can change track without having to touch the phone. You can choose whether to play your music back through the built in loud speaker or through your car stereo.

Set up is extremely simple, just pair your phone to the kit and then tune your car stereo in to the frequency that the Cruiser calls out and you’re good to go.

Bluetooth Speakers

Last but not least, Bluetooth Speakers will also become much more useful when the iPhone supports AVRCP. You’ll be able to start playing your music directly on the speakers and then use the controls mounted on the top of the speaker to skip tracks and increase the volume.

Bluetooth speakers have a number of advantages over iPhone Speaker Docks, but the main one is that Bluetooth Speakers can be used with any Bluetooth device, including phones, laptops, PC’s MP3 Players, where as iPhone Speaker Docks will normally only work with Apple devices.


Those are just a selection of iPhone 4 Accessories that will work better with the iPhone when iOS 4.1 is released. There are loads more over on the main site so if you’ve not seen anything here that takes your fancy, you should find something on the main site. If not, or you’ve seen some headphones, speakers or car kits that you think deserve a mention, let us know using the comments section below.

As I’m sure you’re aware, Apple have just announced the iPhone 4 and along with it iOS 4.0 – the latest major update to the operating system on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. There are a number of great new features, but one of the features that I was really hoping to see was full support for Stereo Bluetooth Headsets and music control using AVRCP.

In simple terms, this means that you would have been able to listen to your music from your iPhone through a pair of Bluetooth Headphones and control your music playback, (play, pause, forward, rewind and volume) using the controls on the headset, but Apple for some reason have yet again decided to leave this feature out of iOS4 so you’ll need to continue to skip tracks using the iPod app on your iPhone.

There is a work around of course and that is to jailbreak your phone, but that’s not something that a lot of people want to do and I can’t say as I blame them.

Although iOS4 doesn’t fully support Stereo Bluetooth, it does still support the basics, so you can enjoy your music in stereo and play/pause your music, you just can’t skip backwards/forwards. There are plenty of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets that will work with the iPhone and last June I compiled a list of my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, but as headsets have changed and the phone now supports more features, I thought it was well worth revisiting the list and updating it with some of the best new Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone.

Background Apps

Another new feature in iOS 4 is that you can now leave audio apps running in the background. This is great news for anyone who regularly uses streaming services such as spotify or Last.fm as it means you can now continue listening even if you’re browsing the web or emailing.

We’re using the latest version of the iOS4 beta software to test these headsets, but until developers update their apps to support multitasking, we aren’t going to be able to confirm that the headsets listed below will work with apps running in the background, but look out for a separate post once iOS 4 is officially released on the 21st June.

iPhone 4 Bluetooth Headphones

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 all new iPhone 4.

The headsets below were all tested with iPhone but should work just as well with the iPod touch.  If you have an iPod touch 2G (or newer), then you will be able to play / pause your music and, in some cases, 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. Bluetooth won’t work on the first generation iPod touch as it doesn’t have bluetooth built in.

1. Sony Ericsson MW600 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

These are the most popular Bluetooth Headphones we’ve ever sold! Not only do they allow you to listen to music from your iPhone without a wired connection, they have a built in FM radio – something the iPhone has long been criticised for not having.

Another unique feature is that they have their own volume control – this means that you can adjust the volume on the headset or on the phone. As with most headphones on this list, they have the ability to skip tracks, but as the iPhone doesn’t support it, the feature is a little wasted for now. It’s multipoint too, so you can use it with your PC or Playstation 3 at the same time.For more details, take a look at my Sony Ericsson MW600 Review.

Sony Ericsson MW600 Stereo Headset with Radio

2. Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The Jabra BT3030 works well with both the iPod touch and all versions of the iPhone.  The BT3030 is another multipoint headset – Multipoint 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.

The BT3030 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. It has several controls on the main unit, including play, pause and track skip – again, all work fine except track skip.

Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

3. Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones

The Jabra Halo Stereo Bluetooth Headphones are great. They’re the most normal looking ‘over the head’ headphones that I’ve come across and work well with the iPhone. It has incredibly simple controls – a touch sensitive slider on the right ear lets you adjust the volume by sliding your finger up or down, where as a double tap would skip the track if iPhone supoprted it. One multi use button lets you play/pause your music as well as answer/end calls and activate voice dialling (iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 only).

When they’re not in use, the headphones fold away so as not to take up too much space and to reduce the chance of them getting damaged. For more info take a look at my Jabra Halo hands on review.

Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones

4. Sony Ericsson IS-800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

These are without doubt my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, but there are others that work better with iPhone and that’s why these have dropped from the top spot last year to fourth place this year. The IS-800 is incredibly small – it’s basically two earpieces joined by a wire! Although there are wires involved, the IS-800 is one of a few headsets that don’t feature a fairly bulky control unit. Instead the IS800 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 is fine as neither does the iPhone! The headset doesn’t have any volume controls, so all adjustment needs to be made on your iPhone.

Sony Ericsson IS-800 Stereo Headset

5. Samsung SBH-650 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Samsung don’t do many accessories for phones, but the few that they do make are really good. The Samsung SBH-650 has been a hit with Mobile Fun customers since it launched. It is easy to set up and works really well with iPhone. It’s very similar in terms of spec to the Jabra BT3030 but it looks a smarter. Like the MW600 and the BT3030, you can use your own 3.5mm headphones if you don’t like or lose the ones that come with the headset. It’s also multipoint, so using it with 2 devices at the same time isn’t a problem.

Controls are propably laid out the opposite way round to what you’d expect, with the volume controls on the front and track skip/play/pause on the sides. If you want to know more about the SBH-650, take a look at my Samsung SBH-650 Stereo Bluetooth Headset Review.

Samsung SBB-650

There are more Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone and iPod touch over on the main site, so if you’ve not seen one here that does what you want, take a look at all our Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.

If you’ve got any questions or queries about Stereo Bluetooth on the iPhone leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you.

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 our 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!

Stereo Bluetooth Headsets and Bluetooth Headphones 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

I’ve used most Stereo Bluetooth headsets that are on the market, and recently compiled a list of my Top 5 Stereo headsets for the iPhone and iPod Touch. At the time of writing the post though we didn’t have the Samsung SBH-650 in stock which meant it wasn’t included.  When they arrived I  had a play with one and was pleasantly  surprised at how good this headset it.  I normally dismiss Samsung Bluetooth headsets and opt for Jabra or Motorola, but this is certainly one I’d consider when it’s time to replace my Motorola S9′s.

Design

The design of the Samsung SBH-650 is similar to that of the Jabra BT3030.  It’s a small control unit that you plug your 3.5mm wired headphones into. Now, you might be thinking that the whole point of bluetooth is that there are no wires – well, yes and no.  Bluetooth eliminates the need to have a wire going from the phone to your headset, you’ll normally find that headphones with wires do have a slightly better sound quality, and if you damage or lose your headphones it means that you can just replace the headphones not the whole unit.

The main unit is small and compact at 57 mm x 27mm x 8mm (excluding clip) and weighs 18g. Unlike the Jabra BT3030 that has all the controls on the front of the control pad, the controls on the SBH-650 are on the sides and front of the main unit.  On the left side is the play/pause button and the charging port. Depending on the phone that you’re using, the play button will launch your music player and start playback.  I tested this out on two phones, a Nokia N82 and the iPhone 3G.  The N82 worked brilliantly and the music player started almost as soon as the button was pressed.  On the iPhone, the play/pause function does work, but you need to be in the iPod app in order for it to work. This is down to bluetooth limitations on the iPhone, not the headset.

Samsung SBH-650 Controls

On the opposite side you have the track skip buttons, the power switch and the 3.5mm headphone socket. Turning the headset on is just a case of sliding the switch up towards the head phone socket. The size and shape of this button makes it difficult to turn off accidentally so you don’t need to worry about cutting people off mid-call. The track skip buttons were the one thing with this headset that I struggled with a little at first.  Most headsets I’ve used have track skip on the front and volume keys on the side, the SBH-650 is the other way round, so I did find for the first hour or so I was changing tracks instead of adjusting the volume.   A long press of the track skip buttons will fast forward/rewind a song where as a quick press will skip to the  next/previous track.

The front of the SBH-650 has the volume keys and the talk button. The talk button is used to answer/end calls and to activate voice dialling if supported by your phone.  Volume keys are straight forward and when you hit the upper limit the headset will bee p to let you know you’re already at maximum volume.

Headphones

Normally the headphones that you get included with an item are pretty awful, but I was impressed by the earbuds that came in with the SBH-650.  They’re extremely comfortable and are a sturdy fit. Even after jumping around for 5 minutes I still couldn’t get them to fall out. They block out a lot of the ambient noise too, so if someone is trying to talk to you when you’re listening to your music, you probably won’t hear them, so for that reason I’d say only ever use one earphone if you plan on using this in the car.  The headphones in the box are normal 3.5mm headphones and the microphone is built in to the control unit, so if you don’t get on with them or want to use your existing 3.5mm headphones, you can.

Audio quality was fantastic and you wouldn’t know that weren’t using conventional headphones.  The 10m range was just enough for me to wander around most of my house, although the audio did tend to break up and skip a bit when I got close to the 10m limit – this would be the case with any Bluetooth headset though. Call quality was near perfect, and the caller had no problem hearing me, even when the SBH-650 was hanging round my neck on the lanyard.

Connecting the headphones

Multiconnect

Not to be confused with Multipoint, Multiconnect allows you to pair the headset to a mobile phone and a music player at the same time, which probably doesn’t sound all that exciting, but what it means is that you can pair this headset to your phone and your PC, play music from iTunes and have it stream over bluetooth to the SBH-650.  If your phone rings, you won’t have to dash around trying to find the pause button in iTunes or turn the speakers off, the SBH-650 will pause the music for you, play a ringtone instead and allow you to answer the call using the talk button on the control unit. You can add Bluetooth to your PC if it’s not already enabled by using a USB Bluetooth adapter.

For me, this was one of the best features. I’m often listening to music off my computer, and have to pause the music and take off my headphones when ever I needed to go to another room, but with the SBH-650 I could move around the house freely without interupting the music.  It’s not just phones and computers that will work though, if you have a 2nd generation iPod Touch running iPhone OS 3.0, you’ll be able to stream your music using Bluetooth to the SBH-650 too.

Wearing the Samsung SBH-650

Carry Options

There are three ways you can wear the SBH-650, either on a lanyard around your neck  clipped to your clothing or just in your pocket.  Of the 3, I think using the lanyard is your best bet. Although the spring clip is quite strong, it doesn’t take much for it to come off your clothes, and the last thing you’re going to want to do is loose it.  The cable on the headphones is only about 50cm long, so if you are planning on putting it in your pocket, it will need to be a shirt or inside jacket pocket.  If it’s hanging round your neck, you’re less likely to lose it and its easy to access to answer calls/change track.

Charging & Battery

The SBH-650 uses it’s own mains charger, so you won’t be able to use the same charger as your phone, but you can get an SBH-650 Car Charger to keep it charged while you’re in the car.  I found that charging the headset fully took about 2 hours, and once charged I got over 8 hours of music playback from it before the battery died.  Standby time is quoted as 170 hours and talk time is 8.5 hours.

Charging the Samsung SBH-650

Overall I’d say that the SBH-650 is a great Stereo Bluetooth Headset.  If I was to rate it, I’d say 9/10,  It does everything that you’d need it to do very well, but for me the positioning of the track skip & volume keys should be the other way round. It’s only a small niggle and once you’re used to using it I can’t see it being a problem.

For the price, you’ll struggle to beat it. Audio quality is excellent, Batttery life is great and it looks stylish too. If you wanted to compare this headset to others, then the closest in terms of spec and price are the Jabra BT3030, Sony Ericsson DS 200 and the Plantronics Pulsar 260.

If it’s not quite what you’re after, why not take a look at the rest of our Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.

For a number of years now it has been possible to use a Bluetooth Headset with your phone and more recently we’ve seen the introduction of Bluetooth Headphones and Stereo Bluetooth headsets that allow us to listen to music and make calls on our phone without the need for wires, but what if we want the same amount of freedom when using other devices such as PC’s?

We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 Bluetooth Headsets and Bluetooth Headphones / Stereo Headsets.

i-Tech Arrow X:
A budget headset with some great features. The Arrow-X is a multipoint headset which means you can connect this to your PC and your phone at the same time. If a call comes in from either device, you can answer the call quickly and easily on the headset.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)

Jabra BT2020:
The Jabra BT2020 is one of the most comfortable Bluetooth Headsets available. Its unique design means that the bulk of the headset is behind your ear.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)

Jawbone 2:
Jawbone headsets are all about noise reduction. They were one of the first to develop noise cancelling headsets, and are perfect for use in noisy environments (busy offices, sports events etc..)

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)

Nokia BH-102:
Attractive, reliable, and easy to use. The Nokia BH-102 is a great starter headset. It has simple controls, upto ten hours talk time and weighs just 11g.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)

Jabra BT530:
The Jabra BT530 is a compact headset with simple controls, noise cancellation and multipoint. The BT530 has upto 5.5 hours talktime and weighs just 10g.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)
A2DP – Single earpiece only

Bluetooth Headphones & Stereo Headsets

Qstik EVO Q:
The Evo Q is a 2 in 1 Bluetooth Headset. Use it on its own as a standard Bluetooth Headset, or connect the stereo headphones to it to get a Stereo Bluetooth Headset. In addition to the Desk/Car holder, the Evo Q also includes a Bluetooth Dongle for your PC making it an ideal headset for VOIP.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)
A2DP – Stereo Audio
AVRCP – Playback Controls

Sony Ericsson IS-800:
The HBH-IS800 offers an extraordinary music experience – unique design,
essential function and high sound quality fused to create a sensational
stereo headphones.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)
A2DP – Stereo Audio

Jabra BT3030:
Bluetooth just got cool thanks to the BT3030. Not only does it look good,
it sounds great. The Jabra BT3030 is a ‘dog tag’ style headset that lets you use any standard 3.5mm headphones with it.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)
A2DP – Stereo Audio
AVRCP – Playback Controls

Nokia BH-504:
A unique folding design with advanced audio and call features make this headset a great choice for music lovers. The Nokia BH-504 lets you control your phone calls and music from the buttons integrated into the headset.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)
A2DP – Stereo Audio
AVRCP – Playback Controls

Sony Ericsson DS-980 & DS-220:
Both of these headses are similar to the Jabra BT3030, but with a few significant differences. The DS-980 has noise cancellation and multipoint, where as the DS-220 lets you use any standard 3.5mm earphones, but doesn’t support multipoint.

Profiles Supported:
HFP (Hands Free Profile)
HSP (Headset Profile)
A2DP – Stereo Audio
AVRCP – Playback Controls

For a number of years now it has been possible to use a Bluetooth Headset with your phone and more recently we’ve seen the introduction of Bluetooth Headphones and Stereo Bluetooth headsets that allow us to listen to music and make calls on our phone without the need for wires, but what if we want the same amount of freedom when using other devices such as PC’s Stereos and TV’s?

The way that Bluetooth has been advertised is that it’s only for mobile phones – but this really isn’t the case. With more and more of us making calls using VOIP services such as Skype, the need for a wireless headets that you can use with your PC is just as strong as it is to have one for your phone. What you may not realise, is that the equipment you need for your PC, is in most cases, exactly the same as you need for your phone.

When choosing Bluetooth Headphones, its easy to become overwhelmed by the vast range available. There are several styles available, do the same basic job, so whats the difference and what should you be looking for when choosing Bluetooth Headphones?

As more and more of us are using our mobiles as our MP3 and Video players, and while the headphones that come in the box aren’t bad, they’re never the best. We’ve already put together a Headphone Buyers Guide, but what if you want to leave the wires behind and get yourself a set of Bluetooth Headphones? Well, to help you decide, here’s our top ten Bluetooth Headphones & Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.

Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Bluetooth Headphones:
These are without doubt my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, hence they’re at number 1 in my top ten. 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 only slight downside is that the IS-800 doesn’t have any music controls on, so you will need to control your music on your phone.

Jabra BT3030 Bluetooth Headphones:
It’s another one with some cables, but in a different way to the IS-800. The Jabra 3030 is a Bluetooth receiver that lets you use your own headphones. It hangs around your neck on a chain (or can clip to your belt or pocket) and has full music control, play, pause, track skip and volume. The BT3030 is a Multipoint headset, so you can connect it to your pc or MP3 player to listen to your music, and when a call comes in, it will pause the music and answer the call from your mobile.

Sony Ericsson HBH-DS220 Bluetooth Headphones:
The DS-220 is designed to hang around your neck, and like the Jabra BT3030 gives you the ability to control your music – play, pause, track skip and volume. Again you can use your own headphones with it and battery life is great with upto 300 hours stand by and 6 hours of music play back.

Sony Ericsson HBH-DS980 Bluetooth Headphones:
The DS-980 is the bigger brother of the DS-220. Same style of headphones, but they’re fixed on this one. In addition to everything that the DS-220 has got, there is also a discrete OLED display hidden beneath the mirrored surface that shows you track information or your callers ID. The other difference is that the DS-980 is Mulitpoint, meaning it can connect to two devices at the same time.

Samsung SBH-500 Bluetooth Headphones:
These are the first headphones in my top ten that are more of a regular headphone design. They’re a headband style that goes around your head rather than over it, and are extremely comfortable as they sit on your ears, rather than in them. Battery life is great, and as with most Bluetooth headphones, you can control your music and calls using the buttons mounted on the outside of the earpiece.

Nokia BH-604 Bluetooth Headphones:
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.

LG HBS-250 Bluetooth Headphones:
LG HBS-250 won an award at the IF Design Awards last year. Its a lightweight and compact set of headphones that clip over your ears and is the only one here that has the ability to connect to non Bluetooth devices using a 3.5mm line in cable. Music control is made easy using a jog dial to let you skip backwards, forwards and pause your music.

Plantronics Pulsar 260 Bluetooth Headphones:
Plantronics make some great Bluetooth Headsets and this is no exception. The design is similar to that of the Sony Ericsson headphones, but slightly smaller. The Bluetooth unit is designed to hang on a lanyard or clip on to your clothing. The headphones are chang

Nokia BH-501 Bluetooth Headphones:
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.

Qstik EVOQ Stereo Bluetooth Headset:
Strictly speaking, this isn’t a pair of Bluetooth Headphones, Its a Bluetooth Headset with headphone functionality, but given the price and all the features that this headset has, it would be wrong of me to leave it out of my top ten. As a mono headset, its not the worlds smallest, but as it doubles up as Bluetooth headphones this doesn’t matter. Simply plug in the headphones and you can carry it in a pocket or clip it to your clothing. The Qstik includes a Bluetooth dongle so that you can use the headphones with your PC or Laptop.

With Bluetooth, you no longer have to line up two devices, you just simply turn on Bluetooth and send to the device you want. Bluetooth technology was initially used for personal hands free kits. The lack of wires made it much more convenient – especially when driving. Over the last few years as prices have fallen and phones have advanced, Bluetooth’s increasing range and even faster speeds has meant it could be used for far more than just hands free kits.

Bluetooth Classes
There are different Bluetooth Classes which give an indication of the range over which data can be transferred:

• Class 1 – up to 100m
• Class 2 – up to 10m
• Class 3 – less than 10m

In order to achieve data communication at these distances you will need both devices to be from the same class.

So what can it do?
Bluetooth is most commonly used for transferring pictures, music and ringtones between phones and connecting to Bluetooth headsets, personal hands free kits and car kits. As more and more phones become multimedia handsets, Bluetooth can also be used to stream music in stereo to wireless speakers and car kits using A2DP technology. With the introduction of Internet Telephony, Bluetooth headsets are now being used with Home PCs to enable wireless calling.

What Bluetooth Devices are available?

Listed below are some of the most popular types of Bluetooth devices available.


Bluetooth Dongles
Bluetooth dongles vary in size, range, and specification. When choosing your dongle it’s important to consider that not all dongles support all bluetooth functions. Bluetooth Dongles have a range of up to 10 metres or up to 100 metres. If you are looking to connect a Bluetooth headset to make and receive voice calls you will need to make sure it supports the Headset and Handsfree profiles. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Personal Handsfree
The Conventional Bluetooth Headset. These come in a range of shapes and sizes, but what should you look out for when choosing one? Most headsets have the same features; they will answer and end calls, dial the last number you called and activate voice dialling on your phone, as well as adjust the volume of the speaker. The main differences are battery stand by times, weight and call quality.

Stereo Handsfree
A fairly new device in terms of Bluetooth headsets. With a stereo Bluetooth headset you can connect it to a compatible Bluetooth device and have your music play in stereo – the same as it would through normal stereo headphones but without the wires.

When a call comes in your music is paused while you take the call and resumes when the call is over. You get all the same features as a standard Bluetooth headset, but depending on the model you may get music control features too. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phone’s music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.


Simple Car Kits
Simple Car Kits are becoming an extremely popular way of safely using your phone whilst driving. With no complicated installation needed, simple Bluetooth Simple Car Kits are battery powered and are normally clipped to your sunvisor or sit in you car’s cigarette lighter socket. These give you the same control over your calls as a personal handsfree but instead of sitting on your ear, they act as a loud speaker in your car. More advanced models will have an LCD screen so you can see the name or number of who is calling you.

Multimedia Simple Car Kit
A lot more simple than the name suggests, these have exactly the same functionality as a standard Simple Car Kit, but with a built-in FM Transmitter so you can attach your MP3 player by cable or stream music via Bluetooth from your phone through to your car stereo for high quality sound. Depending on the kit you chose, you can have the callers ID or song information shown on your car stereo display.

For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phone’s music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Professionally Installed Car Kit
Professionally installed car kits will give you the best possible experience while using your phone hands free in the car. They have a separate speaker and microphone, and with some extra adapters can be routed through your car stereo. Most Bluetooth kits have an LCD screen so you can see who is calling before you answer. Some kits will also allow you to transfer your phonebook contents to the car kit so you can make calls with out having to touch your phone at all.

Professionally Installed Multimedia Car Kits
As the name suggests, these have exactly the same functionality as a professionally installed car kit but as they are connected to your car stereo you can stream music from your phone or MP3 player for high quality sound. Multimedia Kits will normally give you full control over your music and some will have the option to connect non-Bluetooth MP3 players. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phone’s music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Sat Nav is the latest must have device on your mobile. Bluetooth GPS receivers can add Sat Nav functionality to your phone. The features on a GPS receiver are pretty standard and the only things you would need to bear in mind are size, weight and most importantly compatibility with your phone. Not all handsets will support the required GPS software.

Bluetooth Speakers
Bluetooth speakers offer the same kind of functionality as Simple Car Kits but are designed to be used in the home. Some models have LCD displays that can display album art and keys to answer – end calls. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phone’s music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.


Other Devices
The list of Bluetooth enabled devices is growing all the time. Other devices that now come with Bluetooth technology include cameras, camcorders, keyboards, mice and photo frames to name a few.


Bluetooth Glossary

This Bluetooth Glossary will explain more about the different profile types and help you to understand bluetooth compatibility.

Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
The A2DP profile describes how stereo quality audio can be streamed from a media source. A typical usage scenario can be considered as the “walkman” class of media player. The audio source would be the music player and the audio output is the wireless headset. A2DP defines the protocols and procedures that allow the distribution of high quality audio content in mono or stereo.

Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
AVRCP is designed to provide a standard interface to control TVs, Hifi equipment, etc… This profile is used to allow a single remote control (or other device) to control all the A/V equipment that a user has access to. AVRCP defines how to control characteristics of streaming media. This includes pausing, stopping, starting playback and volume control as well as other types of remote control operations.

Bluetooth Profiles
Bluetooth profiles are general behaviours through which Bluetooth enabled devices communicate with other devices. Bluetooth technology defines a wide range of profiles that describe many different types of use cases. In order to use Bluetooth technology, a device must be able to interpret certain Bluetooth profiles. The profiles define the possible applications.

Dial-up Networking Profile (DUN)
DUN provides a standard to access the Internet and other dial-up services via Bluetooth wireless technology. The most common scenario is accessing the Internet from a laptop by dialling up on a mobile phone, wirelessly.

Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)
GOEP is used to transfer an object from one device to another. The object may be any object such as a picture, document, business card, etc. The profile defines two roles, a server that provides the location from which an object is pulled or pushed, as well as a client that initiates the action. GOEP provides a generic blueprint for other profiles using the OBEX protocol.

Hands-Free Profile (HFP)
HFP describes how a gateway device can be used to place and receive calls for a handsfree device. A typical configuration is a car using a mobile phone as a gateway device. In the car, the stereo is used for the phone audio and a microphone is installed in the car for sending outgoing audio of the conversation. HFP is also used for a personal computer to act as a speakerphone for a mobile phone in a home or office environment.

Headset Profile (HSP)
The HSP describes how a Bluetooth enabled headset should communicate with a mobile phone or other Bluetooth enabled device such as a computer. When connected and configured, the headset can act as the remote device’s audio input and output interface.

Human Interface Device Profile (HID)
The HID profile defines the protocols, procedures and features to be used by Bluetooth enabled HID, such as keyboards, pointing devices, gaming devices, and remote monitoring devices. Sony Ericsson handsets support the HID profile.

Object Exchange (OBEX) Protocol
OBEX is a transfer protocol that allows devices to exchange files, such as Images, Videos and Music Files

Pairing
The process of establishing a new relationship between two Bluetooth enabled devices. During this process a passkey is exchanged either before connection establishment was requested or during connecting phase. Some devices will need to be put into “pairing mode” before pairing can begin.

Passcode
When pairing devices, it is strongly recommended to use a pass code to authenticate incoming connections. Also, in certain connection situations you may desire additional assurance that you are connecting to the device or person you expect. A pass code can normally be any combination of keys (letters or numbers). Do use caution as some devices do not map characters similarly. Passkeys are valid only for the connection and may be different for other devices or users.

Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN)
PAN describes how two or more Bluetooth enabled devices can form an ad-hoc network and how the same mechanism can be used to access a remote network through a network access point. The profile roles include the network access point, group ad-hoc network and personal area network user.

SIM Access Profile (SAP)
SAP allows devices such as car phones with built in GSM transceivers to connect to a SIM card in a Bluetooth enabled phone. Therefore the car phone itself does not require a separate SIM card.

Synchronization Profile (SYNC)
The SYNC profile is used in conjunction with GOEP to enable synchronization of calendar and address information (personal information manager (PIM) items) between Bluetooth enabled devices. A common application of this profile is the exchange of data between a PDA and computer.

Pairing Mode
Most Bluetooth devices will need to be put into pairing mode before it can be linked to another device. During pairing mode the device will send out a signal that will allow it to be found by the device that is trying to link to it. By having a pairing mode it prevents unauthorised users from accessing a device.