Carry two phones around with you?

The majority of people that carry two phones do so because their employer has provided them with a phone or BlackBerry to help make their work life easier and to ensure that they’re contactable 24/7, although I’ve got several friends that have one phone for calls and a different one for texts as it works out cheaper. Using more than one phone can have it’s benefits, but at the same time it can be a bit of a nightmare when it comes to charging – I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been away with work in the past and only taken one charger with me, only to find that it’s not the right one for my work phone.

Using your phone safely in the car can be a challenge too. Using two wired handsfree kits can be dangerous and if you use a Bluetooth Headset or Bluetooth car kit, how do you know which phone to connect them to as there is no way of knowing in advance which phone is going to ring.

Accessory manufacturers are aware of the problems people have when it comes to charging multiple devices or using them handsfree and are starting to produce accessories that are designed to make these two simple tasks much simpler. The best accessories that are currently available for those who two phones include: Desk Chargers, Mains Chargers, Car Chargers, Portable Chargers, Bluetooth Car Kits, Car Holders, Bluetooth Headsets & Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.

Charging

Earlier this year all the major phone manufacturers agreed to start using the same Micro USB charging port on all of their new handsets. This is great news as it means that going forward you’ll only ever need one charger. The downside is that it’s probably going to take a couple of years for this to filter through to all handsets on the market. In the mean time though, there are a number of solutions available that will allow you to charge several devices using just one charger.

Idapt Desk Chargers
The Idapt Desktop Charger is made up of a charging base and interchangeable charging adapters. You get 6 in the box to start you off and can buy additional ones as and when you need them. The charger is designed to be simple to use, you just stand your phone up on the relevant charging adapter. Most handsets will charge in an upright position but if the charging port is on the side of your phone then your phone will need to lie on it’s side to charge. You can use Idapt to charge several types of devices too – not just mobile phones. Charging adapters are included for iPods and portable games consoles, and the Mini USB connection means that you can charge most Sat Nav units too. The Idapt chargers take up a relatively small amount of desk space, and needs just one power socket to charge up to 3 devices.

Idapt I2 and I3 Universal Desktop Chargers

The charger is available in two sizes – the Idapt I3 desktop charger has 3 charging ports and the Idapt I2 desktop charger has 2 charging ports. Adapters are available for LG, Mini USB, Nokia 2mm, Micro USB, iPod & iPhone, Nintendo DS Lite, Sony Ericsson and Samsung.

Bluelounge Refresh
The Bluelounge Refresh is a similar concept to the Idapt, but rather than having fixed charging adapters that you have to stand your phone onto, it has 6 charging cables hidden under its base – two iPod & iPhone, one Micro USB, one Mini USB and two standard USB ports that you’d find on a PC or laptop. The point of these is that you can use your existing USB data cable to charge any phone without having to buy any additional adapters. It also means that you can charge any device that supports USB charging – Bluetooth Headsets, portable games consoles, sat nav units. The base of the Refresh lifts up and there is space underneath for you to store any excess cables.

Bluelounge Refresh Charging Hub in White

The Bluelounge Refresh is available in White, Black & Pink and is covered in more depth on our blog post from last week.

Mains Chargers

If you’re a frequent traveller, carrying around a bag full of chargers can be a bit of a pain. They take up extra space & weight in your luggage and you can almost guarantee you’ll leave at least one behind in the hotel. There is a way round this though. The 5 Port USB World Charger is a great alternative to carrying around a bag full of chargers. It’s a mains charger that has swappable US, EU, UK and Australian plugs and has 5 USB ports to charge all your devices in one go – 4 on the front and a hidden one on a short lead. You will of course need to make sure that you pack the USB cable for your phone, but they take up a lot less space than a normal charger. the charger has overheat, short circuit and over charge protection built in and will automatically adjust for all voltages. Its small design means that it can be left in your laptop bag so that it’s with you when you need it.

5 Port USB World Charger

Car Chargers

The Travelwise Universal Car Charger won’t let you charge two phones at the same time, but it will save you from having two separate car chargers. It has a changeable tip that you can change to suit your phone. To keep all the charger tips together, the Travelwise charger has a built in compartment to store them when they’re not in use. The Travelwise charger includes charging tips for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, BlackBerry phones.

Travelwise Universal Car Charger

Unlike the Travelwise, this Twin USB Car Charger can be used to charge two phones at the same time while still leaving your cigarette lighter free for anything else that needs to charge in the car. The charger has 2 USB ports that you can use to charge any device that supports USB charging. The USB cables aren’t included with the charger but most phones come with one included.

Twin USB and Cigarette Car Charger Adaptor

Portable Chargers

If you don’t have access to plug sockets or car chargers through out the day but are finding that your phones just aren’t lasting long enough, then the Nokia DC-11 Extra Power could be just what you need. The DC11 is a portable, high powered battery with built in charging cables and can power 2 devices at the same time – one with a Nokia 2mm adapter and one with a Micro USB connector (Nokia, some Samsung & newer BlackBerry phones). A full charge should take around 3 hours, but you’ll be able to use your phone while it’s charging.

Nokia DC-11 Extra Power

Bluetooth Handsfree

Bluetooth is the easiest way of using your phone ‘handsfree’, but if you’ve got two phones it either means buying two headsets or having to manually connect to each phone in turn when you want to make a call – or at least it used to. Multipoint technology in mobile phones is becoming much more common now and allows you to use the same bluetooth headset or car kit with two phones at the same time. Using a multipoint Bluetooth headset is no different to using a normal bluetooth headset, and when a call comes in the headset will connect to the appropriate phone without you having to do anything.

When it comes to using your phones in the car, you’ve got three options, a Bluetooth Headset, a Bluetooth Speakerphone or a fully fitted Bluetooth Car Kit. Personally I’ve always preferred a fully fitted kit, but as they don’t currently support multipoint you’ll have to constantly swap between phones, something that’s not particularly easy to do when you’re driving and could be quite distracting. For this reason, if you carry two phones around with you and want to be able to use them safely and legally in the car then you should invest in a multipoint Bluetooth Speakerphone or Bluetooth Headset. The best ones are listed below.

Bluetooth Speakerphones

The Supertooth Visor One Bluetooth Car Kit allows you to use both phones at the same time and will automatically connect to which ever phone receives or makes a call. It has a voice recognition system that lets you answer your calls just by saying “OK”. The Visor One also supports voice dialling and can play music from your mobile phone too – although not in stereo.

Supertooth Visor One

The DualPhone Bluetooth Car Kit is a simple to use Bluetooth car kit – similar in many ways to the popular Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit, but with the added bonus of being able to connect to two phones at the same time. The Dualphone Car kit supports last number redial, voice dial (if your phone supports it).

Dualphone Bluetooth Car Kit

The Movon Bluetooth Car Kit MK30 is a compact car kit that has a number of features that you’d normally expect to find on a much more expensive kit. It has an OLED display that will show you who is calling and Text to Speech software will call out the callers name or number too.

Movon MK30 Bluetooth Car Kit

Car Holders
Before I move on to Bluetooth Accessories, there is one more accessory for use in the car that I think deserves a mention and that’s the Brodit Double Tilt Swivel Holder.

I’ve been a big fan of Brodit ProClips and Car Holders for a long time – for those that have not come across them before, ProClips are brackets that clip onto various parts of your dashboard with out damaging it and provide a firm, flat base for you to screw a car holder into. They’re a much better option than drilling holes into your dashboard and can be removed easily when you change car.

Mount 2 phones using a Brodit ProClip, a Dual Mount & 2 Passive holders

The Double Holder fixes onto a ProClip in your car and allows you to attach 2 seperate phone holders on to it. As both mounting plates have a tilt swivel fixing, it means that you can angle them to suit your driving position.

This is the most secure option there is for mounting your phone in the car, the only slight downside is that because you need 4 seperate parts it’s not the cheapest but if you spend a lot of time on the road and need to be able to see both your phones quickly and easily then this is well worth the investment.

Bluetooth Headsets

There are two types of Bluetooth Headset available, Mono and Stereo. Mono Bluetooth headsets are worn on one ear and are great if you only want to use them for calls, where as Stereo Bluetooth Headsets are worn on two ears, look more like headphones and have a built in microphone. Stereo Headsets are perfect if you want to be able to listen to music from your phone, MP3 player or PC and still be able to take calls.

Top Multipoint Bluetooth Headsets

The Jabra BT530 Bluetooth Headset is a fantastic Bluetooth Headset that packs a lot of features into a really small device. As well as having 2 noise cancelling microphones, the Jabra BT530 has intelligent volume controls that will automatically increase the volume when you enter a noisy environment. Simple and easy to use controls make using this headset a pleasure, and as it’s multipoint, you can answer calls quickly and easily regardless of which phone starts to ring.

Jabra BT530 Bluetooth Headset

The Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth Headset is quite a heavy duty headset, so if you’re on the road all day and need something that’s going to be comfortable, exceptionally clear and work with both your work and personal phone, I don’t think you’ll do any better than the Voyager Pro. It has dual microphones to eliminate background noise, protection against wind noise, and Audio IQ technology to make every call crystal clear.

Plantronics Voyager Pro

The Jawbone Prime Bluetooth Headset is a very powerful headset. It’s the third headset in the ‘Noise Assassin’ range and is the first Jawbone headset to support Mulitpoint. At first glance it looks similar the the previous Jawbone, on the inside it’s quite different. It has a vibration sensor that sits against your cheek while you’re wearing it, but the noise reduction technology has been improved so that even when the sensor isn’t touching your face you can still be heard clearly – even in the noisiest of environments.

Jawbone Prime Bluetooth Headset

All three of the Bluetooth Headsets listed here were featured in our recent Top 10 Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headsets post.

Top Multipoint Stereo Bluetooth Headsets

Stereo Bluetooth Headsets are becoming increasingly popular now that most of us are using our mobile phones as our MP3 Players. Multipoint Stereo Headsets not only let you connect to two phones at the same time, but you can listen to music from one phone and if a call comes in on the other phone, your music is paused so that you can take the call. It’s not complicated either – the headsets handle the calls for you, so all you have to do is decide whether to answer it or not!

The Jabra Halo Stereo Bluetooth Headset is the latest stereo headset to be released, and to be honest its probably the best one yet. 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 will skip the track. One multi use button lets you play/pause your music as well as answer/end calls and activate voice dialling. 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. If you want to know more take a look at my Jabra Halo hands on review.

Jabra Halo Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset can be worn either ‘Dogtag’ style around your neck, clip on your clothes or simply go in your pocket. Featurewise it does everything that the Halo does, but with a 6 button pad to control your music and calls. The bit that makes these stand out is that you can use any 3.5mm headphones that you want with the BT3030, so if you don’t get on with (or damage) the headphones that come with it you don’t need to replace the whole kit.

Jabra BT3030 Bluetooth Headset

The Sony Ericsson HBH DS-980 Stereo Bluetooth Headset is another headset that is designed to be worn around your neck. The earphones are fixed and the control unit has dedicated music control keys. These will work best with Sony Ericsson phones, but will work with all makes of phone and music player.

Sony Ericsson DS980

Well, that’s just about everything covered. If you know of any other products that work well with two phones or have any suggestions feel free to let us know using the comments form below.

There are already a lot of phones available that use a Micro USB charger; Both the BlackBerry Storm &  Black Berry 8900 Curve, Nokia have the 6500 Classic and the recently released Nokia N97, and Samsung use Micro USB charging on the Samsung Omnia HD and the Samsung Jet.

Fed up of tangled cables?

This is of course great news, but you’re still going to need seperate chargers for any other accessories that you might have, your Bluetooth Headset for example.  You’re still going to need a different charger for each device, and there is still a risk of leaving one behind when you pack for your travels.

Fortunately, there is a solution on its way.  Micro USB chargers are also being adopted by accessory manufacturers, so you’ll be able to use the same charger on your headset as you use on your mobile phone.

Jabra, Nokia and Plantronics are all starting to introduce Micro USB charging to their range of Bluetooth Headsets and Stereo Bluetooth Headsets so I’ve put together a list of our top micro USB Bluetooth Headsets

Jabra

Jabra are well known for their Bluetooth Headsets; they work brilliantly, are simple to use, and most importantly they’re affordable.  They have a wide range of headset available, 5 of which support Micro USB charging. The most popular ones are listed below:

The Jabra BT2050 Bluetooth Headset is the cheapest headset available that uses a Micro USB charger. The headset also has auto pairing so that you can be using it for calls in less than a minute. The BT2050 has up to 4 hours talk time and 180 hours standby time.

Jabra BT2050 Bluetooth Headset

Next up is the Jabra BT4010 Bluetooth Headset. It weighs just 9g so is extremely comfortable to wear and has a small LCD to show you the remaining battery life and connection status. The headset can be worn in the ear (as pictured below) or you can attach an ear loop to it and wear it on your ear. Battery life on the BT4010 is slightly better than the BT2050 with upto 6 hours talk time and 150 hours standby time.

Jabra BT4010 Bluetooth Headset

My favourite Bluetooth Headset from Jabra is the JX20 Pura. As well as being one of the nicest looking Bluetooth Headsets, the JX20 Pura is crafted with titanium and features auto pairing, removable ear hooks, digital sound enhancement and comes with a Desktop charging cradle that can be connected to your PC using a Micro USB cable to charge it while you’re working. The software in the headset can be updated, so you can be confident that it will always be fully compatible with your phone. The JX20 Pura weighs 13g and gives up to 6 hours talk time from a single charge.

Jabra JX20 Pura Bluetooth Headset

Nokia

Nokia have probably the largest range of Bluetooth headsets available, but Micro USB charging has only found its way into 4 of their top end headsets at the moment.  They are compatible with all Bluetooth enable handsets, but you might be able to take advantage of a few more of their features when you use them with a Nokia phone.

The Nokia BH-703 Bluetooth headset can be worn in the ear or over the ear (using the optional ear loop as shown below). It features digital signal processing for improved audio clarity and has touch sensitive controls for handling your calls.  If your phone supports it, you can swap calls, place calls on hold and activate voice dialling all without having to touch your phone.  The BH-703 weighs in at just over 11g and gives upto 6 hours of talk time and 160 hours standby time.  One of the great things about this headset is that it will charge fully in about an hour.

Nokia BH-703 Bluetooth Headset

The Nokia BH-803 Bluetooth Headset is another stylish headset with a hi-gloss black and chrome finish.  It looks good and is designed to compliment most of their more recent handsets. In terms of features, it has pretty much everything the same as the BH-703 but is slightly smaller.  Battery life is the same too, with up to 6 hours of talk time and 160 hour stand by.

Nokia BH-803 Bluetooth Headset

The Nokia BH-804 is Nokia’s Premium Bluetooth headset. It’s made from lightweight aluminium and comes with a coordinating charging stand. Controls are simple, one button to answer/end calls and activate voice dialling and another to adjust the volume.  The headset is considerably smaller than the BH-703 and BH-803, and it weighs an incredible 7  grams. Charging time is around an hour and this will give you about 4 hours talk time or 120 hours standby.

Nokia BH-804 Bluetooth Headset

Plantronics

Not so many people have heard of Plantronics, but they are one of the biggest names in the world of headsets.  Their main product range tends to be call centre equipment, but their knowledge in call handling means that they create some fantastic Bluetooth Headsets.

The Plantronics Voyager 835 Bluetooth Headset packs in a lot of extra features over the Nokia and Jabra headsets. I don’t know about you, but my biggest pet hate with Bluetooth headsets is wearing them on a windy day and being completely drowned out by the noise of the wind blowing over the microphone. Plantronics have solved this problem by building in 2 microphones that (in conjunction with wind noise reduction software) eliminates wind and background noise. The headset is also a Multipoint Bluetooth Headset which means you can pair and connect to two phones at the same time (What is Multipoint).  When a call comes in on either phone, you’ll be able to answer it just by pressing the answer button on the headset, with out having to mess around disconnecting one phone and connecting to the other. The headset weighs 13g and a full charge will give you upto 5 hours talk time and 120 hours stand-by time.

Plantronics Voyager 835 Bluetooth Headset

The Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset is more of a fashion headset, but having said that it still has a lot of great features. It sits in the ear rather than hanging off it and has a boom microphone to increase your voice clarity.  The headset comes with a stylish carry case that also charges the headset. You get 3 different sizes of ear bud included for a comfortable fit. Despite its size, the Discovery 925 still boasts up to 5 hours talk time and up to 170 hours stand-by time. The Discovery 925 also supports Multipoint and can be connected to two phones at the same time. (What is Multipoint)

Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset

Last but not least is the Plantronics Voyager 510 Pro. This is probably the most advanced bluetooth headset that we currently sell.  It’s aimed at people that use their headset a lot and that need the best call audio possible.  It has an adjustable boom mic with 2 noise cancelling microphones and windsmart technology – a more advanced version of the wind noise reduction from the Voyager 835. Rather than sitting on or in your ear, the Voyager 510 Pro actually sits behind your ear, which makes wearing it extremely comfortable and reduces the chance of it falling off significantly. The headset features auto pairing, voice prompts and multipoint technology. The battery in the Voyager 510 Pro will give you upto 6 hours talktime and 120 hours stand-by time from a single charge. This headset comes with a micro USB mains charger, micro USB charging cable and a micro USB car charger making it the perfect choice if your phone also uses micro USB charging.

Plantronics Voyager 510 Pro Bluetooth Headset

The number of devices that use micro USB charging is increasing all the time, so this list will grow over time.  Don’t forget though that this isn’t all of the Bluetooth headsest that use micro USB chargers, just our favourite ones by each of the top 3 manufacturers.  Check out our Bluetooth Headset pages for our full range.

Multipoint is a new development in Bluetooth technology that allows your Bluetooth Headset to be connected to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. When a call comes in, the headset knows which handset is ringing and will connect to the phone automatically.

Multipoint can benefit most Bluetooth Headset users. It is ideal if you have to carry around a work phone and a personal phone but don’t want the hassle of having two separate headsets. If you use VOIP telephony at home, but don’t want to be tied down to sitting in front of your PC, Multipoint means you can pair your compatible Bluetooth Headset to your PC and your mobile and no matter which phone rings, the call will come through to your headset.

It’s not just business user that can benefit though, with more MP3 and music systems streaming music via Bluetooth, Multipoint means you can be listening to music on your Stereo Bluetooth Headset or Bluetooth Headphones from your stereo or MP3 player, and when a call comes in, the music will pause/mute allowing you to answer the call on your mobile phone. Music playback will automatically resume once you end your call.

What Multipoint Devices are available?

The range of Multipoint enabled devices is growing quickly, with most new Bluetooth Headsets now supporting multipoint. More recently we’ve seen Multipoint technology find its way into Bluetooth Simple Car Kits, great if both driver and passenger need to go handsfree in the car.

Listed below are some of the latest Multipoint devices. View all Multipoint Bluetooth devices.

The i-Tech Arrow X is the state-of- the-art in-ear type Bluetooth headset. It is the perfect combination of function and form. It’s super light weight at 9.4 grams lets you wear comfortably for the duration of the day. Comes with the latest Bluetooth technology v2.0 and noise reduction microphone. Arrow X offers you a stable connection and exceptional clarity at an unbeatable price.

Intelligent, versatile, and elegant. The Nokia BH-904 is an ideal handsfree solution for those who demand quality, style, and
clarity. With the latest technology, including digital signal
processing (DSP) and a sliding boom microphone, this headset delivers
superior performance. A longer lasting battery enables you to talk up to 5 hours with only 15 minutes of charging.

The new Motopure H15 features an exclusive flip design, with an open to talk and a close to save battery function, and has a dual-microphone design. It will automatically enhance frequencies to improve call clarity in both loud and quiet environments. Motopure H15 converts 15 minutes of charging time to over
an hour of talk time.

You’re in control at all times with the Supertooth Visor One. Its vocal recognition system means you only have to say “OK” to answer the call. The Supertooth One is portable and easy to install, simply attach it with the magnetic clip to any vehicles sun visor and it’s ready to use. Supports voice dialing and music streaming from compatible mobile phones.

The new slim and stylish Movon MK30 requires no installation, it simply clips to the sun visor. It features superior sound quality and noise reduction, with and excellent standby time and up to 12 hours talk time. The Movon MK30 features a high definition OLED screen for caller ID and text to speech technology that reads out the name of the caller.

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.