The Nokia BH-104 is a simple and easy to use bluetooth headset that won’t break the bank. Having used un branded budget headsets in the past, I’ve never been that impressed by them, but I thought I’d give Nokia’s latest offering a go to see how well it performs.
Nokia BH-104
Controls
The BH-104 is simple to use as it has one button for just about everything – turning it on/off, answering/ending calls and activating voice dialling. Unlike some of the other budget headsets, the BH-104 has got volume controls built in, so you won’t need to reach for your phone to adjust volume levels.
Speech & Audio Quality
The Nokia BH-104 isn’t designed to compete with top-end headsets such as the Jawbone Icon or Jabra Extreme, so you won’t find dual microphones or voice detection sensors. Instead, the BH-104 relies on one single microphone and DSP and noice cancellation software to make your call clearer.
It does a pretty good job. I found that using the headset while driving on a motorway at 60mph with the windows closed I had no problems in hearing the caller or being heard. At around 70mph I found I had to increase the volume, but could still hear/be heard. Opening a window pretty much killed it as there was just too much wind and road noise for me to hear anything, although I could still be heard. It’s also worth pointing out that there’s little in the way of wind shielding on the BH-104, so if you’re using outside on a windy day, the person on the other end of the call may hear a fair amount of wind noise.
Comfort
The BH-104 is an over the ear headset that’s held in place with a flexible earhook. It’s a pretty solid fit, but you may find it a little uncomfortable if you wear glasses, but the same can be said for any over the ear headset. The earpiece sits nicely against your ear and I found that it was still comfortable after several hours of being worn. The ear hook is adjustable and allows you to wear it on either the left or right ear.
Extra Features
There aren’t really any extra features on the BH-104 as it’s such a simple headset. Voice Dialling (if your phone has it) can be activated by pressing and holding the answer key for around 2 seconds, last number redial is activated with two taps of the answer button on the headset.
Charging & Battery Life
Battery life on the BH104 is great, it gives you up to 10 hours talk time and over a 8 days standby time. Charging is nice and easy too, especially if you’re using a Nokia phone as the BH-104 uses the same small pin charger as most Nokia phones. You only get a mains charger included though, so if you need to charge it in the car, you’ll need to invest in a car charger separately.
Overall it’s a cracking headset if you just want something simple and inexpensive and it makes a perfect first headset.
My Rating: 8/10