The Jawbone Era bluetooth headset was announced to critical acclaim earlier in the year, and soon it’ll be available at Mobile Fun. The headset is the latest in a long line of well-regarded Bluetooth accessories from Jawbone, who made their name making headsets and recently starting producing Jambox Bluetooth speakers as well. The company has shown it has the best technology available and top design credentials, so let’s see how those translate into the new Jawbone Era.
A slimmer, more comfortable design
The new Jawbone Era is a lighter, slimmer version of the earlier headset of the same name that was released in 2011. The new Era is distinguished by graduated ridges that travel along the headset, which are quite subtle in the black or silver colourways and more attention-grabbing in red and bronze.
On the other side of the headset, there’s a sleek earbud (available in three sizes for your right ear, and one for your left) which has a silicone tail attached. This tail sits inside your ear, providing better stability than a traditional clip with none of the discomfort. You’ll also find a power switch and multi-function button here, tucked into the body of the Era and invisible while worn. A microUSB port is similarly hidden, as are the tiny microphones used to pick up your voice and block out the noise of the outside world.
Futuristic (yet useful!) functionality
As you’d expect, the Era does an impressive job in filtering out background noise to pick up your voice and nothing else. Likewise, the earpiece is distinct and clear, even in noisy situations like city traffic or crowded bars. The difference between the Era and less advanced headsets is even clearer when you’re using wideband audio – whether that’s Skype, FaceTime Audio or one of the few carriers that provide HD voice calls. Speech sounds noticeably clearer, with the extra frequencies in use on both ends making for a much more natural experience.
The Era also works well with Siri on iPhone and Google Now on Android phones. Press and hold the multi-function button, and you’ll be able to talk with the voice assistant of your respective platform. That means you can place calls, set reminders, look up information and even get directions. It’s a brilliant extension of what’s normally possible using a Bluetooth headset, and it really feels futuristic to use it in this way.
There are a few other handy functions as well. Music can be piped to the headset (with both left and right channels coalescing into the Era’s mono speaker), and it sounds good thanks to the use of the high-quality AptX Bluetooth protocol. There’s also a Find Your Era feature, which prompts the device to start ringing so you can find it easily. These and other features are controlled through the Era app, which is available on both Google Play and the iOS App Store.
The headset lasts for about four hours of talk time, or three days (~72 hours) of standby time. Of course, you can also turn off the headset until you need it, in which case it retains its charge for up to a year at a stretch. Charging the headset is rapidas well, taking only about 20 minutes.
A winning headset
The combination of strong fundamentals – great noise cancellation and sound reproduction – with a clever design and futuristic features makes for a brilliant Bluetooth headset. The new Jawbone Era is quite possibly the best headset on the market, and is well worth your time and money.
For more information on the Era or to place your order, visit our product page linked below:
- Jawbone Era Bluetooth Headset – Silver Cross
- Jawbone Era Bluetooth Headset – Black Streak
- Jawbone Era Bluetooth Headset – Red Streak
- Jawbone Era Bluetooth Headset – Bronze Streak
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