Windows Phone Thoughts: Sony Ericsson Mobile Bluetooth Headset HBH-IV835

Performance
The headset's range is fairly typical to other Bluetooth headsets I've tried; it's listed as 33 feet, and I found 30 feet to be about the limit that it could go from the mobile phone before the disconnecting trill was heard. Call quality was always best when the phone was within 10 feet of the headset, but it was still passable up to about 25 feet. Distances much further than that resulted in static and patchy quality.

Calls that I made and received on the headset were exceptionally clear. When asked, people I talked to would say that my voice was crystal clear; they were not even aware that I was speaking from a headset. The only time I noticed any interference was when I was standing outside in the wind, and it was all on my side. The personal I was talking to said I was still crystal clear, so go figure...

Battery life is rated for a maximum standby time of 160 hours with a maximum talk time of 3.5 hours. I have had the headset for a little over a week, and have only charged it once. Battery status can be checked by pressing the power button. A resulting solid green LED followed by three flashes means that the battery is full, two flashes means the battery is half full, and a single flash means that the battery is nearly empty.

Conclusions
Power users that have come to expect a serious set of bells and whistles might be tempted to dismiss the simplicity of the HBH-IV835, but I feel that would be a mistake. This headset does exactly what I need - it made and received clear calls with a minimum of fuss. I must confess that I actually like it better than the Bluespoon AX2 which until now had been my favorite.

Judie Hughes, who spent six years earning a reputation as a respected gadget reviewer from The Gadgeteer, has joined the Pocket PC Thoughts review team. Her newest project, Gear Diary, continues her exploration of the gadget world, with blog entries and reviews of all things geeky.