Palm Treo Bluetooth Wireless Headset Review

Review: Palm Treo Bluetooth Wireless Headset

By Jeff Velten

Overview

There are many higher and lower-priced Bluetooth headsets on the market, but the Palm Wireless Headset is one thats moderately priced, well-equipped, compatible with the Treo 750, 700p, 700wx, 700w, 680, and 650, and supports the Bluetooth 1.2 standard.

Click image to view larger.

In The Box

The Palm Wireless Headset comes packaged with the following:

• Headset
• AC Adaptor (100-240V) with five international Plugs
• Carrying pouch
• User manual

Click image to view larger.

Set-up

Set-up for the Palm Wireless Headset is painless. The headset comes with an adjustable ear hook that can be swiveled to allow for wearing the headset on either the left or right ear. A nice feature is that the headset can be easily slipped over the ear one-handed.

The headset comes with a carrying pouch for when the headset is not in use. Personally, I just prefer slipping the headset into a pocket when Im not using it.

Click image to view larger.

The initial charging time was about four hours. That may seem long, but Palm claims the headset will proffer seven hours of talk time and 170 hours of standby time. With average use, I generally have to charge the headset every 5 or 6 days.

One thing I really liked about the Palm Wireless Headset is that it can be charged with the Treo charging adaptor, meaning less baggage for you road warriors.

Controls

The Palm Wireless Headset has three controls: a multi-function button on the face of the headset which is used for answering and ending calls, redial, call rejection, and muting; and there are two volume buttons along the edge of the headset.

Click image to view larger.

Pairing

Pairing the Palm Wireless Headset is simple: With the headset off, press and hold the multi-function button for about five seconds to put the headset into “pairing mode.” The “Handsfree Setup Wizard” on my Treo 650 found the headset within five to seven seconds. After entering the standard passkey of four zeros (“0000”), the headset paired.

Making and Receiving Calls

The Palm Wireless Headset typically picks up calls on about the second ring, on both inbound and outbound calls.

Click image to view larger.

The headset uses alternating tones to alert you of an incoming call. To answer, simply tap the multi-function button. You can also press and hold the multi-function button for about three seconds to reject a call.

Once on a call, the multi-function button can be pressed and held (again, for about three seconds) to mute the microphone. The volume buttons allow you to easily adjust headset volume during a call.

Sound Quality

Sound quality was very good with the Palm Wireless Headset. The earpiece rests against the outside of the ear. As Ive mentioned in previous reviews, I prefer this to an in-ear solution.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Uses Treo charging adaptor
• Good sound quality

Cons

• Calls transfer to headset slightly slower than other headsets

Conclusion

The Palm Wireless Headset offers good sound quality and fits comfortably. The abilty to use a Treo charger is a nice plus. The headset is moderately priced, and the color scheme complements that of the Treo.

The Palm Treo Bluetooth Wireless Headset retails for $49.95.