Jabra BT4010 Bluetooth headset review

Will adding an LCD make a difference?

25 September 2008 12:00 GMT / By Chris Hall

With so many Bluetooth headsets on the market these days, you really have to think out of the box to get noticed. That might mean covering the device in semi-precious metals, adding a solar panel, or, like Jabra, including an LCD display. But does it really make any difference?

Jabra has established a pretty good reputation for themselves in the Bluetooth headset market – a combination of good build quality and sensible design. The BT4010 follows this line, delivering a small (49 x 17 x 28mm, 10g) sleek headset which is comfortable to wear for some time. We found the earbud was just the right size, but this will depend on your ear. You’ll also find two different earhooks for additional support if you need it, but sadly no different rubbers, so it might not fit all ears.

A charger in the box provides the power via the Micro-USB that sits atop the headset. The face features the three-icon LCD display and a single control button, whilst volume controls slip down the side. Pairing was a breeze and a connection indicated by the Bluetooth icon on the screen.

The advantage of having the LCD screen is that you can see a range of information at any one time. The first is battery status, which with some headsets you never know (or you have to decipher a particular set of tones or LED flashes). You can also see the Bluetooth connection as mentioned above. The third icon is perhaps less useful, as it indicates when you are in a call.

Whilst you might argue that a screen is useless because the headset will be stuck to the side of your head and out of sight, we’d beg to differ. The major frustration we find with Bluetooth headsets is figuring out what the current status is. Why isn’t it working? Is it even turned on? The BT4010 makes it clear with a cursory glance – there is no confusion with blinking lights.

The single surface button allows you to accept or reject calls as well as the normal last number redial and voice-dialling options. As you’d expect, the headset delivers that Jabra quality that we all know and love, supporting Bluetooth 2 + EDR and eSCO, so calls are clear. In our test calls we found no problems and on most occasions the caller didn’t know we were using a headset.

Verdict

With Bluetooth headsets being so common, it is nice to find one that just does what it says on the box. Coming as part of Jabra’s Easy Series, it certainly lives up to its name. It is simple to use and delivers the performance you would expect.

We especially like being able to turn on the headset and see the battery status, rather than wondering whether it will survive the hour drive to that meeting. With up to 6 hours talk time and 150 hours standby time, average for this size of device, there is very little to complain about with the BT4010.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Jabra
Price as reviewed: £29.99
The good: Visual display, great call quality, easy to use
The bad: Only one size of ear cup
Quick verdict: With visual feedback and simplicity in use, there is little to fault with the BT4010
Score
Winner