Bluetooth headsets are awkward but handy things. While they allow you to go "handsfree" finding somewhere to store them is always a pain. Newton Peripherals' answer is to create a case that sits on the back of the iPhone giving you somewhere to store the Mogo Talk when it's not in use.
Our quick take
It's a nice idea, and the BlackBerry version of the same headset allows you to charge the two devices - i.e., the phone and the headset - at the same time giving you a Bluetooth headset ready and charged all the time.
The problem is that the earpiece, for us anyway, is so poor that it constantly kept falling out of our ear, not something you want to happen when you are trying to be handsfree. It's one thing when you are trying to multitask as your desk, another if that important business call ends up in your car's footwell under the brake pedal.
There are better Bluetooth headsets out there.
MoGo Talk for iPhone Bluetooth headset - 1.5 / 5
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The concept sounds do-able and on paper we can see the concept of always having your Bluetooth headset with your phone the reason this got approved in the first place.
The black gloss case is tapered into a mound to fit the MoGo Talk. There is a hole for the camera, buttons, and of course the dock connector. Because of the tapered design you'll still be able to use your docking station (just without any inlays) and aside from adding some considerable bulk to the handset, it's business as usual.
The case also doubles as a charger for the Bluetooth headset although for the iPhone version (there is a BlackBerry back plate model as well) you'll need to plug in a USB cable to charge it. It's not the end of the world, but it does make for difficult charging as the USB socket also points down. If you use a docking station, forget it.
Luckily for Newton Peripherals the MoGo Talk headset is incredibly thin, meaning the end result isn't as fat as it probably could have been. It's certainly not like sticking a regular Bluetooth Headset on the back of your phone. The size of a USB thumb drive, the top of the headset comes with a fold-out ear piece that you then supposedly plonk in your ear.
And that's where the problems start; getting it in your ear. Although the makers are keen to include six different sized tips in the box to fit different ear sizes, the fact that the tip is flat rather than "ear bud" shaped means for us, we couldn't achieve a good fit at all. Ever.
We tried both ears and all the fittings, but to no avail. Worried that we might be an exception to the rule, we got Mrs Pocket-lint in on the action (girls are made different) and while we a little more successful, it she said, like us, it still wasn't a comfortable experience.
While you might think that a perfect fit isn't that important, you would be wrong. The poor fitting will affect the quality of the call and all that money and investment from Newton Peripherals to make this a decent Bluetooth headset out the window.
As you might expect therefore the performance of the headset in our tests was poor. Not because of the technology inside it, but because you can't get it in your ear properly to hear what the hell is going on, and when you do, it slowly falls out meaning you have to hold it in place.
That said, people we phoned said they could hear us loud and clear, although a bit tinny.
To recap
A nice idea that has too many flaws to recommend