Apple iPhone Bluetooth headset: sounds good as long as you can wear it
Sven Rafferty owns more Bluetooth headsets than anyone I virtually know, so when he put the Apple iPhone Bluetooth offering in his ear for a review, I perked my own ears up. To me there are three core qualities of a headset: comfort, sound, and usability (in that order, which is arguable). Sven’s review confirms that the sound isn’t bad and the device pairs with little to no user intervention, so props to Apple for that. But the best sounding headset only sounds good when it’s in your ear and Sven could only max out with 3 hours of wearing this one. He did plod along 90 extra minutes after that just for the readers sake, but if you’re an all-day wearer of the Bluetooth headset, you might want to be cautious here. Or you might want to check yourself in the mirror: do you really need the ear-bling all day long? 
Too true, Kevin. My apologies to anyone who likes the all-day Borg look, but honestly, why do you need that headset in your ear when you’re not talking on the phone? It’s like keeping your earphones in when you’re not listening to music, except everyone can tell when you’re not talking to anyone.
That has got to be the worst-looking headset I have ever seen, so I have no idea how people could have that hanging on the side of their head at all, never mind all day. I definitely agree with Sumocat on the “Borg” look.
Then again, it *is* Apple, so resistance is futile…
People who where BT headsets ALL DAY annoy the HECK out of me. Two instances where I had seen people with them who should have REALLY taken them out:
At the counter of McDonalds….no lie….I walk up to the counter and the cashier still had it in. I asked him are you on the phone? He said no may I take your order….here’s a hint….your at work AT McDonalds….there is NO WAY you need to have your earpiece in…..
Second, at a Verizon store, but I guess that this could be excused….slightly.
Here’s the word….only put the BT in when your ON a call and then don’t continue to walk around with it. It’s rude and not safe either in my opinion.
I wear my BT headset 4 to 6 hours a day. I listen to audio books while I’m about working. When I’m home or in the office I don’t wear it but its always in my ear when I’m out. I don’t notice any hearing loss when the headset is off (stand-by).
Yeah, people look like fools with headsets on all the time. Of course, if one doesn’t have it on all the time storage becomes an issue…
Personally I got a small Sony-Ericsson headset that came with a lanyard and a quick attach/detach feature – works really well. It hangs around the neck until one needs it, then just yank it loose and place in ear and talk. Works great, and I don’t have to look like a moron constantly – just when I’m on the phone.
I will happily wear my headset when I’m out and about, regardless of what anyone thinks about how silly I look. I also tend to wear cowboy boots and live in the north of the USA, and don’t care if I look like I fell off a horse.
I just don’t care that much about appearances… I mean, wow, I’m wearing a little thing on my ear that blinks. (I can stop it blinking, I just forget to.) Oooh, such a fashion mistake. I also have a chunky ‘brick’ for a phone (Cingular 8525). I mean sheesh, shouldn’t I buy one of those pretty, super slender phones? I don’t get paid to look good while driving to Meijer to buy milk.
Plus, having to fish the headset out of my pocket negates the ease of having it in my ear, where I can just reach up and poke it if someone calls me, or poke it to voice dial.
Also, my headset will tell my phone to start voice dialing if you push the button, which is easy to do in-pocket.
It’s not unsafe to have a headset in your ear while you’re walking around. I suppose if you fell on it, it would damage your ear, but so would falling on your ear. I guess people could think you are on the phone, although the fact that you aren’t talking to anyone would probably betray that…
Finally……. I always leave it in my ear while driving, for obvious reasons.
All you borg-haters will love this: the person at the Secretary of State (aka DMV) didn’t notice my headset, so now it is in my driver’s license photo for the next six years or however long the thing lasts for.