The Best Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone
What are the Best Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone?
Your iPhone mobile device can help you organize your life while it keeps you in contact with those who are important to you, but the smartphone experience is not complete without a Bluetooth headset. Bluetooth is a wireless technology created in the late 1990s by Swedish telecom giant, Ericsson, and is now the standard for wireless communications between a phone and a headset. A few years ago there were just a smattering of available Bluetooth headsets, but now the market is flooded with hundreds of models, making it difficult to differentiate the quality headsets from the rest of the field. To help you out in that regard, I’ve put together a list of the ten best Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone.
10. Plantronics Voyager Pro
The Plantronics Voyager Pro may be one of the older iPhone Bluetooth headsets on this list, but it comes complete with all of the features you might need in a headset. The Voyager Pro is an over-the-ear headset, which is helpful for anyone who has trouble keeping the earbud style headsets in their ear. The Pro features AudioIQ technology to block background noise and Multipoint technology, so you can pair the headset with your iPhone and a second device at the same time.
Purchase the Plantronics Voyager Pro here.
9. MotoRokr S9-HD
The Motorola MotoRokr S9-HD has a lot of things going for it, but the biggest thing may be its unique design. The two earbuds sit in your ears while the rest of the headset rests against your neck and behind your head. This design allows you to listen to your iPhone in SRS WOW HD sound without getting in the way of your activities. The design also features a small button on the right earbud that is used to answer and end calls. While the S9-HD may miss a few of the features of some newer headsets, for anyone who wants to use their iPhone while jogging, cycling or climbing, this headset is the answer.
8. Plantronics Discovery 975
The second Plantronics model on this list of iPhone Bluetooth headsets is a small earbud style-headset with a long, thin microphone. The Discovery 975 uses AudioQ2 technology along with two microphones to block background noise and WindSmart technology to block wind noise while you are outside or in a car. The earbud on the Discovery 975 is made from a soft gel, so it fits securely into any ear. The Discovery 975 also features voice prompts, to help guide you through using the headset.
Purchase the Plantronics 975 here.
7. Jabra EASYGO
Jabra bills the EASYGO as the perfect entry-level iPhone Bluetooth headset and I couldn’t agree more. The EASYGO is a simple headset, with a slightly large earpiece/microphone that fits into your ear, and a plastic loop that fits behind the ear to secure the headset. The EASYGO has a simple pairing process, so you can connect it to your iPhone without any issues, and the headset features voice guidance to let you know when the battery is low or the headset leaves a paired device’s range. There may be headsets with more features out there, but if you just want something simple out of your headset, the EASYGO may be your best bet.
Purchase the Jabra EASYGO here.
6. Sony Ericsson Hi-Fi Bluetooth Stereo Headset
The Sony Ericsson Hi-Fi Bluetooth headset features an interesting design that lets you turn your own 3.5mm headphones into a Bluetooth headset. The Sony Headset is really just a small Bluetooth module with a mirrored OLED display that you pair to your iPhone and up to one other Bluetooth-enabled device. You then have to insert a 3.5mm headset (the unit comes with one, if you don’t have one) into the port on the end of the headset so you can hear your phone’s audio. The Sony Headset also allows you to listen to FM radio signals, using the headphone cord as an antenna.
Purchase the Sony Ericsson headset here.
5. Sonorix C3
The Sonorix C3 is the second non-headphone device in this list of Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone, and gets the edge over the Sony Hi-Fi headset mostly due to style, as the headsets are similar in function and quality. The Sonorix C3 has a 2.5mm headphone port on the back, allowing you to use whatever stereo headphones you like. The C3 itself is built as a clip, so you can secure it to any piece of clothing and carry it around with ease. The C3 also has an OLED dispaly, so you can see caller ID or audio track information.
4. Bose Bluetooth Headset
Bose is one of the premier names in audio technology, so it’s no surprise that the Bose Bluetooth headset made it to this list of the best Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone. The Bose Bluetooth headset features StayHear plastic tips that keep the Bose Bluetooth headset secure in your ear, even as you move around. The headset has a Triport acoustic structure which will let you hear other people, and have them hear you, even as the noise level around you changes. The buttons on the headset are also intuitively designed, allowing you to control your iPhone without dislodging the headset from your ear.
Purchase the Bose Bluetooth Headset here.
3. Aliph Jawbone ICON Bluetooth Headset
Aliph makes a line of quality Bluetooth headsets, but the Jawbone ICON takes its place on this list of iPhone Bluetooth headsets due to its stylish design and impeccable sound quality. The Jawbone ICON has NoiseAssassin 2.5 technology to eliminate background noise in almost any environment and built-in volume equalizer, automatically adjusting the volume on a new call to your preferred setting. The Jawbone ICON will also interface with your iPhone, displaying the remaining battery life on your status bar, and you can use the headset with applications like MyTALK to personalize the headset.
Purchase the Aliph Jawbone ICON here.
2. Motorola H17txt
I’ve talked about how much I like the Motorola H17txt before, so it’s no surprise that this amazing little headset makes it onto this list of the best Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone. The H17txt is a stylish little headset with a small boom mic and plastic earloop to keep it in place. The audio quality on the H17txt is top notch, as you would expect from a Motorola product. The biggest selling feature for the H17txt is the integration with the MotoSpeak application, which will allow the headset to read out your text messages and emails, letting you keep your eyes and hands free to do something else. This full Bluetooth automation is the future of the technology, but if you want to get a headstart, pick up an H17txt today.
1. Blueant Q2
The Blueant Q2 takes the top spot on this list of the best iPhone Bluetooth headsets because of its unsurpassed audio quality and sleek, stylish design. The Blueant Q2 features a host of voice commands that you can use to manipulate both the headset and the iPhone. The Q2 automatically downloads up to 2,000 of your contacts so that it can announce the name of your caller when a call comes in. The Q2 can also interface with an application to read off text messages to you, as well as give you access to Bing-411 features. On top of all the amazing functions, the headset delivers excellent audio quality even in noisy environments. Since it does just about everything well, the Blueant Q2 stands alone as the best headset available for the iPhone.
