8:44 PM
Kakrona Chan
It takes a leap of faith to go from the old-fashioned world of handsets to the seemingly high-powered, deal-making world of bluetooth headsets. But the tiny devices have become a staple for big suits and everyday people alike, spawning a massive market of options.The tiniest of devices, the Plantronics Savor M1100 Bluetooth Headset, is about as big as a baby carrot and weighs just 9 grams. Full disclosure, I am decidedly in the first category of traditionalists. Headsets just seemed like extra work to answer a call. I should not have liked this headset. But it really is worth a look even if you’re a skeptic.
Despite it’s minute stature, the M1100 packs a ton of features into an intuitive user interface, but it’s also a breeze to connect and even easier to use. What changed my mind, and why should you look into device? Read on for my breakdown.
User Interface
The M1100 looks great. There are no gaudy flashing lights or projecting mics; the whole headset is a self-contained sliver of technology. A slim LED near the front of the device discreetly lights up blue or red when your battery is low or right when it’s powered on. Its weight means that the M1100 will sit comfortably in pretty much anyone’s ear, though I do recommend using the clear-plastic ear clip that’s included.
Plantronics has somehow squeezed four buttons onto the headset, including a sliding on/off switch, cycling volume control, call button and voice recognition button. While it can be easy to mix up the call and voice buttons, or press them when trying to move the headset, the M1100 manages to streamline the calling process so even the simplest of users can quickly get on a call.
One of the biggest selling points is that every feature on the headset can be controlled via voice command. Tap the voice button once and say any of 10 commands from “Redial” to “Am I connected,” and a slightly robotic but generally pleasant voice will respond. The voice features really take front seat when paired with Vocalyst, a hosted speech-enabled service that lets you send and receive e-mails, texts, record reminders and more. A one-year subscription is included for free, but after that you’ll have to pay $24.95 per year.
The voice recognition works great at balancing out the simple, stream-lined design with some of the advanced features on Vocalyst.
Calls
This is probably why you bought this thing: to make calls to people without using your hands. The good news is that the M1100 works great. A touch of the device or saying “answer” will connect you to your call with minimal delay. The reception isn’t perfect but it’s noticeably clear and problem-free thanks to the three separate mics buried in the M1100, one of which is dedicated to noise-cancellation.
I managed to call and place an order for flowers (including providing the address, a message and credit card number) without any problems. Normal phone calls and conversations were similarly clear and problem free. The headset also picked up calls from a healthy distance — meaning you’d have to try and be out of range for it not to work.
The M1100 boasts a 4-hour talk time and 7-hour standby time, which is important if your phone calls last longer than 3 hours, or more realistically, if you have calls spotted throughout the day.
Bottom Line
If you’re a power user, the M1100 has all the features you’d expect and great call quality. It more than makes up for anything it lacks in immediate flare with the integration of Vocalyst. At $99.99, it is certainly not the cheapest headset out there. But if you are a casual user (or admitted skeptic) looking for a solid, simple, discreet headset, the M1100 is an equally great choice.
[via mashable]
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