Can a BT headset ANSWER a call hands-free with the Droid?

[RolandOG]

Please forgive these stupid questions. I've never owned a BT headset so I have no idea how this stuff works...

I know that we can't do hands-free dialing with the Droid. I'm wondering if a call comes in are you able to hit the call button on the headset and take the call without touching the Droid?

I've been debating picking up the BlueAnt Q1 which has voice command and stores it's own speed dial numbers. Supposedly this is one of only a couple of headsets that will allow hands-free dialing on a Droid (if I'm reading correctly). The problem is that it's build quality is no where near what it should be. I'm thinking of picking up a cheap BT headset for the time being if it will at least allow me to answer calls hands-free.

 

[jasondeg]

yes you can answer calls hands free, at least with the plantronics Voyager pro

 

[GiantDroid]

I can answer calls with my Jawbone BT headset. Can't place calls using voice dial through BT. See this thread http://www.droidforums.net/forum/mo...-lack-hands-free-operation-bother-anyone.html

 

[SRR1138]

Please forgive these stupid questions. I've never owned a BT headset so I have no idea how this stuff works...

I know that we can't do hands-free dialing with the Droid. I'm wondering if a call comes in are you able to hit the call button on the headset and take the call without touching the Droid?

As has been said yes, you just push a button on every BT I have seen to take a call.

I've been debating picking up the BlueAnt Q1 which has voice command and stores it's own speed dial numbers. Supposedly this is one of only a couple of headsets that will allow hands-free dialing on a Droid (if I'm reading correctly). The problem is that it's build quality is no where near what it should be. I'm thinking of picking up a cheap BT headset for the time being if it will at least allow me to answer calls hands-free.

I am going to do my best here to quote the matrix, "You have been down that road Neo, you know where it leads..."

That in reference to buying cheap bluetooths. We (wife and I) are on our ?5th? BT. Each one got sort'a better, but ya see that if we and just gone better the first time we would only be on our second one. At verizon's store you can pick up the Plantronics Voyager Pro for $60, shipped, if you use ACC20 in the coupon box, for 20% off the purchase price. It is so much better then the Motorola H350, the Jabra something, the Samsung something, the Plantronics 520, that we had it is not funny. I will say the H350 we had survived being on the ground over night in a rain storm, so I know that was durable, but the quality completely sucks compared the Voyager Pro.

So Neo, want to go down that road of BT after cheap BT, or do you want to take the red pill :icon_eek::icon_ banana::icon_eek:.

If I had to do it over, I would take the red pill. Of course the Plan. VP wasn't out when we got the H350, I am sure, no I know there were far better ones out there.

 

[JamesX]

I am using my old LG Headset. While I can make calls by pressing a button on my Razr v9m with it, on the DROID the button doesn't work.

It still function as earphone and mic though.

 

[souljerr]

I use a Jawbone II and yes you can answer hands free. The sound quality is great too (according to the people I talk to).

 

[Corinacakes]

i'd go with the blueant q1. it lets you listen to media too. it also has the speeddial and you never have to touch yur phone. i love mine

 

[RolandOG]

Thanks for the replies! Good to know the answer to this.

SRR1138,

I'm very much a 'get what you pay for' person and I have no problem paying for a better quality headset. My thinking was to pick up a cheap headset and wait to see if Google gets its act together with BT protocols and then get a really nice headset. The alternative would be to get something like the Q1 right now and use the built in dialing to bypass the Droid voice dialing.

Corinacakes,
What do you think about the build quality of the Q1? I've read enough user reviews about the broken ear post that I'm worried it'll break for me as well. Also, I see you're from Maine. Do you happen to leave your Q1 in the car during the winter? If so, have you ever had an issue when it's really cold out? The Q1 manual says to not let it be left in cold temps, like in a car overnight, which is something I'd probably end up doing.

 

[Corinacakes]

Thanks for the replies! Good to know the answer to this.

SRR1138,

I'm very much a 'get what you pay for' person and I have no problem paying for a better quality headset. My thinking was to pick up a cheap headset and wait to see if Google gets its act together with BT protocols and then get a really nice headset. The alternative would be to get something like the Q1 right now and use the built in dialing to bypass the Droid voice dialing.

Corinacakes,
What do you think about the build quality of the Q1? I've read enough user reviews about the broken ear post that I'm worried it'll break for me as well. Also, I see you're from Maine. Do you happen to leave your Q1 in the car during the winter? If so, have you ever had an issue when it's really cold out? The Q1 manual says to not let it be left in cold temps, like in a car overnight, which is something I'd probably end up doing.

Umm i know nothing about the broken ear post thing. my q1 seems very sturdy and i've had no problems. regarding the cold...i haven't left mine in my car overnight becuz i plug it in at night in the house. i have left it outside during work and it still worked fine.

 

[RolandOG]

Thanks for the replies! Good to know the answer to this.

SRR1138,

I'm very much a 'get what you pay for' person and I have no problem paying for a better quality headset. My thinking was to pick up a cheap headset and wait to see if Google gets its act together with BT protocols and then get a really nice headset. The alternative would be to get something like the Q1 right now and use the built in dialing to bypass the Droid voice dialing.

Corinacakes,
What do you think about the build quality of the Q1? I've read enough user reviews about the broken ear post that I'm worried it'll break for me as well. Also, I see you're from Maine. Do you happen to leave your Q1 in the car during the winter? If so, have you ever had an issue when it's really cold out? The Q1 manual says to not let it be left in cold temps, like in a car overnight, which is something I'd probably end up doing.

Umm i know nothing about the broken ear post thing. my q1 seems very sturdy and i've had no problems. regarding the cold...i haven't left mine in my car overnight becuz i plug it in at night in the house. i have left it outside during work and it still worked fine.

I read about it in reviews on Amazon as well as a handful of other places. I know that negative posts always outweigh positive ones but there were enough negative ones in my searching that it's made me suspicious. I may give it a shot regardless.

 

[Shel]

I also have the Platronics Voyager Pro, and it's a great headset.

Excellent sound quality, great battery life!

You wouldn't be disappointed.

 

[BhamItGeek]

I can answer calls with my Jawbone BT headset. Can't place calls using voice dial through BT. See this thread http://www.droidforums.net/forum/mo...-lack-hands-free-operation-bother-anyone.html

Actually you can BT voice call with the Droid. My car has the Microsoft Sync system and I make calls and answer calls just fine just like I would do with any of my other phones that I have had BT connected..just my 2 cents worth

 

[RolandOG]

I'll ask here before starting another thread...

BhamItGeek's post got me thinking. Will an in-car BT speakerphone like the Parrot Minikit Slim or BlueAnt Supertooth 3 allow you to make calls without touching the Droid? From what I'm reading with these things they store your contacts in the speakerphone. If the speakerphone has voice recognition then you say the name, it recognizes it and then makes the call. The question is, does the speakerphone dial the number itself or does it send a signal to the phone and tell it to dial the number? I would think that if it's the first then it should work like the BlueAnt Q1's speed dial. Does anyone know?

 

[RolandOG]

Follow up post for anyone doing a future search....

I contacted both Parrot's and BlueAnt's tech support. According to them the Parrot would work but not the Supertooth 3. So, I found a Minikit Slim locally and it works exactly as described. I loaded up my contact list onto the Minikit, pressed the button and a voice asked me who I wanted to call. I said "home" and it repeated the name, dialed the number and I watched my Droid wake up and put the number through. The Minikit Slim is exactly what I wanted, after a single button push I'm hands-free for making or receiving calls. Even better, I don't have to wear a headset!

For anyone who goes with the Parrot there are couple of things to know:

1. When it first pairs there is going to be a notification on the Droid's information bar at the top of the phone, saying "PBAP Synchronization". Scroll on the information bar and accept the synchronization otherwise the phone times out. You can also check the box to not ask again. It timed out on me the first time so I turned the Droid off, turned it back on and got the message again. Once you accept the sync and check the box you won't have to do this again.

2. Be prepared to record your own voice tags for any numbers you expect to call. The Minikit Slim does this for you but most of the translations on mine were terrible and wouldn't match my pronunciation. After I recorded new tags it works every time.

3. There is no status light so you don't know it's on. There is a chime when turning on and off but that's all you get. BTW, the unit auto-off's after losing the BT signal for a period of time.

4. Navigation with the jog wheel is a bit tricky at first but I got the hang of it eventually.

5. Call quality is good on both ends, at least for the calls I made to my wife.


So, for anyone looking to be hands-free with the Droid the Parrot MiniKit slim is an option for you, assuming you don't want a headset. I'll only use this in the car so I actually prefer this to a headset.