Phones

A simple yet functional Bluetooth speaker phone, Jabra's SP5050 features a slim-line design and offers easy operation thanks to minimal controls.

The SP5050 has been designed for in-car use, but it can also be used at home or in the office. An attached sun visor clip conveniently doubles as a small desk stand. The unit itself is sleek and slim and the silver surround adds a nice touch to an otherwise plain device.

Pairing is a simple process; simply turn the SP5050 on by holding down the larger power button on the front and the unit automatically enters pairing mode. Once connected, operation is simple as the unit only has three buttons. Tapping the large answer/end call button answers and ends incoming and outgoing calls, while two volume buttons on either side handle in-call volume.

The SP5050 also supports voice dialling (provided this is a feature of your phone) and last number redialling, accessed by holding and double tapping the answer/end button, respectively. You can also mute the microphone and transfer a call from the speaker phone to your handset or vice versa.

A small display sits at the top of the unit and features different coloured LEDs to inform you of power, Bluetooth connection, call status and battery life. Conveniently, pressing the volume buttons together will turn the lights off for night-time driving, which is an attempt at avoiding potential distractions by the bright lights.

The JX10 Cara is simply a re-release of the original unit, Jabra JX10.

"Cara" is a Spanish word meaning expensive, a term which can unfortunately be applied to both the feel of the JX10's design, and its exuberant price tag. If you've ever been worried about looking a little silly with a Bluetooth headset stuck onto your ear, the Cara is an ideal solution. It's as much a fashion statement as a Bluetooth headset, with sleek, contoured edges and a stainless steel finish oozing class. The Cara comes in two variations - stainless steel, and 24-carat gold - and was created by Danish designer Jacob Jenson. The 24-carat gold Cara retails at $429AUD.

The best feature of the JX10 Cara is its design; it's comfortable to wear for long periods, compact and lightweight. The stainless steel finish looks professional, and it definitely adds a touch of class. The whole unit weighs less than 14g, can be worn on either ear, and can be used with or without the included ear hook.

Pairing with a mobile phone is simple and effortless. Dubbed "one-touch pairing", synchronising the JX10 Cara to your phone is as easy as holding down the small pairing button. Although the pairing button is small, it's not one you'll use often, nor do you want to be pressing it inadvertently.

If chilling out with your MP3 player has ever meant you missed an important phone call, then perhaps the Jabra BT325s was created with you in mind.

The BT325s plugs into your MP3 player via a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and acts as a normal set of earphones. But the best feature of this nifty device is its Bluetooth capabilities - users simply pair it with their mobile phone and it cheerfully notifies with a melodic chime every time you have a phone call. Gone are those days where your blaring iPod forced you to miss an important call.

The BT325s looks like a standard in-line remote that you would find on many digital music players. It has volume controls for the phone and voice dialing function on capable handsets, but sadly these don't work with your MP3 player. With a wireless connection and a microphone built into the BT325s, you can answer your phone without even fishing it from your bag or pocket.

Sound quality is above average for both music and voice. This is further assisted by the fact that you can use any set of standard headphones with the unit. It comes with a pair of default earbuds, but these can simply be disconnected and replaced with a third party pair. With a claimed eight hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby for music and Bluetooth connection, there's also plenty of juice to chat away and rock out without having to stop and recharge.

Jabra has released the BT160 in an attempt to combine the world of high fashion with Bluetooth accessories. The selling point of the BT160 is that the look of the unit can be changed by using paper inserts, much like interchangeable covers for your mobile phone. The process is simple and involves clipping off the clear plastic front, removing the paper insert, swapping it then snapping the cover back on again - taking no more than about 15 seconds.

While not in the same class as the Jabra , the BT160 is still on the small side and, depending on what insert you choose, professional as well (the silver/grey insert is particularly business looking, for example). Jabra has once again delivered excellence in ease of use and functionality; clearly expressed by the minimal amount of buttons on this unit. Only a Answer/End Call button and Volume Up and Down buttons are present and overall, the unit is very simple to operate.

To pair the BT160 with your handset you simply press the Volume Up key and the Answer/End Call button together for a couple of seconds and the unit is placed into 'pairing' mode. The light on the front of the unit indicates whether the BT120 is connected or in pairing mode and this light is also used to signify a low battery life, active call mode and standby mode.

For use in an office, the SP500 can be placed on a desk, much like a speakerphone. For car use, there are two mounting options - a suction cup for the windscreen, or a clip for the visor.

The SP500 isn't the most appealing piece of hardware. First off, it's quite large and a protruding boom mic doesn't help. This limits the portability of the unit, as you won't be able to carry it around with you comfortably. Secondly, it lacks the usual slick design of other Jabra products.

In terms of operations, it possesses exactly the same functions as a Bluetooth headset. The SP500 supports voice dialing, last number redial, muting calls, swapping calls and rejecting calls.

As with most Bluetooth devices, there is one main Call button which performs most of the functions of the SP500, such as answering, ending or rejecting calls. A volume dial and mute button are one side, while the pairing button and power input are on the top.

Interestingly, the SP500 uses two inbuilt rechargeable batteries. This allows it to have 20 hours of battery life and usefully, it can be charged from a wall socket or in your car. The device can also be used while it's being charged, meaning Jabra has really put some thought into ensuring you can get the most out of the unit.