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· Author: Jack Cook

· Vender: Motorola

· Price:  $119.99 MSRP (A little searching on the net can yield some very good prices less than $80)

· Rating:  4.2 out of 5

Finding the right mobile headset is a personal decision. There are so many choices available and picking the right one that will satisfy every need you have is a difficult decision at best. Certainly size, appearance and functionality is at the top of the list but there are other considerations that come into play. For example: battery life, quality, durability, and charging are all prime considerations.

Recently, I saw two Motorola products that caught my eye and I wanted to look more closely at them. The MOTO T505 is a handsfree solution for use while driving that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago and I was extremely pleased with it. In fact it was as close to perfect as I have seen to date. Today, I will look at the MOTOPURE H12 Bluetooth Headset.

The Package

I was surprised at the size of the box and even more surprised at the magnet embedded in the box lid to close the cover firmly. Opening it revealed three items: the headset centered and the desktop charger and portable charger on either side all neatly placed to give that great first impression.

Below this part of the display box was a package containing different sized ear bud covers, an AC adapter for charging and a Quick Start Guide that was well done with decent explanations and a variety of pictures and diagrams for easy setup and use.

The H12

The H12 is a small rectangular shaped Bluetooth headset (41mm x 18mm x 12mm) that is amazingly light weight (12 grams). Attached to the headset was a flexible clear plastic earloop that easily rotates when you attach the earbud to your ear. The front of the device had the appearance of a metal screen with a surface call button blending into the front. It looked good but I found the edges to be slightly “rough”, almost as if there were some burrs from the machining of the part. Just below the Call Button is an Indicator Light hidden behind the screen. It clearly displays when powered on or charging. The lower portion of the front was a shiny black plastic with a small “M” logo slightly offset to the left.

The top of the device has a slider switch for turning Off/On and a blue color is revealed on the slider when the unit is powered on. The right side has an integrated Volume button. The rear of the device reveals 4 charging contacts just below the speaker portion of the device.

As you look at the device sideways, the microphone is placed on a beveled edge at the bottom. Its placement and design is clearly for being able to get the best sound reception for the mic. Surprisingly, the “hole” for the mic is rather large in comparison to other headsets which initially would indicate that it is a fairly large mic.

The earbud had a rubber cushion attached and the supplied extra cushions should adapt to a variety of ear sizes. I found the one that was attached to work perfectly. The earloop easily slide over my ear and the speaker fit snugly in the ear canal. In fact, I was incredibly amazed how nicely it did fit and was very impressed with the immediate feeling that it seemed as if it was almost not even there. It is very light (12 grams ) and very comfortable.

The Desktop Charger

There is no question that what caught my eye about this device was the charging solution that was supplied. I dislike how I have to charge my Bluetooth headsets and often find that I forget to attach the charger because I have to attach it to the device and bend over to plug it in to an available outlet. Often times I take it off my ear and lay it down on my desk saying that I’ll setup the charger later and then of course, I forget. Not with this solution!

A very slick looking charger cradle can sit next to your desktop and when you come in; you just take the headset and place it onto the charger. It is magnetized and so it grabs the headset and automatically aligns itself to the charging contacts. It is slick … very very slick!

When attached, a red light appears indicating that charging is going on and eventually it turns green after it is completely charged. In the two weeks I have been using the headset, I have never run out of power but in fact, with a Talk Time: up to approximately 5.5 hours and a Standby Time: up to approximately 200 hours, I would find it unlikely that anyone would not have ample power for use of the device. Especially with this charging solution! When I come into the house, I automatically take the headset and place it on top of its cradle so it is always charged.

The initial charge was a few hours and the length of time to typically charge the device depends on usage. It just is not a concern while at home and in fact, while on the road, it is also not a concern.

Charging Case/ Carrying Solution

In addition to the desktop cradle, Motorola has supplied a second solution that not only protects your device when not in use but also provides a charging solution while on the go. Included in the package is another very slick charging solution. It is a covered case with a removable top that serves as a means to protect your device if you choose not to wear it. In addition, the carrying case has a built-in charger that allows you to leave the device in the case and plug it in to the AC adapter. The device charges the same as the desktop charger providing you with a headset that can always be at peak performance.

The flexible earloop will rotate allowing you to place the cover on the portable charger with  the device neatly tucked inside.

I think Motorola missed an opportunity to give a complete solution for charging because there was only one AC Charger included. It would have been perfect if there was a DC car charger included to attach to the portable charging case while driving. I’m not sure if you have a micro USB cable if it would allow for charging if plugged into your PC’s USB port …. That is something that if it is possible to charge that way also should have been included.

AC Charger/ Extra ear buds, Quick Start Manual

Not much to say about the AC charger other than it is a micro USB charger that is light weight and has a decent length cord ( > six feet) for spanning the distance from a wall outlet to your desk. There are three different sized earbuds (small, medium, large) and judging from the fit on the one I am using, I would expect they would satisfy everyone’s comfort factors.

The Quick Start manual is a foldable sheet with one side describing how to Charge, Start, Pair and finally use your headset. It was amazingly simple and literally took seconds before it could be used for the first time.

The back side of the manual describes turning the device on/off, ear cushions, how to wear and adjust the headset earhook and a very cool means of checking the battery level. There are three levels of remaining battery power that can be displayed allowing you the opportunity to plan for charging. How many devices have that feature?

In addition, there is a description of functions about making, receiving, ending, redialing and rejecting calls as well as descriptions on the indicator light functions and audible audio tones.

The Pairing

I chose to use two devices for this review (AT&T/Cingular 8525 and Verizon Motorola Q9m). The initial pairing was a piece of cake. Turning on the device, it was immediately in pairing mode where I quickly had my 8525 discover it, entered the PIN key of “0000” and it was working. It was that simple! I immediately made a few calls and was pleased to see that I was able to use the call button to start Voice Command (although I did need to speak into the handset mic for it to understand my commands). The headset worked well so I turned off the H12 and shut off Bluetooth on the 8525.

I enabled Bluetooth on my Q9m, turned on the H12 and again it was in pairing mode. I did a discovery, chose the H12, entered the PIN and I was chatting on the H12 again via my Q9m. I was really pleased with the speed of the pairing process.

So, could I get back on the 8525 easily? I turned off the H12 and turned off Bluetooth on the Q9m. As soon as I enabled Bluetooth on the 8525 and turned on the H12, within a few seconds it recognized that the 8525 was there and connected. I did this test several times and each time it was flawless … if it has a partnership with a device, it finds it!

Of course, turning off the H12 and then turning it back on again at a later time, it would always find the previous device it was connected to and would connect immediately.

How does it perform?

So you have the description and I am sure that you liked what you saw. I know I did which is why I wanted to try it out. Was the experience going to be good and if so, just how good.

My initial experience brought what I considered “mixed” results. I made several phone calls and although the volume on my end was extraordinary, I did not think the clarity was a smooth as it should have been. It definitely has a “scratchy” sound yet the volume is incredibly good so hearing a call in a noisy environment or while driving has not been an issue. I am surprised though that the call quality is not better however especially with the CrystalTalk Technology that Motorola has incorporated in the device.

Most of the folks that I chatted with said that my voice was excellent on their end with an occasional person indicating that I sounded as if I was in a huge room. I’m not sure if the battery level had anything to do with clarity but I never got a complaint when I was on a “full charge”.

I was pleased with the ability for people to hear me on the other end when I was in a loud environment. Although they could hear the background noises, they indicated that they were able to hear every word I said. I did a test by calling my answering machine while in a very noisy machine shop. I left a message and when I returned to listen, I could hear every word I said (as well as the machines running in the background).

For the purposes of this review, I paired the H12 with my 8525 Pocket PC phone and Q9m smartphone. I was incredibly pleased at how well it would connect with either device. If I used the Q9m on one day then switched to the 8525 the next day, when I turned on the headset it would see that the previous device was not there, go out and poll for devices and would connect to the 8525. Of course if I shut it off and then turned it on again the next day, it would immediately connect to the last device as long as it was present.

All too often a device will not connect this easily and this one aspect is huge for me especially since I continually change devices.

Conclusion

I have tested well over 25 headsets in the past few years and have only found a few that are worth taking the time and effort to write a review about and ultimately recommend. The MOTOPURE H12 is one of those devices. Although the sound quality is not as great as I would have expected, there are other over-riding features that counter this aspect such as the great profile, the multiple charging solutions, and a dedicated on-off switch which is a fabulous feature.

Are there better noise canceling headsets out there? Yes, most definitely but they are just not as comfortable to wear all day as the MOTOPURE H12. So for me, I can live with the not so perfect sound quality because the other features far outweigh the features on competitor devices.

PROS:

Diminutive size

Two charging solutions

Dedicated On/Off switch

Ease of setup and use

Connection between multiple devices was easy

CONS:

Scratchy sound

Noise canceling feature is not as good as you would expect

No DC charger included

COST: $119.99 (MSRP)

(A little searching on the net can yield some very good prices less than $80)

RATING: 4.2 out of 5

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