Callpod Dragon Bluetooth Headset Review
Posted by Steve Laser on 05/29/08 in Headsets, Mobilitysite Reviews, Wifi / Bluetooth
In 2005 the City of Chicago banned cellphone use while driving. The fines are between $75 and $200. Bluetooth sales have skyrocketed in the Windy City since then.
Most Bluetooth devices are categorized as Class 2, meaning they have a range of about 10 meters, or 30 feet. This is perfect for automobile use, but if you use your phone in a home or office, 30 feet may not be enough distance. Callpod’s Dragon is a Class 1 bluetooth device and has a range of up to 100 meters, or 328 feet. In addition, it contains dual microphone noise suppression, the ability to simultaneously connect to a phone and computer, up to 8 hours call time, and a walkie talkie feature that will work with other Dragons.
In the Box
The Dragon comes in a beautiful display and is packed with goodies.
The Dragon comes with two sizes of ear hooks, a USB cable that will plug into a computer, car charger or wall charger, instructions and a nice carry case.
Getting Started
The Dragon has several charging options and charged up in just a few hours. I paired it with a Nextel i580 and a Blackberry Curve with ease. The first time you turn it on it automatically goes into pairing mode. This device has some features that make it unique. It has a circular, hockey puck shape with two tiny microphones. The volume control is a rocker switch that moves up and down, and doubles as the power button when pressed in.
The photo above shows the dual microphone design, rocker switch / power button, USB port and Multifunction button.
The underside features a unique design as well. The Dragon’s speaker is designed to rest inside of your ear, whereas most bluetooth devices have speakers that rest over your ear.
Comfort
Comfort is paramount when you wear a headset for several hours per day. The Dragon is rather large at 1.25″ x 2.16″ x 2.25″ and 9 oz. By comparison, my Motorola H700 measures .66″ x 1.69″ x 1.06 and weighs a svelte 5 oz. Of course, there’s a trade off between unit size and battery size. The smaller the unit, the less room for battery.
You have a choice between two earhooks, which I found to be a bit on the stiff side. It is not very easy to insert the device because the earpiece actually goes into your ear. However, once in, it fits rather snugly. I found it comfortable to wear, but my wife, who has smaller ears, felt it was a tad heavy and the earhook / earpiece combo was slightly inflexible.
Ease of Use
The Multifunction button acts as you would expect, answering and ending calls, switching lines etc. It was very easy to use and learn. The range was far better than Class 2 headsets as well. I experienced good reception up to a little under 100 feet outdoors. It may not be as good as the 328 foot spec will have you expect, but those measurements are done under ideal circumstances. I think of it like the gas mileage estimates on new cars. You never get anywhere near that good mileage.
I also tested it while driving. The incoming sound is decent, and when I blasted the stereo it managed to suppress much, though not all the noise, so my wife could still hear me. The wind was another matter, however. When I opened the window at highway speeds she couldn’t hear me at all, but then I couldn’t even hear myself.
Outgoing sound was slightly less impressive. Listeners reported that I sounded like I had a cold, though they heard me fine.
The walkie talkie functionality can be useful when you have three kids at a large park and your wife has one of them with her at one end, and you are at the other end chasing down the other two. The Dragon features full duplexing, meaning two people can speak at the same time. We experienced much better call distance with this feature. I could hear my wife at about 250 feet before static became too loud.
Talk Time
I have to admit that I didn’t run out of talk time. This unit’s battery lasts a long time, and I didn’t have the patience to stay on the phone that long. Since you can charge it in your car, the wall outlet or a computer’s USB port, I never had a battery issue. It’s rated at 8 hours of talk time, and I bet it would come darn close to that.
Conclusion
The Dragon sports incredible range, unique features and different styling that set it apart from the rest of the pack. It comes in three colors, Titanium Silver, Black Chrome and Carbon Fiber and sells for $99.95 at the Callpod Website.
Pros
Great range
Good comfort
Many charging options
Cons
Outgoing sound
Size
Specs
General
- Product Type
- Headset - Bluetooth 2.0, Wireless bluetooth earphone
- Width
- 2.6 in
- Height
- 2.2 in
- Weight
- 0.9 oz
- Recommended Use
- PDA, PC multimedia, Cellular phone
- Additional Features
- Bluetooth, Upgradeable firmware
Headphones
- Headphones Type
- Headphone - Monaural
- Headphones Form Factor
- Over-the-ear
- Headphones Technology
- Dynamic
- Connectivity Technology
- Wireless - Bluetooth 2.0
- Bluetooth Profiles
- Headset Profile (HSP), Hands Free Profile (HFP)
- Active Noise Canceling
- Yes
Microphone
- Type
- Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type
- 1 x USB
Power
- Battery
- Headset battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion
- Run Time (Up To)
- 8 hour(s)
- Standby Time
- 300 hour
We will announce a contest to give away two of these units! Keep your eyes open.
Written by Steve Laser · Filed Under Headsets, Mobilitysite Reviews, Wifi / Bluetooth
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Great review, Steve. I liked your real-world park scenario, too. ;-) So in your estimation the noise/wind cancellation feature somewhat lacking in this model?