Jawbone Bluetooth

Rating: (4.5 / 5)

I got the new Jawbone Bluetooth earpiece in black. It’s a really sleek design that’s about half the size of the one I got last year so it’s easier to carry. One thing I’ve always like about the Jawbone is how well they pair with my devices. I had a Motorola bluetooth before and I just hated it because it would never stay paired with my phone, and it kept dropping calls. But my Jawbones have always been really solid when it comes to connecting and staying connected.

I tested this one in several conditions including outside in very high winds. I compared it directly with the previous version, and a couple people said that I sounded much better than I did on the old device. So, this new model actually does have better noise cancelling than the older model. Also, they’ve taken away the little talk button on the side and hidden it underneath…to activate it you just press anywhere on the side and it pushes the button. This is the one feature that would keep me away from this device. Not only did I like the tiny button from before, but I especially don’t like this design. By exposing the entire face of the Jawbone as a button, I’ve hung up on more people trying to adjust my earpiece a little and accidentally hitting the button. The device is small enough that it’s hard to get a really firm grasp on it to bury into your ear without pressing down on the front. I think the previous design actually gave you some place to grab when you needed to make an adjustment.

That said, the hook that goes over your ear slips on much easier than the last model. Even after a year of owning the other one I still had trouble getting it on in time to answer my phone. But with this one, it slips right on with no problems, and I typically don’t have any problems with it falling off. It just slides out of my ear now and then and needs to be adjusted. And that’s typically when I hang up on my caller. However, it comes with different size earbuds, and different ear hooks so it should be able to fit just about anybody.

I did some durability testing as well. I kept it in my back pocket for an entire day and just forgot about it. I sat on it for hours, leaned up against walls. I even put a steak in the back of my pants and let my dog go to town (ok, just kidding). I dropped it a few times as well. And it seems to have weathered the storms pretty well. It’s no worse for the wear and nobody noticed any drop in sound quality.

The Bottom Line: I love this device for how easy it is to get on and off and how well it pairs and stays paired. It connects very well to my phones and the sound on a clear day is very crisp. They seem to have made some progress with their noise cancellation technology so that it sounds less mechanical under windy conditions. And the only thing I really don’t like about it is the new button design that forces me to hang up on people when I adjust my ear piece a little. However, that’s a small point and I can live with that. I’ve always been a fan of Jawbone and I still am. This is a solid device and you won’t be disappointed.