Jawbone has just launched the first Bluetooth headset with a built in accelerometer that enables the wearer to shake the headset to initiate pairing with a mobile phone, and tap tap the headset to answer or end a call. In addition to the new motion sensing technology, the Jawbone ERA also has a 25% larger wideband speaker that claims to offer HD audio for improved call quality, music and game audio. This headset is available now online and at Apple Stores, AT&T and Best Buy stores on Sunday, January 23 for $129.
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Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a good idea, but people already think I’m crazy walking around talking to nobody, Now I’ll be walking around talking and shaking my head.
…”Stay away from that man junior, he’s special”
This sounds like an expensive, complex solution looking for a problem. How is tap-tap or head shaking any better than a nice, responsive, easily-clickable button ? If anything, I think it replaces the surety of button presses with the ambiguity of “did that movement get registered and recognized correctly ?”.
For having tried it, the functionalities of the headset are great and it charges quick, but in the end it wasn’t for me. This is the second Jawbone headset I’ve tried (the first being the Jawbone 2 a couple years back) and it’s the second I return for the same reason : the earhook and the voice activation sensor. Jawbone’s noise cancellation technology, Noise Assassin, relies on the fact that this sensor touches your cheek — your jaw bone — to separate your voice from the ambiant noise. Thing is, with the ear hook being so flimsy and the shape of my ear, it practically never touched my cheek, so out goes the Noise Assassin argument. I’ve heard a lot of people talk of having custom made ear buds so it would fit properly. Sorry. I just spent 120$ CAD on this thing, I’m not spending an extra 60$ to have something made that should’ve been right in the first place. Going back to Blue Ant (had the Z9i, now going to Q2).
I just got my hands on the Jawbone Prime actually (my first dabble into bluetooth headsets!). There aren’t too many places that sell them in the UK anymore so I went through these guys. I have to say it’s a pretty nice piece of kit. The design is pretty classy and I love the noise cancellation.
I might upgrade to the Era at some point though, as my daughter has her eye on this one lol… I’m wondering if it really is a step up from the Prime or if I should just stick to what I know…