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Functions
Like many of the newer Bluetooth headsets out these days, the Flamingo Bluetooth headset uses one multifunction control button and two volume buttons for all of its functions. This keeps things simple and intuitive.
All the better for the Flamingo, the three buttons are in logical locations and cannot be confused for each other when the headset is attached to an ear. The multifunction button is at the end of the headset next to the microphone, an easy to find location. The volume buttons are on the back of the headset in an area where they wouldn’t be pressed accidentally.
With the multifunction button, users can place and receive a call and initiate voice-activated dialing. The volume up and volume down buttons work well and for other purposes, too. Users can long press the volume up and down buttons simultaneously to mute the headset during a call or redial the last number with the same action when a call is not on the phone. Hold volume up for a long time to transfer a call back to the phone.
Sound Quality
For a headset that doesn’t have a noise cancellation microphone, at least according to its packaging and instruction manual, the Flamingo Bluetooth headset sounds pretty good. The person on the other end of the phone will come through intelligibly and so will the Flamingo user’s voice to the person on the other end of the phone. It’s a great headset for the car.
However, there is a distortion in both voices in the conversation that can be described as static. There is no static in the background, only in the voice of either person talking. Also, if the Flamingo user is any distance from his or her phone, a crackling noise will result, which is a sign of the device’s poor range.
In addition, any background noise at all will go through the headset to the person on the other end. I could not cook or wash dishes while I was using it. Outside, wind became a factor rather quickly and the Flamingo’s foam windbreaker leaves a lot to be desired.
The windbreaker is made out of the same unattractive and uncomfortable material old headphone covers used to be made of. It’s difficult to put on the headset on its own and even more difficult to attach it to the lanyard. It works to some degree, but not like a noise cancellation microphone. It is not something a user would want to have to put on and take off the device, because it is time consuming.
Range
CellPoint Connect advertises a 30-foot range for the Flamingo Bluetooth headset, but the range only checks out as the distance that the headset will stay connected to a phone. After about 10 feet from a phone, the person on the other end is pretty much unintelligible. Even if the device is on the opposite ear from the pocket where the phone it’s connected to lays, a crackling noise results. On its Web site, CellPoint recommends keeping your mobile phone on the same side of your body as the headset.
Conclusion
CellPoint Connect’s Flamingo Bluetooth headset looks great, feels great and sounds pretty good. It is certainly worth the money that the company wants shoppers to pay. Consumers may consider waiting for a new version that has a noise-canceling microphone and ditches the windbreaker, but if they intend to use the headset for driving, it’s a winner.
The Flamingo’s EarClick technology is fabulously comfortable and works really well to keep the device secure in the ear. The sleek design of the device also makes it comfortable to wear. Users can have very intelligible conversations using the headset so long as their phone is close by.
Pros
- Sleek design, very comfortable to wear.
- Sound quality is pretty good.
- EarClick technology keeps headset securely in the ear.
- Good price.
- Easy to use with intuitive, well-placed buttons.
Cons
- Poor range results in crackling noise with distance from phone.
- Average battery life and less than okay recharging design.
- Lacks adequate noise cancellation technologies.
By Andrew J. Manuse, of “For the Eyes of the Beholder,” a Manuse Media Company Web site.
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