Setting Up The Headset

Bluetake's BT400 G5 can be worn on either ear quite comfortably, but rotating the ear hook to change its direction is difficult. Even if you opt to follow Bluetake's directions in the user guide, it may feel like the ear hook is ready to break off the headset. Once the direction of the ear hook is set for the ear you'd prefer to use, the headset is easy to place securely on and off your ear.

Battery Life and Charging

You must charge the BT400 G5 for a relatively short two hours before using it the first time. The headset's LED indicator will light up red while it is charging then blue when it is adequately charged.

The single prong for the charger that connects to the BT400 G5 is on the small side, and seems like it may wear out, or lose connection, more quickly than other charger prongs on the market.

When the headset is on, whether you're using it or not, the LED indicator will blink blue about every 5 or 6 seconds. It will begin blinking red when it needs to be recharged.

The BT400 G5 did not get the advertised five hours of talk time during tests without losing contact with the phone or failing to connect with it. The headset failed to connect after two days without charging. The company advertises 10 days of standby time.

The BT400 G5 has a built-in, Lithium-Polymer battery, which will require more recharging time the more you use the headset. In time it will wear down permanently, and the battery is not replaceable -- another disadvantage compared to some other headsets.

Style and Comfort

Again, comfort is the BT400 G5's greatest strength. Even though the headset is large at 82 mm long and 53 mm wide, and on the heavy side at 20 grams, I could barely feel it on either ear. The headset will not come off or move out of place when you're in motion. I tested this by briskly shaking my head with the headset on my ear; it did not budge.

However, it is nearly impossible to find the headset's two, main functional buttons while it is on the ear, because the BT400 G5 has eight ridges that resemble buttons on its face. The middle ridge is the LED indicator, so at least it has utility, but five useless ridges make it difficult to find the "power/mute" and "talk/transfer" buttons. Besides making for a confusing tactile experience, the ridges also make the BT400 G5 less aesthetically pleasing than other headsets I've seen.

Unfortunately, the difficult-to-find buttons also bring about the uncomfortable aspect of the headset. While pressing all the ridges to find the "talk/transfer" button, the headset dug into my temple. Even when I found the "talk/transfer" button and pressed it to start a new call, the same issue came up.

On the bright side, the headset is comfortable to wear for an extended period of time. In addition, I wear glasses, and the headset did not interfere with my frames.

Pairing

Consumers with the following mobile phones may feel more secure buying the BT400 G5, because Bluetake has tested them with its headset: Ericsson T68, Sony Ericsson T68i, Sony Ericsson T610/T616/T618, Sony Ericsson T630/T637/T628, Sony Ericsson P800/P802, Sony Ericsson P900/P908, Sony Ericsson S700, Nokia 6310, Nokia 7610, Nokia N-Gage and Motorola E398.

I tested the BT400 G5 with Motorola's RAZR V3c Bluetooth cell phone. While the RAZR V3c is not one of the phones Bluetake tested with its device, the company says that any phone that supports Bluetooth headsets will work.

Pairing with my RAZR V3c seemed like a relatively difficult process on its own accord, though Bluetake's directions in the headset's user manual are specific and easy to follow. Make sure the headset is turned off, then press and hold down the "power/mute" button for seven seconds until the LED indicator starts to blink red and blue. Release the button and follow the directions that came with your Bluetooth mobile phone to pair it with the headset. Select the BT400 G5 from the list of available Bluetooth headsets on your phone. The phone will prompt you to enter a security code, which you can find in your user manual. When the pairing process is complete, the LED indicator will blink blue.

The BT400 G5 fails in its ability to pair with a mobile phone too. It took me two times to pair the headset correctly, while following the directions properly. It was impossible to pair the headset with my phone without reading the directions, which some people might like. I prefer products that are intuitive.

The headset also lost connection with the phone frequently and without reason. Sometimes pushing the "talk/transfer" button reconnected the devices, sometimes it didn't.

Next