Bluetooth headsets are certainly practical, but not everyone wants to walk around with a clunky device sticking out of his ear. To cut down on hardware size and introduce more smart features to its lineup, Jawbone introduced on Thursday a slim, voice-activated ERA headset.
You probably know Jawbone for its fitness wristband trackers and Jambox speakers, but the company first started in the audio business with earphones. Its latest product launch is in line with its roots and has trimmed the ERA headset down 42% compared to the predecessor, which launched in 2011.
The Bluetooth device comes in four colors — black, silver, brown and red — and several earbud sizes (small, medium and large for the right ear and a medium size for the left). The design is sleek, which is an improvement from most headsets, and aligned with the rest of Jawbone's collection (see below). It features slight ridges on the headset's casing.
It's priced at $129.99 with the charging case and $99.99 for just the headset (and a USB charging cord), now available for purchase at Purchase.com and Verizon — but coming to Apple, AT&T and Best Buy stores in the near future.
The ERA is two inches long in size and delivers about 10 hours of talk time. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with volume control.
Setup for the ERA is almost nonexistent: Download the Jawbone app and sync it with the Era device with the Bluetooth setting on a smartphone.
During a recent testing of the product, audio was extremely clear while making phone calls and watching videos. I made a call on a noisy New York City street, as ambulance sirens and chatter from commuters swarmed around me; to the recipient, though, I was coming in loud and clear. I could still hear the person on the other end amid the noise, too, thanks to Jawbone's NoiseAssassin 4.0 noise cancellation software.
The audio-assistant functionality is also easy and entertaining to use. It worked seamlessly when my smartphone was nearby, promptly making phone calls ("call mom") and telling me directions when asked. (It's compatible with both Siri and Google Now). However, it was slightly less reliable when my phone was in the kitchen and I was in the living room, mostly due to obstacles with getting around the lock screen which would set into place.
Meanwhile, what started as a basic test to see whether I could get through an episode of a streaming TV show turned into a much longer binge session. I was able to still hear conversations around me without ever taking the device out, and it remained comfortable throughout the duration. It was also painless to switch back and forth between music and phone calls via the button.
Following its removal after a few hours, my ear was sensitive for just a few minutes due to the earbud size. I was using a smaller size, but might opt for a larger one in the future so it doesn't sit as snugly.
The ERA also nudges you when the battery is low with audio alerts like "20 minutes of talk time remaining." The voice is soothing and feels almost like a whisper, so hearing these updates from the system are never annoying. Charging the device is simple, too, especially since the accompanying case supplies the power. It snaps into place within the case, but sometimes needs a firm maneuvering to get it in place. My biggest concern was that the tiny ERA would get lost in my bag or jacket pocket, but there are two ways around this: a clasp on the charger case can serve as a keychain, so you'll always know where to find it, and a feature within the app will make the device beep if you can't find it.
The ERA is a strong choice for a Bluetooth headset with its slim form factor, excellent audio quality and features that make using the device a lot of fun.
Image: JAWBONE
