7 Best Bluetooth Headsets For iPhone.
The line between Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth headsets has indeed become quite blurred. Nearly every Bluetooth headset for iPhone has a built-in microphone and allows you to answer calls. The advent of true wireless earbuds, in which each earbud is completely independent, further pollutes the water as in a pinch you can use one earbud as a headset.
However, there is still a place for the traditional (and often derided) dedicated Bluetooth phone headset, and we’re going to review the best Bluetooth headsets for the iPhone.
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Why use headphones over headphones?
Bluetooth headsets have several advantages over simple headphones. First, they are much cheaper. Secondly, they allow you to hear the world around you, often even a headset is installed on the side. Finally, they are designed from the ground up for phone calls.
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This means better clarity, better microphones, and much longer standby and talk times. Whether you need to talk a lot on the phone or spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel, a Bluetooth headset for iPhone like the ones highlighted below is the perfect tool to get the job done.
Plantronics Voyager 5200-UC package for Bluetooth headphones
This package from Plantronics is the perfect choice for people who travel a lot and want to use their headset at home or in the office on their desktop. The supplied travel charger case also doubles as a charging stand. The system comes with a wall charger, and the headset has a sensor that will answer a call as soon as you put it on. When you think about it, this is a really great way to use one of these headsets.
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It has multi-layer noise cancellation, so using it outdoors or in noisy environments shouldn’t be a problem. When fully charged, the headset is rated for 7 hours of talk time and 9 hours of standby time. The charging case extends the talk time by another 14 hours.
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The last feature of Voyager that caught my eye is its wide compatibility with various smartphone apps. Such as Cisco Jabber, GoToMeeting and Skype and many others. This allows you to stick with whichever app you like the most, instead of being forced to be tied to a specific manufacturer.
Mpow EM16 V5.0 Mini Bluetooth Earbud
One of the biggest complaints people have always had when it comes to Bluetooth headsets is how intrusive they are. It seems that looking like a Borg member from Star Trek doesn’t seem to appeal to so many people.
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That’s why the Mpow EM16 deserves to be on this list. If you want a hands-free Bluetooth headset that also doesn’t scream “yuppies of Wall Street,” the EM16 might be your ticket. It is small enough to fit in the inside of your ear. It’s even more compact than a regular wireless earbud!
The EM16 is designed to fit in any ear with the same comfort. There are silicone tips in three sizes and one memory foam that should be versatile. Despite its compact size, the EM16 is rated for eight hours of talk time, has active noise cancellation for clear conversations, and is IPX4 water resistant. The best part may very well be the price, as this tiny wonder sells for a very reasonable under $ 30 mark.
New Bee Bluetooth Earpiece V5.0
Is New Bee a game for beginners? We’ll probably never know, but it was this Bluetooth headset that got our radar attention due to how popular it is on Amazon. Part of this popularity is due to its insanely low price tag, but thousands of people wouldn’t rate the New Bee as highly if it were at least indecent to use.
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Offered in three colors (although we can’t recommend gold), this headset has respectable specs considering it’s budget oriented. In fact, with 24 hours talk time and 60 days standby time, this seems impossible.
However, the real user experience confirms the long battery life and good call quality. If you want an inexpensive bluetooth headset for your iPhone that’s always ready when you need it, there seems to be little reason not to choose New Bee.
AMINY UFO Bluetooth Headset
Aminy UFO is another very inexpensive public favorite that immediately makes you wonder what kind of magic is going on here to make so many people happy.
Talk time is decent – the claimed 8 hours, but it looks like the long-term comfort of the headset is something that really captivated most buyers. It distributes the weight of the earbud to three separate support points, which reduces stress for the whole day.
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Another innovation is the use of removable battery modules. Here, one for the left ear and one for the right ear. So if you don’t mind swapping ears, you can tease in just 16 hours from two fully charged batteries. Placing the battery behind your ear is another way the Aminy UFO tries to improve comfort.
The final piece of the puzzle is call quality, which again is surprisingly frequent praise for it. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a Bluetooth headset but may need to wear it for a long time, the UFO might be a good choice for you.
Plantronics Explorer 110
Unsurprisingly, there is another Plantronics headset on the list considering they are a giant in the market, but the Explorer 110 is a very different animal than the Voyager.
This is a premium compact headset with (in our opinion) a fantastic design. It also comes with an air vent clip holder, which is a very smart idea. This means you don’t have to wear the earbud all the time, but you can get to it quickly and safely while driving.
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It can also hold its charge for up to 6 months, so if you’re not actively using it and just throw it in the storage compartment, it’s ready to go the day you suddenly need it. Talk time is estimated at seven hours, which is average, but the audio and microphone clarity is reported to be a notch higher than the average cheap headset.
The bottom line is this premium Bluetooth headset for iPhone will look great in any car, sound good with just about any content, and won’t make you look like a nerd when you’re wearing it.
Aftershokz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones
At first, turning on a stereo headset like the Titanium might seem like a hoax. However, it does check the same boxes as the Bluetooth headset. Most importantly, you can wear it without cutting yourself off from the world around you.
You see, these are bone conduction headphones. They do not fit into the ears at all and do not wear them. Instead, they send sound directly to your middle ear through the bones of your skull. This allows sounds from the outside world to enter your ears normally.
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We’ve been using Aftershockz products over the years and it’s truly amazing technology. While the sound quality and aspects such as bass are not up to par with traditional headphones, it is surprisingly good. They are mainly marketed as a way to safely jog or cycle while listening to music or listening to navigation prompts, but they also do a great job of answering calls while keeping your hands free.
So they’re great for work where you need to hear everyone but don’t want your sound to bother others. All in all a very neat gadget!
Apple AirPods Pro
Okay, now we’re probably cheating for real. Aren’t Apple’s own AirPods Pro just wireless Bluetooth headphones? Well yes. Also no.
Thanks to Apple’s fantastic Transparency Mode, you can easily hear what is happening around you while you use your AirPods Pro. Alternatively, you can simply use just one device. The other will remain off in the charging case. Both devices have microphones, so either will work.
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The greatness here comes from the choices you have as you can instantly switch from transparent mode to noise canceling mode. You also get the best iPhone integration imaginable, and enjoy virtually lag-free audio.
The only real drawback is the limited playback time of 4.5 hours. But if you don’t mind switching between the left and right unit throughout the day, you get a total of 24 hours through the charging case. So it’s good as a last resort!
“The ear,” the ear!
Any of these Bluetooth headsets will make a great addition to your iPhone, but we’d love to hear your own suggestions in the comments below as well. Why are you looking for a headset and people look at you funny when you are clearly talking to yourself?
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