Product Review: BlueAnt Q1 Bluetooth
by Antonio Wells
Apr 13, 2010 3:10 PM –
BlueAnt Q1 Bluetooth earpiece is light weight and offers clear audio from Bluetooth enabled phones. Our evaluation was paired with Google’s Nexus One smartphone.
Call Quality
Call quality is superior for both speaker and more important for the listener. In field tests I asked the call listener if they could tell if I was wearing a Bluetooth and they said “No, if you wouldn’t have told me that I would have assumed you were on the phone’s mic”.
It does not spill sound outside the earpiece. I personally hate those Bluetooth’s where everyone in the car can hear your conversation.
Wind speak was affected so I would not recommend purposely using while driving with the top down or all window open. However there are only a few devices to date that can completely suppress wind on Bluetooth.
Design
The product design is sexy and stylish; smooth charcoal color brushed steel look completed by the unique flashing blue ant representing connectivity. The in-ear cushion is soft, comfortable and not too big. The ear support is thin and light which can be adjusted for left or right ear.
“Your Phone is Connected”
Unlike other Bluetooth ear pieces I’ve dealt with in the past I had to read the user manual to get the pairing code, then manually pair in the settings menu on the phone; the Q1 automatically took care of that just by turning it on the first time. Granted the fact I already had and Bluetooth earpiece paired, the ease and convenience at which the device paired was uncanny. Mind you this was a few days before BlueAnt debuted their Q1 Android Application for pairing ease.
Voice Command Features
Features handsome male voice over instructions. To get started simply press the blue ant button on the earpiece and say “Teach Me”; which will instruct what audible voice commands can be said to the earpiece. Commands include: “Am I Connected”, “Call Back”, “Call Speed Dial 1-8″, “Check Battery”, and can be instructed to call BlueAnt’s toll free customer service.
Additional Features
If the Q1 Android app is installed SMS text messages can be read in-ear displaying a popup on the phone to read. However there are some quirks as text is read by Android’s default speech engine versus the voice heard in voice commands, read full Android app review.
It plays music in-ear, great for listening to music while you work and don’t have earbuds.
When you are out of range with your phone or Bluetooth becomes disconnected it alerts you in-ear. Another feature I found annoying at first but grew to like it was the audible alert of “Call Disconnected” every time a call completed;
The Cons
You cannot instruct the earpiece to call a contact by name or number. However there are other Android apps used in conjunction with the earpiece that can. See Choice Dialer for range of voice command options like calling, scheduling calendar, etc. and Drivesafe.ly for replying to text via voice while driving.
Verdict: Buy It or Not?!?
Overall the Bluetooth is superior in call audio quality, easy to pair with Bluetooth enabled phones, packs a small bonus for Android 2+ phones with app, and priced at $99 on BlueAnt’s website and as low as $61 in a scan with CNET Scan & Shop. We say Buy It! The convenience, quality and distraction savings while driving it offers far out weigh the price.