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Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset (Black or Blue and Grey)[Bulk Packaged]  | ![Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset (Black or Blue and Grey)[Bulk Packaged]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31lEyesioIL._SL160_.jpg)
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| Brand: Motorola
Category: Wireless
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $23.69
You Save: $76.30 (76%)
New (2) from $23.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  911 reviews
Media: Wireless Phone Accessory
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 2.5 x 2.2 x 0.8
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 98656
Model: HS850
UPC: 723755986565
EAN: 0940356011957
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Bluetooth wireless technology means that the sheer convenience of hands-free communication is enhanced with total freedom of movement. | | • | Unfold the boom microphone, place the headset over the ear and a link will be established automatically. | | • | This universal accessory encourages users to update, change and evolve because it is compatible with all other 1.1 compliant Bluetooth wireless technology phones by Motorola and other manufacturers. | | • | Smaller Size, Bigger Power. This tiny powerhouse is less than 5 cm in diameter when folded and weighs just 20 grams. | | • | Increased talk time of up to 8 hours and standby time of up to 200 hours. |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Motorola Wireless Headset HS850 stores information from the device or devices with which it has been paired (device ID, etc.). Motorola headsets can be paired with up to seven devices. Wirelessly interacts with Bluetooth 1.2 compliant devices, including handsets, PDAs and computers.
Amazon.com Hands-On Review
The Motorola HS850 is the company's update to their HS810 headset, one of my personal favorites. The changes made to produce the new HS850 are few, but the effect is relatively substantial. But first, let's start with what is the same. Like the HS810, the HS850 makes use of a body design that employs a folding microphone boom. The folding microphone boom acts as the on and off switch, as well as just providing a convenient way to make the headset smaller and more pocketable when not in use. When a call comes into your phone, you can turn on and answer the phone at the same time just by unfolding the microphone boom. You can end the call and turn it off by removing the headset and re-folding it. Using the headset in this way conserves battery power, since no battery juice is wasted on standby time - time where the headset sits around waiting to be contacted by a mobile phone or other compatible device. The physical design of the HS850 and the battery savings it imparts is my favorite aspect of the Motorola HS850. Of course you don't have to remove and turn off the headset between calls. If the headset is already on when an inbound call comes, you will hear the ringing come through on the headset and can answer it by pressing on the main multi-function call control button. You can end the call with this same button, and adjust volume levels with the two volume buttons. If you are using a phone that supports the Hands Free Bluetooth profile, then you can also use the call control button to reject an inbound call or redial the last number. The HS850's audio properties are also like those of the HS810 before it. The audio quality in both directions is very clear and understandable, but sounds a bit thin. You and the party on the other end of the call will both be able to understand each other easily, it just doesn't sound as full and natural as it might with some other headsets. The HS850 makes up for this small lacking by having great resistance to wind noise, though. That makes the headset perfect for people that enjoy driving with their windows down, or those that work outside. Most headsets are very susceptible to wind noise, the HS850 bucks that trend. And now for the new stuff. First up, a more powerful battery. The HS850 I tested managed an amazing 7 hours and 50 minutes of talk time. That is a full two thirds improvement over the older model. The truly amazing part is that this new battery life didn't come at the expense of added weight. Like the HS810 before it, the HS850 weighs only .7oz (19.9g). The next major change perhaps sounds more important than it worked out to be in reality. The HS850 supports the newer Bluetooth v1.2 spec, whereas most headsets support v1.1 only. Motorola claims that when used with a v1.2 compatible phone (there are still relatively few available at the time I write this), the HS850 will be able to connect faster, use less battery power, and offer improved audio quality. While I can see what appears to be a slight improvement in connection speed, I haven't really noticed much of a change in battery life or audio quality. The last major change is purely cosmetic. The new HS850 headset is blue-gray in color, like a darker version of the HS810's color. I find it more attractive than the light silver found on the HS810. But regardless of the color, you can't go wrong with Motorola's HS850, which I consider to be perhaps the best value on the market. --Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com Pros:
- Small, light
- Comfortable
- Nearly 8 hours of talk time
- No wind noise
- Can be worn on both ears
Cons:
- A bit unusual looking
- Audio lacks bass
What's in the box: Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset, User Manual, and Quick Start Guide.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 906 more reviews...
 Great Headset! April 13, 2005
262 out of 266 found this review helpful
Awesome sound quality, battery life, and range.
I can leave my phone in my bedroom, and still make and receive calls on this headset twenty-five - thirty feet away IN MY LIVING ROOM!! Amazing.
Pairing was as snap on a Motorola V80, and my PC, but other phones may be different.
The only drawback I find, as I did on the HS820 review, is that my phone reverts to a default ring for both voice & messages, so the cool MP3 ringtones are useless when using the headset :(
Ear fit is on par with the HS820 as well. It flaps around your ear sometimes and it feels like it's going to fall off, but it doesn't, and it also fits well when wearing sunglasses.
The battery life is unprecedented. Probably the best on the market as of this writing.
Audio quality:
The sound quality is unequaled. The party on the other end of the line will never know you're on a headset, calls are clear and they sound like a wired phone/headset. The caveat is that in windy conditions, it will be impossible to use, but so will be a wired headset, so there's no way around that situation.
The headset functions w/o any issues almost all the time, except in a couple of instances when, if the phone is answered first, and the headset is turned on afterwards, I've encountered a very loud static noise, which would go away when folding the boom and extending again thereby turning off and back on.
A couple of times I've lost calls and had to revert back to using the phone, but that may have been due to external RF since it only happened twice in a three week period.
Fit and finish:
Motorola has a winner here. The look is stylish, and fit and finish is first class.
Size:
This unit is bigger (longer) than the HS820, since it incorporates a boom, which, when extended, increases the overall lenght to 3.3 inches long, making it more noticeable then other integrated units. It also feels slightly heavier, but not by much.
To it's credit, the boom doubles as a on/off switch, making it a no brainer figuring out the unit's state: folded=off and extended=on
Accessories included:
I was surprised that the U.S. version does not come with the leather carry holster and lanyard like the European version does.
Tried to shop for an replacement Motorola holster online and THERE AREN'T ANY, not even replacements for the HS810 which does include the holster.
Also, the U.S charger is noticeably larger then it's European counterpart (Hello Moto, anyone home?).
A USB charger would also have been nicer than a regular AC adapter, specially when traveling, since all one would have to do is plug into a laptop if the battery is running low.
To recap:
Pros:
Easy one-button function
Fit/Finish
Stylish
Battery Life
Call quality
Range
Cons:
Size
Overrides phone's customized rings
Ear fit may prove too loose for smaller ears
No holster provided
No USB charger
 It'll have to do for now July 11, 2005
79 out of 83 found this review helpful
I just picked up my first bluetooth phone, and was looking forward to a wireless headset. My last headset was an [...], which gave exceptional noise isolation, and very clear reception and transmission, even in the noisiest of environments. It was just a hassle to leave the wire hanging, and wasn't easy to get it hooked up from scratch for a call, so I wound up using it a lot only in the car or on long calls. But its exceptional performance left me with high expectations.
I started with a Sony HSH660 (which I reviewed) but it rubbed on the back of my ear and left it hurting. It picked up ambient noises in a noisy environment on its mic and created lots of static on the other end, though I could hear very clearly. So I was looking for better fit and clarity in transmission.
The Motorola is lighter, and its thin earpiece fit in a way that was immediately comfortable in a way the Sony wasn't. BUT, the HS850 feels vaguely set on my ear, wobbling back and forth on my ear. In contrast, the Sony felt rock solid. The Motorola never actually fell or moved off my ear, it just felt flimsy. The narrow earpiece that made it less painful made it feel less secure. Still, I think that'd be easier to get used to than an earpiece that hurt.
I went out to a mall and checked out the reception. The ambient noise would show up the quality quickly. Here, the Motorola's mic screened out the ambient noise better, but the people I called said that while there wasn't much background noise, it sounded like I was on a speakerphone. The boom is certainly too short to allow better positioning and noise isolation like the ety. But while the Motorola's transmission was better than the Sony, I had more trouble hearing the Motorola. The Sony earphone seemed much clearer, less prone to static or noise than the Motorola. This certainly surprised me. Rather than a clear winner, it was a trade-off. The verdict is about the same in quiet environments, though it is a little easier to hear on both ends.
The Motorola folded up neatly, and the black unit looks sharp. The blue light that is on when the headset is in use is a nice touch. The unit was easy to set up with my phone, and the swinging boom turns the unit on and off. When a phone call is received, it took no time to open the boom, and by the time I got the headphone on my ear, I could press the on button and receive the call seamlessly. I haven't had a chance to test out the 8 hrs talk time, but others tell me that's accurate. It folds up more compactly than the Sony.
So here's my summary:
Pros:
Extremely light weight
Easy and painless over the ear fit
Blue light shows others you are on a call
Easy hookup with your cellphone
Uses the same adapter as Motorola phones
Cons
Earpiece feels flimsy and not that secure on your ear
No battery level
Mic and earphone quality adequate, but not up to best wired headset standards
I've decided to keep this headset for now. If the Sony headset were comfortable for me it'd be more of a toss-up. There probably aren't any perfect BT headsets yet, but I will certainly be on the lookout for something better
 Love the flip mic May 5, 2006
67 out of 70 found this review helpful
I have been very happy with this headset. I use it with a Motorola RAZR V3.
My last Bluetooth headset was a Jabra, and it broke after just a few months -- the power button quit working, so it was always on until the battery drained.
I love the HS850 since it has no power button! Instead, you just flip it open or closed. It gets great battery life, since it's so easy to put it in standby by flipping it closed.
I have also used this headset successfully with Skype on both Windows and Mac. The only catch is that it can only be active with one device at a time, so you have to disconnect/release it from your cell phone, before you can successfully use it with Windows or Mac. This makes switching back and forth between your PC and phone a bit cumbersome. Of course, it took a couple of hours to get it working under Windows, but it worked first try on the Mac ;-)
Good reception, good range March 29, 2005
32 out of 33 found this review helpful
I've tried a few different headsets (Jabra, Ericsson). This is by far the best reception and most convenient to use.
Pros:
- Good range.. I can place the phone on the kitchen counter and walk around freely up to about 30 feet from the phone and still get good reception.
- Great battery life
- Strong volume and clear reception.. transmission is another matter (see cons)
- Very convenient to use. Once the headset is paired, it's the most convenient of all the headsets to use. When my phone rings, I simply flip open the mic boom. The headset connects to the phone and the phone passes the call to the headset in the time it takes me to bring it to my ear and hook it on. I chose this headset specifically for this feature based on previous experience with bluetooth headsets.
Cons:
- For the flip feature to work, you must keep your bluetooth radio on the phone activated. Although the phone will hibernate the bluetooth radio after a few minutes, it is essentially always on. This consumes battery life on the phone. However this issue remains regardless of the headset you use. If you keep bluetooth readily available on your phone, it will have to be "on".
- Transmission (from earlier)... the biggest con for me is clarity on the transmit side. In a noisy environment (in a car with lots of road noise), the first syllable of your sentence will often cut out. It's as if it takes the headset's firmware half a breath to figure out that your are talking. I am not sure, but it may be related to noise cancellation functionality of the phone.
- Tinny sounding.. but I get this feedback on all bluetooth I have tried. My listeners tell me that I sound tinny or metallic.
- Update (24 June 2005): Something I have just encountered recently... the party with whom I converse tells me they hear an echo. This issue has come up only recently, but in reading another reviewers post, it appears that when the headset volume is increased to maximum there is feedback through the microphone. The other party is in essence hearing themselves speak.
Much better than the Jabra BT800! June 9, 2005
25 out of 26 found this review helpful
I bought the HS850 after trying TWO other BT headsets. One was a "lookalike" version (off-brand)that didn't have as many features (I returned it) and the other was the top-of-the-line Jabra BT800 (which was $50 more than this one, and not as good! I also returned it).
I am very pleased with the features of this headset. I use it with my Motorola V710 phone and the sound quality is just fine. My husband sounded clear to me, and he told me I sounded clear to him. I had two different people tell me they couldn't understand me when I used the Jabra.
I am extremely happy with the folding boom feature to answer a call. This means my headset can remain "off" and my phone will ring AS USUAL when I receive a call. I then just unfold the boom and pop it on my ear! The headset automatically connects to my phone and answers the call! To end the call, I just take it off and fold it back up.
When I used the other two headsets, I had to leave them turned "on" all the time in order to use them, and then, to my dismay, my phone didn't ring! Well, it did ring INSIDE the HEADSET, but since I don't want to walk around wearing the thing, I didn't hear it ring! SO that was a major bummer with the other headsets.
Since the HS850 didn't come with a lanyard to wear around my neck, I just hooked it onto a regular old neck strap that I had used previously to wear a name badge. You can get those things anywhere, they are sometimes used to hang keys on. I used some needle-nosed pliers to squeeze the clip enough to slide on the headset hook. You can bet it won't fall off!
The voice dialing function works as described, I just tap once on the middle button and I hear my phone say "Say a command" and go from there. I haven't learned all the special tapping commands yet, as I haven't needed anything more than voice dial and pick up/hang up a call. I plan to go through my manual a few more times to get familiar with all the other features, but for normal use, you can easily use it from the start.
The charge seems to be good, especially since the headset stays "off" most of the time. I fully charged it before using the first time and the blue LED turns off when the headset is fully charged, so that was nice. I was especially pleased to notice that it has the VERY SAME charger plug/port as my V710, so the car charger that I already have for the phone should work fine for this headset. They also have those "Y" chargers out there for charging both at once.
Also, I find this to be very comfortable to wear on my ear. I do have rather large ears, but it doesn't "cut" into the back of my ear. It is easy to open up the hook and slip into place, and it feels nice and snug when on, it's easy to forget I'm wearing it. And although I don't mind the flashing LED while I'm using it, the manual says you can turn it off by changing the setting for that.
In all, I am very pleased with the design and features/function of this headset! It sure is nice to be free of that old wire "ear bud" I have been using for years!
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