When was the last time you saw someone using a Bluetooth headset in public? Me, it was in New York when a bus driver cut across my path (on foot), accidentally kicked the baby’s buggy and then made a comment about talking to my “insurance”. I’m not sure he was kidding, but it was hard to tell because I was fascinated that he was wearing a Bluetooth headset, in public, and he didn’t seem to care.
Let’s face it, Bluetooth headsets aren’t cool. They aren’t “wearable” in the same way that you can slap on an activity tracker and pass it off as a watch. If you do use a Bluetooth earpiece, chances are it’s only in your car and it’s removed before you ever set foot out of the vehicle. There’s something about spotting one in the wild that makes people stare.
Which made it all the more puzzling when Huawei announced its Talkband last year. The B1 not only functioned as an activity tracker, counting your steps as you passed the day, but it also popped out of the band and doubled up as a Bluetooth earpiece if you wanted to do some hands-free chatting. On the go, like.
It was a gamble, and the reviews of the band were mixed. But it’s a gamble that Huawei wants to try again, because it’s back with version two.
The B2 is an altogether sleeker effort. It still has the pop-out Bluetooth ear piece, but it has been working on its appearance. The Bluetooth piece slides into a metal holder on the silicon band – you can get a leather band if you want to spend a bit more – and can be released at the push of a button (okay, two buttons) when you need to use it for calls.
The good
The redesigned B2 is definitely more visually appealing than its predecessor. There’s some different colour options, but even if you opt for the cheapest silicon strap, you can always change your mind later. The straps are removable, which is good news for the more fashion inclined among us.
The B2 keeps things simple. Swipe through the menus on the touchscreen to pair the device, access the pedometer, see your sleep data or go for a run. It will also show you the calories it thinks you’ve burned, based on the activity level and the information you give it.
As a Bluetooth headset, it does its job. You can hear your conversations clearly, and there are three sizes of earbuds that you can swap over until you find the most comfortable fit. There were some issues with voice quality, but it wasn’t often enough to lay the blame solely at the headset’s door – it could just as easily have been a bad connection.
The not so good
One person’s simple is another’s limited. The B2 band, while doubling up as a Bluetooth headset and an activity and sleep tracker, doesn’t do a whole lot else. If you’re within range of your phone, you’ll get notifications of messages on your arm, but integration with other services, such as
or
, is non-existent. One one hand, that could be considered refreshing – no constant interruption, for one – but if you want a band that will notify you of everything that’s going on on your phone, look elsewhere.
It’s a good thing that it charges fairly quickly, because the battery lasts for only up to three days. If you are already inducted into the world of smartphones, you may not see this as a big deal, but after regular charging, you’ll probably feel differently.
And while the new design is a lot nicer than the original, the B2 still felt a little bulky at times.
The rest
Of course charging it isn’t a big deal. It uses micro USB and doesn’t require any special docks to power up. Don’t underestimate the benefit of that – the tech desk is littered with abandoned fitness trackers that we just don’t have a charger for anymore.
The verdict
***
If you have a burning need for a Bluetooth headset that’s always handy, the B2 is for you. Otherwise it’s a perfectly adequate activity tracker that you might just have to remember to charge a little more often than the average band.
