bb-mobile MicrON-3 - a pocket Bluetooth headset for "shovels"

    The screen size of an average smartphone today reaches 5 inches. Is it worth clarifying that talking to such "giants" is not comfortable for everyone? Of course, you can purchase a relatively compact device with a diagonal of 4-4.3 inches, and it will be much more convenient. Here are just the most functional smartphones (and many middle-class models too) are equipped with either 5-inch or even larger displays. Girls suffer especially from this: they also want a large functional smartphone, buy it, and then face the fact that it is not so easy to keep such a “colossus” in your ear for a long time.

    The usual “ear” Bluetooth headset is, of course, a solution to the above problem, but I personally don’t like to wear a piece of plastic on my ear. The first “ear with blue teeth” I bought another year in 2004 - it was some kind of model from Siemens. Then he periodically acquired Samsung, Jabra, and Motorola, but failed to make friends with any of them - it’s not convenient, annoying, I want to take off everything like that ... Meanwhile, recently I need a wireless headset very sharply - he took for lengthy tests a 5.7-inch Lexand Antares, which, due to its size, keeps passion in your ear as uncomfortable.


    5.7-inch Lexand Antares

    Recently was visiting a friend and found this thing on his shelf:



    This is the LG HBM-700 - under various names it was served in the USA, South Korea and a number of other regions, but it was only a long time ago, in the mid-2000s. The “friendly” instance, alas, turned out to be inoperative - a battery “died” a couple of years ago. (This is a normal occurrence for headsets, their batteries fail much faster than on the same smartphones.)

    Meanwhile, I really liked the LG HBM-700 concept itself - it's a kind of miniature “Bluetooth phone” with a screen and buttons, allowing you to leave your smartphone in your pocket and talk on a much easier and more compact stick with the ability to dial numbers.

    I did a little “research” and found out that HTC has something similar - it's about the HTC Mini +, it’s both a headset and a kind of remote control for smartphones and HTC Media Link HD. Everything would be fine, but this magnificence costs 4,500 rubles - in my opinion, a bit much for a headset. And then: I'm not sure that it will work normally with devices other than HTC.


    HTC Mini +

    Another similar product at IFA 2013 showed TCL / Alcatel. But when it appears on sale, how much it will cost and whether it will work with models of other brands - the question is open.



    Then I came across a number of Bluetooth headsets of the Russian brand bb-mobile. He has three such gizmos: MicrON, MicrON-2 and MicrON-3. The first two resemble small mobile phones, and the third is just a rectangle with a speaker and control keys, that is, without a screen and number buttons. It so happened that it was possible to get the third version for the test - well, I’ll tell you about it, but at the same time “in absentia” I will compare it with the first two models.


    bb-mobile micrON


    bb-mobile micrON-2

    bb-mobile MicrON-3 comes in this package. The package includes a charger from the USB port, a lanyard to be worn around the neck and a couple of little books - instructions and a guarantee.





    Two points: first - the blister is scratched so well (although for 1,000 rubles it is excusable). That is, Micron is quite suitable for the role of a gift, but it may not be possible to find a package without a scratch in the store. The second point is that with white versions of the headset there is a white lace, with black - black. In my opinion, white is not very practical: it quickly “shrinks”, especially in the summer in the heat.

    There are four variants of the bb-mobile MicrON-3 - three white and black:



    Next, about the features and capabilities.

    First and foremost, at bb-mobile MicrON-3, developers have significantly simplified the concept. At first glance, this is an obvious minus. For example, in order to make a call in the case of the two previous headsets, it was not necessary to get a smartphone from a pocket or bag - on the screens of Mikronov contacts from his address book were displayed. Meanwhile, using bb-mobile MicrON-3, you can only receive calls and also dial the last number dialed (two quick clicks on the middle button). For everything else, it will be necessary to take God's “shovel" into the light of day.

    However, if you dig deeper, you will find out the following: firstly, the third Mikron costs 1,000 rubles, the second - 2,000, the first - 1,500. Yes, in principle, 500-1,000 rubles - the money is not gigantic, but it’s in case buying an accessory for your phone is such a benefit. The second point is the battery life: on the bb-mobile website it is indicated that MicrON and MicrON-2 operate on the same charge for no more than 7 hours. Meanwhile, my bb-mobile MicrON-3 lasted 9 with a hook (I specifically tested it in non-stop speech transmission mode). Probably, the operating time was increased due to the removal of "extra" components.


    Motorola Finiti and bb-mobile MicrON-3



    Actually, the "superfluous" was removed, but what remains? bb-mobile MicrON-3 is a thin (less than 7 millimeters) and light (30 grams) rectangle made of glossy plastic with a speaker, microphone and three “transparent” control buttons. The assembly is neat, the quality of the materials is really nothing. Also on the case there is a loop for the lace, a connector for the charger and the bb-mobile logo, in which the LED is built-in, that’s all. Speaking of charging: I'd really like to see MicroUSB here.



    Using the keys, you can do the following: receive / drop / end calls, hold a call, switch between a pair of calls, adjust the speaker volume, switch a call from the phone to the headset and back, turn on / off the microphone. In fact, there is no difference with most “earphones” Bluetooth headsets. Well, maybe multipoint bb-mobile MicrON-3 supports it - but this feature is far from unique in recent years.



    In the case of bb-mobile MicrON-3 proved to be quite good - the quality of voice transmission / reception is high, there are no extra rustles. The melody, however, is not played from the smartphone, but another, recorded in the headset's memory. But this is the case with devices on Android. I didn’t check with “iPhone”, but the developers promise that in his case your ringtone will play.

    The headset is also connected to the computer - tested with Skype, everything works like a clock.


    Lexand Antares and bb-mobile MicrON-3

    There is nothing more to talk about - the device is simple but useful. I personally don’t speak very much on the phone, and more often than not I’ll receive calls myself. So the lack of a screen and keyboard in the bb-mobile MicrON-3 does not bother me much. For 1,000 rubles (compare with 4,500 in the case of HTC Mini +) the product is decent, you can recommend it. If you often call yourself, then you can look, for example, at bb-mobile MicrON-1 - it is devoid of all the disadvantages of the “troika”.

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