Ontario’s cell phone ban goes into effecttoday. Under the new law, which makes it illegal to operate a phone with yourhands while driving, you can continue to make and receive calls if you areusing a hands-free device.
SonyEricsson is “fortunate enough to have a really broad range” of products thatmeet all sorts of price points and appeal to every tier, said Ed Hutchinson,director of Sales and New Business Development at Sony Ericsson.
Battery life is a significant strength across Sony Ericsson’s line,according to Hutchinson, and one reason its Bluetooth products stand out fromcompetitors. “Our Bluetooth headsets are best in class when it comes to batterylife,” he said.
The companyalso has a long lineage with Bluetooth technology itself, Hutchinson pointed out. Ericsson pioneeredthe Bluetooth standard back in 1994 and “were the innovators of the technology,”he said.
“Overallawareness is starting to skyrocket,” said Hutchinson.“I’ve seen more people with Bluetooth headsets than before and the aestheticsare such that you don’t have the geek-factor … we’ve managed to deal with thatby making it much, much smaller.”
Hutchinson expects further ramp up after Ontario’s law goes into effect. “I’mcertainly seeing more people wearing Bluetooth headsets and more people usingwired headsets in the car, but inevitably, changing behaviour doesn’t happenovernight. It’s going to take some time,” he said.
Here’s aroundup of Sony Ericsson’s hands-free headset and car kit line. All theproducts listed will connect wirelessly to any make and model of cell phonethat has Bluetooth functionality.
VH310
Entry-level, budget-conscious $40headset
The lowestpriced hands-free option, this entry-level headset supports noise cancellationand features 11 hours of talk time or 500 hours of standby. The VH310 includesvoice activated dialing and remote voice volume control.
HBH-PV715
Headset in black or white, for $70
This secondstep in the headset lineup provides slightly better noise cancellation andsound quality, but the difference is mostly aesthetics. The PV715 is availablewith either a black or white finish. Batterylife is 10 hours talk time or 700 hours standby.
HBH-PV720
Adjustable comfort and looks, for$99
This headsetmodel comes with removable faceplates, a neck lanyard and earhooks that can beremoved and reversed to fit any size or shape of ear. Additional faceplates andearhook options are included in the box. Batterylife is up to 11 hours talk time and 800 hours standby.
HBH-PV740
Top-of-the-line corporate headset,for $130
This model,available in black or silver, includes perks such as a battery life indicatorand an attractive charger designed to sit on your desk. Talk time is 11 hours,with 800 hours standby.
HCB-108
Entry-level car kit, for $99
For thosewho prefer to keep both ears open, in addition to two hands on the wheel, thisentry-level car kit clips to your visor and hits the sub-$100 price point.You’ll get 25 hours of talk time and 700 hours of standby, which equates toabout one month of power. It also comes with a power adapter that plugs intoyour cigarette lighter, should you need to re-charge in your car. Anauto-pairing feature connects the device to your phone in seconds, and worksnicely with the iPhone. The HCB-108 also doubles well as a desktopspeakerphone.
HCB-150
Top-tier car kit that talks to you,for about $180
Thishigh-end model uploads all your contacts from your address book and tells youexactly who is calling. It also has a display, making it easier to managecalls.