Motorola H500 Bluetooth vs. Motorola Razr V3m

I selected the H500 as my first Bluetooth because I wanted a Motorola product in hopes that it would make the interaction with my phone better and easier. The cost of the H500 was reasonable and the availability was no problem at all so I picked one up the day I bought my phone.

I assume you know what Bluetooth is.
I won't waste time rehashing the very basics. If you don't know exactly what Bluetooth is or what it does you should check out this great article at http://www.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth.htm

Our experiences may differ
The model of cell phone you have will have a great effect on your experience with any hands free device. Also, the desired usage will change your perspective. Please remember that I am only reviewing this product with it's function on a single phone: I have no experience with it on other cell phone models.

Size:
The H500 sneaks in at only 2-1/2 inches long. This means that at it's largest point it's about as long as a typical "pinkie" finger. I don't have a scale that is sensitive enough to weight the device but it seems comparable with an empty soda can which is about a 1/2 ounce (I think!).

A "boom mike" that hands around your face isn't used with the H500. The entire device is contained over your ear during use.

Charging:
The H500 uses the exact same wall charger as my Razr V3m. The chargers can be interchanged between the two which means that my car charger and USB cable work with both.

In addition to charging the Bluetooth headset in my car and plugged to a wall outlet I can charge it by hooking a USB cable to my computer and plugging the small connection into the headset just like I do my phone.

Comfort during use
On the back of the H500 is a hook that goes over my ear like a pair of glasses would. It's soft, flexible, and big enough to easily slip over the ear but small enough to stay there. It is also easy to keep in position if you want to wear sunglasses at the same time you are wearing the hands free device.

Being so light makes the H500 easy to forget when not in use. It's possible to lean forward to tie your shoe or retrieve a dropped object and have your H500 fall off!

There is nothing that slides inside your ear canal like traditional hands free devices had to make you uncomfortable during use. The H500 sits on the very outermost portion of the ear and broadcasts the sound down the ear canal.

Answering the call:
This is the easy part: when a call comes in the H500 will notify you buy playing a song in your ear. This song doesn't appear to be configurable but your cell phone will still perform it's ringtone or vibration as if the H500 isn't there. Simply press a wide button on the face of the H500 and you'll be talking to your caller. It's just that easy.

Can you make the right call?
The Razr V3m allows you to voice dial anyone in your phone book by name or any number by speaking the numbers. To access this feature with the H500 you simply press the button you would to answer calls and wait for the recorded voice in the cell phone to prompt you to start speaking. Once she does you speak into the H500 just like you'd speak into your phone.

My voice dials go smoothly with the H500. It picks me up clear enough to avoid attempting to dial the wrong number when I use names from the address book and when I rattle off a string of numbers.

Sound quality for the user:
When listening: I make a number of calls to landlines and to another H500 user over the course of a typical week. I never have any problem hearing the person on the other end of the conversation. The device has volume up and down buttons on it so it can be adjusted to shout at you or just to whisper to ensure all users will be able to hear well and comfortably.

When speaking: On the other end of my conversations the sound quality can be different. If I'm in a windy environment (picture windows down in the car) the sound of the wind gets picked up and drowns my conversation. You really need to be in a reasonably quite place for the person you are speaking with to get a good idea of what you are saying. You don't have to be in the library, but you're not going to be well heard from inside the wall of a hurricane!

Pairing with my phone:
For security and ease of use you must initially go through a setup process to introduce this device to your phone. Following the instructions provided with both this process was a bit hit and miss. I had to repeat the process three or four times, which took about a half hour, to get it to work. Once the initial setup was done the phone always recognizes and works with the H500 on the first try.

Overall:
I've been pleased with my H500. I was able to pick up a Motorola belt holster to keep it in while I'm in inappropriate cell phone environments (ie, at work) so it's always handy and ready to use but never in the way. I'd really have a hard time giving up this device even if it were to try another!