Review: Nokia BH-800 Bluetooth Headset

The Nokia BH-800 is a tiny little bluetooth headset that released way back in 2007. We review them as they come here on ZOMGitsCj, and we just recently got one of these bad boys to check out.

For a headset that’s 2 years old, it’s still got its charms. Read on for the review y’all.

Size :

The Nokia BH-800 measures in at 41mm x 18mm x 9mm and weighs just 9g. While it might not be the smallest Headset in the world, its certainly one of the smallest I’ve come across.

The thing is tiny !

In the Retail Box :

The BH-800 comes in a small retail box, which feels and looks like you’re buying another phone.

It has the usual Nokia-ish look and feel to the box, with the usual bits of info found all around it.

Once you open the box though, you get (what I thought) was one of the best looking package I’ve seen for a Nokia Accessory. The BH-800 is enclosed in a plastic case with designs all over to make sure you know just how stylish a device this is.

Underneath that, is another layer of the box containing your Charger, Neck-strap, Optional earloop and a Carrying pouch.

And underneath that, is the User Manual.

The user manual didnt have instructions on how to put the unit into pairing mode, but as with most headsets in the market nowadays, you have to hold the power button down for about 5-10 seconds (while the unit is off) to achieve this.

The default pairing code of 0000 is retained here, and the BH-800 supports both headset and handsfree Bluetooth profiles. The unit can be paired with up to eight devices simultaneously, (obviously one at a time). When you power it up, the BH-800 looks for the first device it was ever paired with. If it doesnt find the device, it then proceeds to search for the last connected device. It it still doesnt find the last device, you can make connections to the other six devices. This is a very quick process though, so it causes no inconvenience at all.

About the Headset :

Like we said before, the BH-800 is a pretty tiny little headset.

The color scheme is called “Coffee Black” but the headset is also available in “Silver White”, both having a very sophisticated, yet simple look about them. The front of the unit has a silver square multi-function button that has the Nokia branding embossed right under it. The function key is easy to use and has good feedback to it, without causing any discomfort when you’re wearing the headset. The Function Key  controls most of the functions on the Bh-800, such as redialing, voice dialing, answering or ending calls, and rejecting calls. Rejecting calls takes a bit of practice, as you need to double press the function key. If for some reason one of your presses doesnt register, you’ll end up answering the call.

The top of the unity contains the power button, along with an LED that glows red, green or blue depending on the occasion (such as incoming call, low battery, charging, etc). The power button is a bit small, something to note if you have large fingers. To turn the BH-800 on, simply hold the power button for about five seconds. An ascending tone plays, and the LED starts flashing green. To switch the unit off, you’ll have to hold the power button down again for about 5 seconds, after which the LED flashes red momentarily and a descending tone is played as the unit turns off.

The battery in the BH-800 has a manufacturer rating of 150 hours standby time. With our tests, we got about 6hours 20minutes worth of talktime out of it. Charging the headset battery from empty to full, takes about 2 hours. The LED on top of the unit indicates the charge status. The Led glows red when the battery is charging and turns off once the charge is complete.

The left side has a volume rocker switch to increase/decrease the volume of calls or audio.

The volume rocker was very smooth and easy to use. It is accompanied by an either ascending or descending tone depending on whether you were increasing or decreasing the volume. Pressing the middle of the volume rocker during a call will either mute or un-mute the call.

The right side houses only the charging port. You can use any of the newer Nokia Chargers to charge this unit, though it does come with its own standard Nokia charger.

The Bottom of the device houses the Earpiece, and a rubber rotatabale inlet for the optional earloop accessory.

The inbound audio quality on the earpiece is great. Volume was good and quality was more than acceptable, even at high volumes. The earpiece is an in-ear type, but rests more against the entry of the ear rather than protrudes into your ear canal.

As for the outbound audio quality, it was great in quiet environments but once it gets even a little bit noisy, it starts to suffer. The receiver on the other end of the call complained about a loss of clarity and quality.

The BH-800 also had troubles with wind. Range-wise, the headset range goes up to about eight meters in a straight line, anything after and the audio will eventually start to fade to nothing.

In-box Accessories :

The BH-800 comes with an optional Ear-loop, and a neckstrap.

To be quite honest, considering the rest of the BH-800, the optional Ear-loop was aesthetically the only thing that did not impress us. It kinda looks like a very cheap, thin piece of wire, which detracts from the elegant and professional look that the rest of the headset so effortlessly portrays.

The ear loop attaches to the rotatable rubber inlet and hence supports both right and left ear usage.

While its definitely not the nicest looking ear loop we’ve come across, it gave us one of the most secure fits.

Adjusting the ear loop to suit your exact requirements is a little bit frustrating, but once it iis adjusted correctly, it provides a very secure fit.

The BH-800 can also be used without the ear loop, but we found it to be a little bit too insecure without it, and was prone to falling out.

There’s also a metallic neck strap in the retail box of the Nokia BH-800.

The neck strap isnt discreet at all, since it’s purpose is for those users who wish to show-off their BH-800 as a Fashion Accessory.

The neck strap actually does hold the headset quite securely, so you wont have to worry about it falling off.

Apart from that, there’s also a suede carry pouch, so you can carry your BH-800 everywhere.

Seemed a little bit too large for the tiny headset though.

Conclusion :

Rating:

The Nokia BH-800 is one very tiny and impressive headset. The price tag though, is a bit steep for what the handset provides. At  120 US dollars (approx Indian Rs 6000), the price is way too much for a headset that doesnt offer noise reduction.

The headset is definitely attractive and comfortable, but the lack of noise reduction and large price tag makes us think you might want to check out other alternatives to this one. Though, if you happen to find it on sale someday, it’s definitely recommended.