Perhaps the most widely used application for short-range wireless communication is the use of a blue tooth headset for cell phones. While they are one of the most popular blue tooth items, their very technology make them one of the most challenging to design. With a built in receiver and battery along with the ear bud and microphone making them smaller and more lightweight that wired headphones is a hurdle still being worked on.

When people look at headsets today they think of lightweight and envision a nearly invisible ear bud with a small microphone with the entire contraption setting almost unnoticed on one ear and no wires connecting it to anything. With a blue tooth headset, by its very technological nature, it must include a battery to power the built in transmitter and receiver creating the challenge of fitting more stuff into a smaller space.

While that has not been accomplished yet, several companies continue to work on reducing the size of their blue tooth headset to help meet the demands of the consumer. Having an item weighing slightly more than wired headsets designed to fit snugly over the ear is what some consider a downfall of a blue tooth headset.

Maintaining Blue Tooth Battery Charge

With a cell phone and a traditional wired headset, it has not been a problem leaving them turned on all day, with the exception of the phones battery life. However, with a blue tooth headset the battery in the blue tooth headset is typically good for two to three hours of talk time and up to 26 hours standby time. The concept of turning off the headset at the end of every call is still being considered, along with having it turn on and connect automatically when a call comes in. There are strides being made on this idea by various manufacturers but it has not been perfect yet.

Another caution when using a blue tooth headset is a contradiction to one of the benefits. A person can leave their cell phone in their briefcase in the back seat of their car and still be able to use it through the use of a blue tooth headset. However, if you stop and run into a store for a few minutes and you phone remains in the car, that leaves you with a headset not connected to anything. If a call comes in during that time you will not know it.