In a matter of moments, I paired this with a HTC DROID INCREDIBLE Android Phone (Verizon Wireless). After making a few calls from the parked position, i took my first road trip. With the windows up, I could easily carry on a conversation at highway speeds.
Next up, I paired an Apple iPhone 4 Black Smartphone 32GB (AT&T).
The speaker phone did much better than the built-in hands-free on both phones. My callers reported that my voice quality was clear, free of echoes and not much background noise. On my end, the voices came through clear and loud. Most voice commands were received correctly by both phones. I had somebody call me from the car and their voice quality was very good and understandable.
This speaker phone can pair with up to 6 devices and use 2 at the same time. In theory, you can take calls from 2 cell phones at the same time. I never tried this but I'll update the review if I ever do.
Compared to a Bluetooth headset, this is in a different league. With 45 hours of talk time and 6 months of stand-by, I haven't turned mine off. I've only recharged it once this month more out of habit than necessity.
The voice prompts make this device very intuitive. I'm impressed with the overall quality and simplicity of this speaker phone.
In my state, NJ, this would qualify as a hands-free device and would be legal to make and receive calls on while driving. IMHO
The Motorola TX500 is my second bluetooth hands free device from Motorola. Since I really liked the Motorola Roadster Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone (Retail Packaging), I would like to compare the TX500 with it. Basically the Motorola TX500 is a simplified version of the Roadster. All the bells and whistles that the Roadster had were removed. The TX500 focuses only on the basic features. Taking calls and making calls. The voice guide (or voice prompts) feature that the Motorola bluetooth hands free devices commonly has works very well and thanks to this, pairing of the phones to the device could not be simpler. You can turn off the voice guide by pressing and holding the volume button until you hear saying 'voice intructions off', if you do not like it. I connected two phones to the TX500 and had no problem to pair those (a Verizon Fascinate and a Verizon basic feature Samsung phone).
The best parts of the TX500 are good voice quality and strong battery life. The call quality was very good and the TX500 lasted 2 weeks without any problem. For your information, I did not make many calls while I am driving, though. I charged my Roadster once a week, so the TX500 lasted twice much with a single charge.
The things that I do not like of the TX500 are that all the features that I loved so much from the Roadster were gone. The TX500 does not deliver the music from your phone. And the TX500 is not capable of working as an FM transmitter that I liked the most from the Roadster. The Roadster sends every music and sound from your phone to the FM radio in your car flawlessly and I have been so happy with this feature since my car does not have any auxillary input for the audio. And the TX500 cannot sense the vibration of your car. What this means is that you should manually turn on the TX500 every time you hop on your car. The Roadster automatically detects the motion of your car and turns itself on whenever you get on the car. This was one of the best feature I have ever seen from any bluetooth device for a vehicle.
Therefore, if you need a bluetooth hands free device with solid basic features such as good voice quality and long battery life, the TX500 is for you. However, if you need a motion-sensing bluetooth device with an FM transmitter built in, go for the Motorola Roadster.
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Pairing this with my iPhone 3GS couldn't have been easier. The slightly mechanical female voice could talk even a five year old through the very simple pairing process. Calling on the device is simple as all get out and in my car, which is not a jeep or convertible, I have no problem understanding and being understood by the party I'm talking too.
I do have an earpiece that I used to use, but my significant other is often with me when I'm driving and is always, always, interrupting, wanting to be part of the conversation, now it's like the other party is in the car with us. Five big stars from me for Motorola.
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This little device does everything it claims. I use an iPhone 4 and have been wanting a hands-free solution while driving my older 1999 Windstar van without spending $$$ to install a system. I've tried BlueTooth ear pieces and headsets before, but sound quality has been horrendous as is battery life. I saw this Motorola and hoped it would work, and and happy to report that you need to buy one of these ASAP. The sound quality is VERY good for a small device, I have no trouble hearing it at all with the A/C cranked (and believe me, we do a lot of that in Phoenix, already had a 100 degree day in March). But even more of a surprise, the sound quality to the person you are talking to is better than I had hoped. My wife is picky about that, because in the past with other BT devices we've dealt with tinny sound, echo, white noise, you name it. But she says this sounds VERY good and I trust that opinion. I called my work voicemail and left a message to hear what it sounded like, and was equally happy. Understand that a speakerphone sounds like a speakerphone, but there are some that sound good for what they are, and Motorola got it right with this device.
Two other big plusses: one is the huge amount of talk time, which I hope lasts a while as batteries do wear down. I'll post back later about that. But the other neat feature is the voice instructions when turning it on: it tells you exactly when to hit the button and connect and how much battery life you have left, same way a GPS device talks to you. Pairing this device is a breeze, and every time I turn it on it instantly connects. Nice!
I have found my hands-free solution, and it will work in any car I drive, even rentals when travelling on business. It'll pair with more than one phone so several family members can use it in the family car. I think it's a no-brainer to say "highly recommended"!
***UPDATE: May 11, 2011***
I've been using this thing every day and it has been absolutely flawless. It pairs almost instantly, and the sound quality continues to marvel, especially to the person on the other end. All I have to do is turn on Bluetooth on my iPhone 4 when I hop in the van (I don't leave BT on 24/7, just wastes battery life), and then I turn on this X500 and in seconds the female voice says connected and reports the battery life (Low, Medium, or High). I've charged it ONCE the day I reviewed it and it's still going, battery level "High". Great device.
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I really love this device! It is super easy to set up and works perfectly. The speaker works well, calls are audible and I have received favorable feedback from people spoken to from the Motorola TX500.
You can use the Motorola TX500 straight out of the box since it is delivered at medium battery level. When you turn it on for the first time, you are directed to go to the bluetooth setting on your phone. It works with any bluetooth enabled cell phone. A pin number is provided, if needed. A female voice walks you through the connection process and although the voice is a little mechanical, it's easy to understand and speaks English only. I paired it with an iPhone4 (all you have to do is turn bluetooth on and the iPhone and Motorola TX500 make the connections for you) and Blackberry Bold without issue. There is an audible battery status given and a light on the side provides constant battery usage with red meaning low, purple/medium and blue/high.
It clips securely onto your visor and once fully charged, you can remove the cord for a sleeker look. There are four large buttons on the front, mute button, volume down, volume up and the call button. The call button answers calls, places calls (you will be prompted once pressed calls are voice activated), places calls on hold to answer another incoming call, and ends calls. Also, it allows you to take calls from 2 cell phones at the same time and most importantly, it can store up to 6 cell phone connections. This is a great feature for families. It refers to the phones by number, in the order paired to this device.
I spend a lot of time running errands and I love being able to use my cell phone while driving with minimum effort and without worry. I just need to remember to turn the bluetooth off when I'm home since Motorola TX500's range can interfere with calls inside the home. Two clicks and problem solved. I really love how customer service is provided by telephone (1-800-331-6456) and through their website. Too many companies have stopped provided telephone support and I value those who still offer this option since sometimes, speaking to a live person is the best option.
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