Jabra BT4010 Review

New “Easy Series” Jabra BT4010 Bluetooth Headset Provides Lightweight & Discreet Option With LCD Display, Clear Sound & Long Talk Time

The Jabra BT4010 headset is an interesting, solid, simple and elegant new mid-range option to make handsfree calls from your Treo or Centro that seeks to answer as many of the “pain points” most commonly given by Bluetooth Headset owners.

For starters, the BT4010 from Jabra attempts to make it as easy as possible to pair and connect the headset with your smartphone by automatically starting “Pairing Mode” when you first turn it on and thus allowing you to be up and running connected to your smartphone within seconds.

Next is the fact that the Jabra BT4010 is one of the very few headsets sporting a tiny LCD display that removes the guesswork typically associated with flashing lights or audio alerts as you can now via this display easily – at one glance – see your battery level, the Bluetooth connection status and if you’re “on a call”.  Also, by removing those “unsightly flashing lights” the BT4010 has a more understated and professional look.

The Jabra BT4010 also seeks to make it easier to use the headset on a daily basis by limiting the number of buttons to an absolutely minimum (there are only 3 with one for Power/Call Answer and two others for Volume Up/Down) thus making it much less complicated and more intuitive to answer a simple call.

The objective to deliver simplicity with this headset also extends to the actual hardware design as the Jabra BT4010 can simply be popped into your ear without the need for an earhook (something that will particularly appeal to people wearing glasses).  Just in case you prefer to wear an earhook though two are conveniently provided in the package and thanks to a weight of only 11 grams you will find that it’s quite comfortable to wear for extended periods.

The accessory kit (pictured below) is not particularly good as there are no replacement ear gels, only two (S, L) ear hooks that will very likely quickly disappear and a wall charger but no USB cable.

Since upgrading to the Treo Pro I have to admit that I’ve also found it extremely useful to have accessories that use a microUSB charging connector since it makes it does much easier to only carry one charging cable or wall charger instead of two.  Thankfully many of the latest Jabra headsets such as this BT4010 and the terrific Jabra BT530 now all use this microUSB plug – something that greatly increases its appeal for me.

In terms of call quality, thanks to Bluetooth 2.0 EDR & eSCO technology both inbound and outbound conversations were very loud and clear – something that is not always obvious with other BT headsets.  Having said this, one area in which the BT4010 does not deliver (but also does not claim to deliver) is noise reduction.

Jabra BT4010 Audio Sample (No Noise Cancellation)

As you will be able to appreciate from the above audio sample my voice comes across loud and clear for as long as there is no significant ambient noise but the moment that I simulate the sounds of a very loud environment my voice literally disappears as the ambient noise rises.

Therefore, if you typically make calls in quiet or only mildly noisy environment then a headset such as the Jabra BT4010 will be an excellent solution.  If however you are like me constantly finding yourself in all sorts of places that include rather loud environments then clearly a headset with Noise Cancellation will be imperative.

In this respect, my current two top choices are the bestselling New Jawbone (now reduced to only $99.95) which still delivers a best-in-class noise cancellation solution or alternatively also the Jabra BT530 that I recently reviewed – a very impressive unit that I’m currently using. 

As you will be able to appreciate from the audio sample below, unlike the Jabra BT4010 which fails to maintain a conversation under extreme noise conditions the Jabra BT530 quite easily keeps on going rather clearly.

Jabra BT530 Audio Sample (With Noise Cancellation)

Overall, although the Jabra BT4010 has a number of interesting new features such as its LCD display and good call quality, the fact is nonetheless that it does not provide particularly good value.  For only $30 more you can own the New Jawbone or for $20 more the much better Jabra BT530 – both of which include noise cancellation technology and a considerably more complete accessory kit.

Treonauts are always looking for the best value…