INTRODUCTION

   Although smartphones have advanced quite a bit over the past few years and have reached a point where some models are one and the same as a tablet in terms of size there's one peripheral that follows suit in terms of technological advancement, Bluetooth wireless headsets. Of course instead of increasing their size (which would be quite easy actually) scientists around the world do their best to shrink those devices so they are easier to carry and use. However what i really enjoy is the latest trend which has many Bluetooth wireless headsets accompanied by carrying cases that double as portable battery packs providing enough juice for up to 5 full recharge cycles. Now this may sound as a bit overkill to some people (perhaps even useless) but such battery packs make it very simple for you to have a Bluetooth wireless headset in your backpack or in your cars glove compartment at all times without worrying that the battery may die out (once i left the Plantronics Voyager Legend UC in my backpack for 5 weeks and it still was full on battery when i used it). The STONE line of Bluetooth wireless headsets by Jabra dates back to 2009 and it was amongst the very first to feature a portable battery for recharging while on the road. Well 4 years later and after the launch of the quite successful STONE2 roughly 2 years ago Jabra is releasing the STONE3.

   Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) - listed on NASDAQ OMX. Jabra employs approximately 850 people worldwide and in 2011 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 2,106 million. Jabra is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of hands-free communications solutions. With a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades, Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses through increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality.

      Since the design of the STONE Bluetooth wireless headset never was a problem for Jabra (besides a stone is a stone) the new STONE3 has but a few differences compared to the previous STONE2 the most important of which is the Bluetooth version used (STONE2 was v2.1 compatible while STONE3 supports v3.0). Now as some of you know Bluetooth v3.0 is much faster than its predecessors (as is the new v4.0) so it can transfer files and data with more ease and at the same time it's also more power efficient. Of course since we are talking about a Bluetooth Wireless Headset this upgrade doesn't really make much of a difference (although i always like it when manufacturers update their product lines with more up to date standards) so it's quite fortunate that Jabra also improved on the speaker of the STONE3 since this time over they gave it a wideband driver (HD/Digital) as opposed to the narrowband driver (analog) of the STONE2 (this change may have only been possible due to Bluetooth v3.0 which makes sense actually). The STONE3 also features the latest NFC (Near Field Communication) standard which the user to pair it with a compatible smartphone or tablet just by placing it onto that device. Aside that however the STONE3 still carries a wealth of features also found in the STONE2 such as Audio DSP (Digital Signal Processing), dual microphones with Noise Blackout, voice activation and of course the same portable battery pack (or charging stone as Jabra calls it). Since the basic features of the STONE3 are identical with that of the STONE2 the only thing we are curious about is the HD audio offered (digital vs analog) to see whether or not the STONE3 is a worthy successor to the very good STONE2 Bluetooth Wireless Headset.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The retail package in which the STONE3 gets sold is pretty much a clear plastic tube from where you can see both the device itself and its main features.

Instructions on how to open the tube are present at the rear.

Inside the box Jabra has placed the STONE3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset, the portable charging unit, 3 extra eargels (s/m/l), AC power adapter, USB cable, warranty/warning/registration papers and a quickstart guide.

THE STONE3

Jabra provides the STONE3 with 3 extra eargels suitable for small, medium and large ears.

Weighing at just 7g the STONE3 is one of the smallest Bluetooth Wireless Headsets in the market currently and is available both in black and white matte versions. The Jabra logo placed at the lower end is also the only available button on the headset and can be used to answer/end/reject calls and also to redial the last number. Now since there's not much room on the device Jabra has placed a touch motion sensor in the area directly above the Jabra logo so in order to increase or decrease the volume levels you just need to swipe your finger up/down.

To showcase exactly how small the STONE3 is we placed it right next to the Plantronics Voyager Legend and the Jabra Motion Bluetooth Wireless Headsets.

Both the battery status LED (green/red) and the Bluetooth activity LED (blue/yellow) are placed at the rear of the headset.

Unlike past versions the headset area on the new charging unit has a nice glossy red color which looks rather nice (i do happen to like black/red combos a lot). The battery pack gives a total of 10 extra hours of talk time to the headset (5 recharge cycles).

With the headset docked inside the charging unit i think it's very easy to see why Jabra has chosen that name.

The headset charging LED, micro-USB port and the battery status LED (three green LEDs) of the charging unit are placed at the front.

Once you have placed the headset in the charging unit to get it out you just need to push it upwards.

A small arrow at the bottom points to the NFC sensor so this is the spot you need to place against your compatible device for that feature to work.

USING THE STONE3

You can download the latest firmware update for your STONE3 from the official Jabra support page.

The entire procedure is very easy to perform and takes just a couple of minutes to complete.

CONCLUSION

   Having the previous STONE2 model here didn't really make things very easy for me since it took me almost 3 weeks of testing both headsets just to see what it is that Jabra improved on the STONE3. Well the good news is that if the person on the other end uses a smartphone with one or more quality microphones you will most likely notice quite a bit of a difference in audio clarity between the STONE2 and STONE3 headsets however during testing that didn't happen many times (then again not many people that i know of use the latest in smartphone technology so that could be the reason). Still although there's a difference in audio clarity and the STONE3 also uses NFC for easier pairing with compatible devices i was a bit disappointed to see that Jabra didn't feel like boosting the battery levels of both the headset and the charging unit (5 recharges however are plenty) so we had to recharge the STONE3 once every 90-100 minutes of use. Jabra states that the STONE3 has up to two hours of talk time (120 minutes) but that's only if you use it at medium volume levels something we did not. Of course once you are done talking you can place the headset back in the charging unit to replenish its battery but still we would like to see even a tiny improvement on that area compared to the previous STONE2 especially since it’s been 2 years since then (back then it was ok really but now not so much). During testing we didn't really notice any difference in regards to the dual microphones used and neither did the people on the other end once we switched headsets (STONE2/STONE3) so no improvements there either although that was never something that needed improvement with the STONE2 to begin with (not that i wouldn't welcome any improvements had Jabra made them).

   The STONE3 Bluetooth Wireless Headset by Jabra currently retails for roughly the same exact price tag as the STONE2 did at launch which is set at USD107.89 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 85Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Obviously this is still not a low price for a Bluetooth Wireless Headset but considering that you're also getting a portable charging unit for that particular headset i think that it's not a bad deal in the end. Overall i had no problems with the STONE3 (same with the STONE2) and although i do prefer the MOTION Bluetooth Headset more since its microphones are working quite better i do understand that certain compromises need to be done when you design a headset that's as small as the STONE3 and I’m certain that everyone else does too. Still we are talking about one of the best Bluetooth Headsets in the market not only in terms of build quality, size, weight and design but also in terms of audio clarity (for both ends) and battery life which is why the STONE3 is worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Size / Weight (7g)
- Audio Quality (Both Ends)
- Dual-Mics With Noise Blackout 3.0 Technology
- Caller Announce / Battery Life Announce / Voice Commands
- Bluetooth 3.0 (A2DP/HFP/HSP)
- Charging Unit (Offers Up To 10 Extra Hours Of Use)
- NFC Compatible (Near Field Communications)
- Available in Black & White 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Dual-Mics Could Perform Better (Design/Size Limitation)
- Just 2 Hours Of Talk Time (Design/Size Limitation)