Jabra A210 Bluetooth Multi-Adapter

Several phone makers have their own Bluetooth accessories available for phones that don't have it built in. For those who don't, the Jabra A210 is an inexpensive way to add basic 1.2 headset capability to any non-Bluetooth mobile.

Measuring a very manageable 1.3 x 1.3 x .3 inches, the matchbox-sized dongle attaches to your phone with a standard 2.5-mm jack at the end of a coiled cord. A clip and some Velcro are included to attach it to the back of your handset.

Controls include a power button and an inset pairing switch that requires an included stylus (or a paper clip tip) to activate. LEDs on opposite corners indicate functions and status, and the three-position toggle helps optimize the dongle for use with particular model phones or to minimize any echoes.

The main problem is pairing confirmation. After a solid blue LED on the A210 indicates you're in pairing mode, you put your headset in pairing mode, then wait and hope. The solid blue LED starts to flash when pairing is successful, but because you can't see the light flash while you're wearing the headset, you really won't know until you try. Ours worked the first time around, thankfully.

We tested the A210 connected to a Cingular LG C1300 phone (no Bluetooth built in), and the Motorola HS820 and Logitech HS02 headsets, and both headsets sounded slightly cleaner, with no interference, than they did using the Sony Ericsson T637 with built-in Bluetooth.

A 2-hour charge yields up to 8 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby, also superior to most standalone Bluetooth headsets.