Finally, the teaser's over. The latest delivery to Engadget's UK penthouse is the Jabra STONE Bluetooth headset due out in the US on 8th November, and we took no time to extract the pebble from the transparent cylinder. In front of us are the two parts of the STONE: an earpiece of a breakthrough form factor that instantly makes you pity its rivals, and behind it is the accompanying portable charging base which serves as an external battery. The latter is equipped with a micro-USB port and an LED indicator -- simply green or red -- to show whether there's enough battery juice for one full charge. It's a pretty neat idea as this is the only feasible way to fit eight hours of talk time (or twelve days of standby time) into such tiny package: two on the earpiece and an extra six from the surprisingly light battery base -- our scale reckons it is just under one ounce. We also dig the auto-off function when you dock the earpiece and vice versa. Docking and undocking are pretty straight forward too: just snap in for the former, and poke your thumb through the bottom hole of the base to push the earpiece out. The generic click button hidden under the Jabra badge is easy to access and responds well. Above that is the invisible vertical touch strip for volume control and similarly it responded nicely to our strokes. What's left on the earpiece are the two LED indicators on the underside for Bluetooth connectivity and battery. So far so good, but what really matters is the ear-on experience and the audio quality -- listen for yourself after the break.

Some products require no explanation. Take this "Unique Banana Shaped Bluetooth Handset," for example -- either you get it or you don't, but no amount of marketing, advertising, or sweet-talking is going to get a skeptic to appreciate its brilliance. If you're still reading this, maybe -- just maybe -- you fall into the "I need this, particularly at just $17.70" camp, and for you, take heart in the knowledge that you can be just 2 to 5 business days away from talking on a simulated piece of fruit that's connected to your phone via Class 2 Bluetooth 2.0. When's the last time you heard "standby time" quoted for a banana, anyway?

[Thanks, Larry]

Okay, so this thing is way more "traditional Bluetooth headset" than "a round object that looks nothing like a Bluetooth headset," but we'll give the marketing team credit -- STONE sure got us looking. Jabra's newest Bluetooth headset has just become official, bringing with it a behind-the-ear design, a wireless portable charger (which doubles as a carrying case) and Noise Blackout Extreme technology to keep things quiet when your yammering. There's also a "nearly invisible touch-controlled volume pad" on the outside of the headset, a battery good for 8 hours of talk time (or 12 days in standby), dual BT pairing support and A2DP compatibility. Unfortunately, you'll have to waltz into an AT&T retail store starting on November 8th to get one, and worse still, you'll walk out $129.99 poorer. But hey, you'll leave Stoned. (Sorry.)

C'mon, cut us some slack here. We're suckers for teasers, and our intuition says that you are too. Jabra, who has definitely done a thing or two for the Bluetooth headset realm, is apparently looking to reveal a "new shape" on October 20th, though it'll only be sold through AT&T (at least initially). Heck, there's even a countdown timer over on the outfit's teaser page for those who'd like to watch every second from now till then tick away, not to mention a brief video that tersely details the forthcoming excellence. So, got any bright ideas about what this thing could be? The second coming of the BT headset? Just another tchotchke?

[Via Electricpig]

Motorola's developed an unusual reputation for "flip" Bluetooth headsets, most recently with the MOTOPURE H15 -- and if you're into that sort of thing, pay attention, because they've got another one coming down the pike. The H17 becomes Moto's smallest flip headset (we doubt anyone else is even competing for that title), measuring 54 x 17 x 10mm when open with CrystalTalk, voice prompts, multiple ear bud options, micro USB charging, and a power toggle controlled by the action of the flip. We'd still take an HX1 before this, but if you're game, it should be available by the end of the month.

Itching to command your iPhone 3GS via voice control, yet aren't willing to wrap one more cable around your precious dome? Your wildest dreams could possibly come true next month, when BudsGoBlue launches an iPhone-friendly set of Bluetooth earbuds that should act as headphones and a BT headset. We're hearing that the loops on each earpiece are "completely flexible," and judging by the teaser video hosted up just after the break, they look fairly seductive, too. Hop on down and have a peek for yourself, won't you?

[Via mobilitysite, thanks Toni]

Generally speaking, you're trying to keep the jackhammers, trains, horns, and loudmouths that pollute the world's airspace out of your head while you're holding that conference call and walking back to the office from lunch at the same time -- but Sound ID's new 400 model takes a different approach. The upcoming Bluetooth headset has a couple unique features that set it apart from the crowd, the first being its so-called "Environmental Mode" -- shared with other Sound ID models -- which allows for two-ear hearing between phone calls without going to the trouble of taking the set out of your ear (the people around you might fancy you a dork, but they just don't get it, and they never will). The other biggie is compatibility with the company's not-yet-released Companion Link remote mic, which allows a second person to join into the conversation or simply repeats audio back to the 400. Look for the set to hit shelves in the fourth quarter for $129.99, with the Companion Link tagging along for $79.99. [Warning: PDF link]

Join us as we rejoice together: "Finally!" Look, we can't straight up say that Bluetooth headsets don't have their place in this world, but seriously, we've yet to not be freaked out when walking up to someone who's apparently speaking to the ghost we can't see. In a recent survey conducted by the quizzical minds over at Strategy Analytics, they found that only 26 percent of US-based Bluetooth headset owners use their device each and every day. That figure is down from 43 percent in 2008, proving that style may have just notched a minor victory over utility. Of course, the study also found that daily BT headset use was up slightly in Europe, but hey, it takes awhile for these so-called "trends" to float across the pond.

[Image courtesy of eHow, via HotHardware]

Nothing too exhilarating here, but if you're looking for something new to sit atop the peak on your ear, Samsung's got a new trio it'd love for you to consider. The most interesting of the three is undoubtedly the WEP870, which marries a noise-canceling Bluetooth mono headset (with BT music streaming) to a set of earbuds. As with the less thrilling WEP850 and WEP470, this one also features multi-connection technology in order to pair with up to two BT devices at once. The 870 steps things up with an LCD screen to display battery level, call status and BT connection status, while the other two handle calls and little else. All three are available for purchase right now for $89.99 (WEP870), $69.99 (WEP850) and $39.99 (WEP470).

[Via HotHardware]

Nokia's BH-905 made some serious waves when it debuted back in early June, but what else would you expect from a product that calls itself "the best headset ever made?" The Bluetooth-equipped cans, along with its ten microphones, supple ear cups and A2DP / AVCRP support, are expected to launch globally next month for around three hundred bones, and the fine folks over at NokNok have already managed to score a pre-release model. Aside from visibly gushing all over themselves, they also note that the cans are far smaller than the original press shots made them seem, giving cautious travelers reason to breath a sigh of relief. Hit the read link for a luxurious hands-on look.

We're not sure why we didn't hear more about this way back at RIM's WES conference way back in May, but it was apparently mentioned by VP Antoine Boucher at the time that they're working on a Bluetooth-enabled watch. Furthermore, it's said to be more advanced than the models Sony Ericsson has put forth so far, featuring streaming audio (3.5mm jack on the watch, perhaps?) and Twitter / Facebook updates in addition to the usual things like caller ID and text messages. Note that the image floating around today of this thing isn't real -- it's just a Sony Ericsson MBW-100 with a swapped logo -- so it remains to be seen what this magical wrist accessory will look like, assuming it's real and coming to retail. It seems Boucher also mentioned a high-end Bluetooth headset codenamed "Alpha 1" that'll allow you to stream music and get navigation directions through some sort of totally awesome silicone earpiece boasted to possibly be "the best solution on the market." It's pretty hard to pique a lot of interest these days with something as vanilla and ubiquitous as a headset, but at any rate, it's interesting to see the depth of RIM's apparent commitment to the accessory market right now.

[Via techfresh.net]

We know the HX1 is good -- possibly the best -- but is it $160 worth of good? That's a question that we'd frankly rather not have to answer -- we'd be more comfortable with a "is it $120 worth of good" type of situation -- but a poster on HTCPedia has showed up bearing pictures of a retail HX1 in the wild (obviously intended for Asian distribution) along with a hot rumor that it'll be a Sprint exclusive launching within the next month for a whopping $159.99. We're guessing the technology Moto licensed from Invisio wasn't cheap (Invisio's forerunner, Nextlink, was renowned for making excellent but exorbitantly expensive headsets in Bluetooth's early days), but no matter how good the HX1 is, it's tough for the average phone owner to justify spending more on their handsfree than they do on the phone itself. For now, we're hoping this rumor doesn't pan out, but just in case, you might want to start socking away twenties instead of buying 2,000 Nintendo DSi points every other day. Seriously, what are you using them on, anyway?

At this point, Bluetooth headsets are pretty played, but it's some kind of thrilling to see at least one company keeping things interesting. Newton Peripherals is that very outfit, today introducing a pair of new devices that are definitely unique in a sea of me-too ear pieces. First up is the MoGo Talk for iPhone, which adheres to the back of your handset and keeps the headset nearby at all times -- think LG's Decoy, but a tad less elegant. Next up is the MoGo Talk for VoIP & Skype (our personal favorite), which slides inconspicuously into one's ExpressCard slot in order to a) stay out of harm's way and b) charge when not in use. Too bad Apple decided that these slots were practically unwanted in its newest 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, huh? Both devices can be pre-ordered right now for $99 apiece, with shipments expected to begin next month.

[Via HotHardware]

Read - MoGo Talk for iPhone
Read - MoGo Talk for VoIP and Skype

Sony Ericsson's pushing its Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands harder than ever these days, but there's still plenty of good stuff in the regular range, too -- take this T715, for example. The newly announced slider features a 3.2 megapixel camera with "photo light" (don't call it a flash), sunlight-viewable 2.2-inch QVGA display, 3G, an impressive claimed 20 days of standby time, and a compact shell -- SE says it's the size of a credit card when closed. Launched alongside the T715 is the VH310 headset, available in your choice of silver or black with three different earpieces and two loops to fit your screwed-up head perfectly. Look for the phone to launch in Galaxy Silver and Rouge Pink (isn't that a contradiction?) in the third quarter -- and yes, both global and North American 3G versions will be available.

We've been playing with Motorola's recently-announced Endeavor HX1 for the past few hours, and we're just going to come right out with it: this is the best Bluetooth headset we've ever used. Moto claims that the HX1 is the world's first consumer headset to use "true bone conduction technology," a veiled (but obvious) reference to the external cheek-resting sensor found on Jawbone's devices -- and indeed, the Jawbone Prime is the most obvious direct competitor to the HX1. Both devices offer decent styling, feature optional earloops and a selection of earbuds for a tighter fit, are being positioned as premium headsets, and -- most importantly -- pack a ton of innovative circuitry all in the name of cutting noise in harsh surroundings. Follow the break for our quick impressions!