Equipment

Headset
Cable for charging the device from a computer
Neck strap
Detailed instructions

The device is supplied in a compact blister pack. In comparison with previous generations, we decided to abandon the provision of a separate charger for the headset, which, in my opinion, is a minus.

Appearance, control elements, assembly

Previous MicrON models were made in the form of miniature phones, but in the third generation they decided to take the path of simplification and abandoned all the extra buttons and display.

Externally, the device looks like an unusual compact “gadget”. The manufacturer on the official website uses a comparison with a credit card, but it is only relevant in terms of dimensions; it is very problematic to say what MicrON 3 looks like if you don’t know its purpose.

Most of the front side is occupied by two plastic plates, separated by a transparent block of keys. The rim of the device in the white version is silver, in the black version it is dark brown.

The earpiece is located at the top of the headset.

Just below the center you can see three buttons made of transparent plastic and a microphone hole. The side keys are responsible for changing the volume, and the central one is for receiving a call. It's funny that in the white version of the headset the buttons were very hard to press, but in the black version there was no such problem.

There is also an LED installed above the transparent panel. It flashes blue once every six seconds, lights up red when charging, and uses a quick “blink” when making a call.

At the bottom end there is a connector for charging the device.

At the back there is a groove for the included strap.

The headset will be available in four color modifications: black, white, white-blue and white-pink. It is important to note that the white version is made of glossy plastic, and the black version is made of matte rubberized plastic.

I tested both a black and a white sample. The white one had a slightly loose part of the front plastic plate, but there were no complaints about the assembly of the black one.

Dimensions

The device is slightly smaller in size than a credit card, and if you put three cards on top of each other, their thickness will be the same as that of this headset. The weight of the “miniphone” is only 38 grams, thanks to this you can comfortably communicate with it even for a long time.

BB-Mobile MicroON-3- 90x53x7 mm, weight 38 grams
BB-Mobile MicroON-2- 104x38x12 mm, weight 17 grams
BB-Mobile MicrON- 88x40x5 mm, weight 15 grams

As you can see, the new product has become twice as heavy, but the difference between 17 and 38 grams in the hand is not very noticeable.

Connection and control

The device uses Bluetooth v3.0, class 2. Using the headset, you can receive incoming calls, put them on hold and call back the last called subscriber. The headset can also work with desktop computers, but in the settings you must first select it as the main microphone and speaker. The radius of comfortable use is 2-2.5 meters, further (indoors) interference begins and the quality of communication deteriorates. The headset supports working with two devices simultaneously, there are no complaints about this function.

The list of functions performed by the three buttons is quite impressive. Below, let me give you a quote from the instructions, which describes in as much detail as possible all the actions of the buttons and LED:

Call the last number dialed
In Idle mode, quickly press the headset's multifunction key twice.

Change volume
While talking through the headset, press the volume up or down keys on the headset.

Switch from headset to phone or vice versa
While talking through the headset, press and hold its multifunction key for 1 second.

Place current call on hold
During a call, press the multifunction key and the headset volume up key simultaneously. A melody will sound on the opponent's handset until you press the same key combination again or interrupt the connection.

Manage two incoming calls
If during one conversation another call comes in, you will hear a double beep once every 5 seconds. To accept a call and put the current one on hold, simultaneously press the volume up soft key on the headset. To reject the second call, quickly press the headset's multifunction key twice. To switch between calls, press the multifunction key and volume up key on the headset again. If you have already established two connections and another call comes in, you can answer it by briefly pressing the multifunction key on the headset once. This will terminate the active connection.

Mute microphone
During a call, quickly press the headset's multifunction key twice. You will hear a double beep through the headset speaker once for 5 seconds. To turn on the microphone, quickly press the multifunction key twice again.

Delete the list of connected primary devices
In standby mode, press and hold the multifunction key and the headset volume up key simultaneously for 5 seconds.

Check battery level
If the headset is on but not currently in use for a conversation, press the volume up and down keys on the headset at the same time. The battery charge level is indicated by flashing red indicator: 1 time – low charge, 2 times – medium charge, 3 times – battery charged.

Also, despite the presence of only two LED colors, the headset has a large number of operations that these diodes inform about.

Amazingly detailed and detailed instructions for a device costing a thousand rubles. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with its full version can follow the link. However, as you understand, the average user is unlikely to go into the complexity of the instructions; however, even if you don’t read it, the intuitiveness of the operation does not raise any questions (if we are talking about banal functions, such as answering a call, calling the subscriber back, or changing the volume level) .

Battery life

The headset has a non-removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 420 mAh. The manufacturer claims up to 250 hours of standby time and up to 10 hours of talk time.

Surprisingly, for once, the numbers from the official website turned out to be true. I used the headset for about 10 days with a constant Bluetooth connection and talked for about 40 minutes, leaving the device with about half of its charge left.

By the way, you can check the battery charge by simultaneously pressing two volume keys:

3 flashes - the headset is charged,
2 flashes - average charge,
1 flash - low charge.

The device charges from a computer in about four hours.

Voice quality and speaker

When using the headset in conjunction with a smartphone, there are no complaints about speech transmission; you and your interlocutor can hear each other perfectly. But in combination with a computer and Skype, everything is not so smooth: you are heard perfectly, but you hear the voice of your interlocutor with characteristic background noise.

The ringing speaker is very loud, it is interesting that when there is an incoming call, both the smartphone itself and the headset ring.

Conclusion and personal impressions

The headset costs 1,000 rubles and is already on sale at retail.

I liked that the device costs half as much as the previous miniphone, I was pleased with the materials in the black version, and, of course, I was pleasantly surprised by the battery life.

I didn’t like that BB-Mobile took the path of simplification. Personally, I expected completely different functions from the third MicroON. I assumed that the company would increase the screen diagonal and optimize the phone book synchronized with the device. I expected that with the help of the new “miniphone” I would be able not only to make full calls, but also to send SMS from the device and (maybe) even view the latest notifications. I thought that, among other things, they would improve the work with headphones and add simple earplugs to the kit. Instead, almost all interesting functions were removed from the third version (numeric buttons, screen, 3.5 mm jack) and the equipment was reduced to a minimum.

However, the company can also be understood. It is quite possible that there are much more people who want to have a cheap Bluetooth handset for their tablet or smartphone than there are geeks who would be interested in the option I described.

As a result, if you are looking for a cheap companion accessory for your tablet for making calls, then the MicrON-3 is perfect for this role.

Specifications:

Bluetooth: v.3.0, class 2. Devices v 2.1 and higher are supported
Battery: Li-ion, 420mAh, built-in
Frequency range: 2.4 GHz - 2.48 GHz
Talk time: up to 10 hours
Standby time: up to 250 hours
Full charge time: 3 hours
Line of sight operating distance: up to 10 meters
Operating temperature: 0º – 45º C
Dimensions: 90 x 53 x 7 mm
Weight: 38 g

Evgeniy Vildyaev (

Especially for those who found the design of a Bluetooth headset archaic, a stylish successor was released under the name Miniphone BB-mobile micrON-2, which can also be used as a mono or stereo headset, as well as a Bluetooth adapter for a PC and a wireless headset for VoIP telephony. As innovations, the second generation Miniphone received the function of searching for contacts in the address book, the ability to adjust the volume of an incoming call, more flexible settings for sound control modes, a five-way navigation key and a removable battery. The range of the Bluetooth headset has been increased from 10 to 20 meters. The dimensions of the device are 104x38x12 mm, and the weight is 17 g. Calls are made from the headset itself - using the numeric keypad or through the call log and contact list transferred from the main phone. That is, it is not necessary to take out an expensive and large smartphone or tablet to make calls, which is especially important, for example, in the subway, infested with thieves. This will also allow you not to forget your phone, for example, in a restaurant (you must admit, it’s better to forget a small thing than a valuable thing). But if you suddenly forgot, then when the connection with the phone is lost, the device beeps. This feature will help you avoid losing your device in the office or at home, or forgetting it in a cafe or taxi, and also provides additional protection against theft. The miniphone is equipped with a 1.1 OLED display with a resolution of 96x96 (previously these figures were equal to 1 and 128x64, respectively), buttons for accepting and hanging up calls, volume keys (on a scale with seven marks) and a media player control button (by connecting headphones to the headset via a 3.5 mm jack , it can be used to listen to music). The new product can also be used in conjunction with a computer: as a Bluetooth adapter or a wireless headset for communicating using VoIP telephony services (Skype, MSN, Google Talk). In talk mode, the new product lasts up to 8 hours, in standby mode – about one week. The headset has already appeared in Russian retail at a price of $60. The package includes a charger block, a USB cable and headphones.

Good day everyone. Today we are not talking about a tablet, not a smartphone, or even a phone. Although at first glance the bb-mobile micrON-4 is very similar to the latter, in fact it is not a mobile phone, but a Bluetooth headset made in the form of a telephone. There is logic in this step of the developers: I know that many people do not like wearing a wireless headset on their ear, while not everyone is comfortable talking on large smartphones. But there are also tablets with 3G modems that support voice communication... It’s for such comrades that the bb-mobile micrON-4 is intended - it’s like you’re talking on a regular mobile phone, which is noticeably more compact than the same Nokia 105, but at the same time The headset is connected to the head unit in your pocket or bag. And nothing is hanging on your ear at this time.

Let me emphasize once again that bb-mobile micrON-4 is not a phone. This is a headset (accessory), so without a smartphone or tablet it will be of no use.

bb-mobile micrON-4 and Samsung Galaxy S4

The four in the product name hints that three more models of this family were previously released. This is true. bb-mobile micrON and micrON-2 are also designed in the form of small mobile phones, but micrON-3 resembled a plastic card - without a screen and keyboard. So the hero of this review is most likely the heir to the micrON-2 model.

Specifications

Packaging and equipment

bb-mobile micrON-4 is sold in a blister, it looks like this:

http://cs614623.vk.me/v614623246/ae0d/8vpQiFT17o8.jpg

The kit includes a lanyard for wearing around the neck, a cable for charging from a computer's USB port (you will have to purchase a power outlet separately), a warranty card and instructions.

Design and controls

The headset looks like a very small and sleek telephone, or, if you like, a telephone. The body is white with silver chrome inserts. The build quality is very high, bb-mobile micrON-4 is perceived as a monolithic block. The headset weighs no more than 40 g, which is three to four times less than the average modern smartphone. It is also worth noting that micrON-4 is somewhat more compact than micrON-2: 92 x 35 x 8.7 mm instead of 104 x 38 x 12 mm.

I wouldn't call the keyboard very comfortable - the buttons are located on a plastic plate and have a short travel. If the keys were only needed to search for phone numbers in the address book, then that would be fine. But bb-mobile micrON-4 allows you to write SMS - more on that below. In general, if you have dealt with any Motorola RAZR (a flip phone, not a smartphone), then you will understand what kind of keyboard this headset has. You can live, but you will have to get used to it.

Nokia 105 and bb-mobile micrON-4

The device control system is simple - it is approximately the same as that of many push-button phones. There are a couple of soft buttons, up and down arrows, keys for accepting and hanging up calls. There is also a key with a note: in the menu it duplicates the left soft button, opening sections and sub-items; if music is played on the head unit, then this key will provide access to the playback control interface. Switching between songs is done with buttons 1 and 3 on the keyboard, and button 2 pauses the music. bb-mobile micrON-4 can also act as a stereo Bluetooth headset - the device body has a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting almost any headphones.

Screen

Compared to bb-mobile micrON-2, the display diagonal has increased: from 1.1 to 1.44 inches. The technology has also changed - from OLED to TFT. At the same time, the display has become color – its quality is quite comparable to the screens of Nokia 105, Samsung Keystone 2 and other ultra-budget devices. The colors are pleasing to the eye, the image is more or less readable in the sun, although the viewing angles are small.

At work: what can bb-mobile micrON-4 do?

The following fact should be noted right away: bb-mobile micrON-4 is intended primarily for Android devices. It is also compatible with iOS devices, but most functions will not work - you will get a regular Bluetooth headset. Meanwhile, the bb-mobile micrON-4 is by no means an ordinary headset, which is proven by its capabilities in conjunction with Android.

So, after the first connection to a smartphone or tablet based on Google’s operating system, bb-mobile micrON-4 downloads all contacts from there. It took about a minute to synchronize approximately 250 contacts, which means this process does not take much time. Searching for subscribers from the headset keyboard is supported, and we are talking about both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet. If the subscriber’s card in the smartphone has two numbers, then in the address book they will be displayed, for example, as “Kolya (1)” and “Kolya (2)”. Well, I have only one complaint. My smartphone is set to not display contacts without phone numbers at all: as a rule, numbers are not listed for email addresses in Gmail, and I don’t need them in the phone book. So, bb-mobile micrON-4 displays all contacts in a row - both with and without phones. You can, of course, only call the numbers where the numbers are listed. Meanwhile, it is not possible to hide contacts without numbers, which is somewhat frustrating.

The call log is also downloaded from the smartphone/tablet and displayed on the bb-mobile micrON-4 screen, so you can call your last contacts without taking the head unit out of your pocket. When there is an incoming call, the headset plays the only melody recorded in its memory, which cannot be changed. At the same time, the smartphone/tablet also “sings,” but the ringtone that is set in it. The bb-mobile micrON-4 has four alert modes for an incoming call: “sound”, “vibration”, “sound + vibration”, “silent”. The vibration is not the most powerful.

The most important innovation, in my opinion, is the following: bb-mobile micrON-4 allows you to exchange SMS and display notifications from social network clients and other applications installed in the head unit. This is achieved using the BTNotification application, which must be downloaded from the bb-mobile website (there is a link in the instructions), installed on a smartphone or tablet running Android and activated in the settings.

After installing the application, your messages appear in bb-mobile micrON-4. They can be read and answered using the headset keyboard. Very convenient, especially in the case of a tablet with a 3G modem - you’re usually too lazy to take it out of your bag.

In the BTNotification application settings, you can specify which applications will be able to send notifications to the headset. For example, in the case of Instagram, the nickname of the person who liked you is displayed. And in the case of VKontakte, even a personal text. This function is unique and makes bb-mobile micrON-4 similar to Samsung Galaxy Gear series watches, which cost 5-7 times more.

A few words about the interface and software options. It is designed in the form of a carousel. It’s interesting that the bb-mobile micrON-4 has a stopwatch - a small thing, but a nice one. The headset also has a Bluetooth connection notification function - it is triggered if the head unit moves away from the Micron by 7-10 meters. In this case, the headset begins to howl quite loudly, so that you will probably remember that you forgot your tablet or smartphone and will return for it. (We can only hope that no one will steal it during this time.)

The bb-mobile micrON-4 will have to be charged once every 5-7 days. Although if you receive a lot of personal messages/likes/letters, then the headset can be installed in 3-4 days.

Conclusion

In my opinion, it turned out to be an excellent product - both for yourself and as a gift. Fortunately, the bb-mobile micrON-4 is not that expensive: about 2 thousand rubles. The body of the headset is neat, the screen is also good, the voice quality is decent, and the design is nice. Plus there are several unique functions that make it similar not even to Bluetooth “ears”, but to “smart watches”. So if you are tired of talking on a 5- or 6-inch smartphone or on a 7- or 8-inch tablet, then you can take it; such an accessory will definitely come in handy in the household. The bb-mobile micrON-4 also has disadvantages (see below), but there are many more positive aspects.

Pros
+ Great design
+ High build quality
+ Ability to exchange SMS
+ Notification display options
+ Voice quality
+ Not a bad screen
+ Stable operation
+ Competitive price

Cons
- The keyboard will take some getting used to
- Shows all contacts in a row – both with and without phones

The screen diagonal of the average smartphone today reaches 5 inches. Is it worth clarifying that not everyone is comfortable talking through such “giants”? Of course, you can purchase a relatively compact device with a diagonal of 4-4.3 inches, and it will be noticeably more convenient. But the most functional smartphones (and many middle-class models too) are equipped with either 5-inch or even larger displays. Girls especially suffer from this: they also want a large, functional smartphone, buy it, and then are faced with the fact that holding such a “colossus” to their ear for a long time is not so easy.

A regular “ear” Bluetooth headset is, of course, a solution to the problem described above, but I personally don’t like wearing a piece of plastic on my ear. I bought my first “ear with blue teeth” back in 2004 - it was some kind of model from Siemens. Then I periodically bought Samsungs, Jabras and Motorolas, but I couldn’t “make friends” with any of them - it’s not convenient, it’s annoying, I want to take it off and stuff like that... Meanwhile, lately I’ve been in need of a wireless headset very sharp - I took the 5.7-inch Lexand Antares for long-term testing, which, due to its size, is uncomfortable to hold passion to your ear.

5.7-inch Lexand Antares

Recently I was visiting a friend and found this thing on his shelf:

This is the LG HBM-700 - it was sold under different names in the USA, South Korea and a number of other regions, but it was quite a long time ago, in the mid-2000s. The “friend’s” copy, alas, turned out to be inoperative - its battery “died” a couple of years ago. (This is normal for headsets; their batteries fail much faster than in the same smartphones.)

Meanwhile, I really liked the concept of the LG HBM-700 - it’s a kind of miniature “Bluetooth phone” with a screen and buttons, allowing you to leave your smartphone in your pocket and talk on a much lighter and more compact “stick” with the ability to dial numbers.

I did a little “research” and found out that HTC has something similar – we’re talking about the HTC Mini+, which is both a headset and a kind of remote control for smartphones and the HTC Media Link HD set-top box. Everything would be fine, but this magnificence costs 4,500 rubles - in my opinion, a bit too much for a headset. And then: I’m not sure that it will work properly with devices not produced by HTC.

HTC Mini+

Another similar product was shown at IFA 2013 by TCL/Alcatel. But when it will go on sale, how much it will cost and whether it will work with models of other brands is an open question.

Then I came across a whole range of Bluetooth headsets from the Russian brand bb-mobile. He has three of these things: MicrON, MicrON-2 and MicrON-3. The first two resemble small mobile phones, and the third is just a rectangle with a speaker and control keys, that is, without a screen and number buttons. It so happened that we managed to get the third version for testing - well, I’ll tell you about it, and at the same time I’ll compare it “in absentia” with the first two models.

bb-mobile microON

bb-mobile microON-2

Bb-mobile MicroON-3 comes in this packaging. The package includes a USB charger, a lanyard for wearing around the neck and a couple of books - instructions and warranty.

Two points: first, the blister is very scratched (although for 1,000 rubles this is forgivable). That is, Mikron is quite suitable as a gift, but you may not be able to find a package without a single scratch in the store. The second point is that the white versions of the headset come with a white cord, and the black ones come with a black cord. In my opinion, white is not very practical: it gets dirty quickly, especially in the heat of summer.

There are four options for bb-mobile MicrON-3 - three white and black:

First and foremost, in bb-mobile MicrON-3 the developers have significantly simplified the concept. At first glance, this is an obvious disadvantage. For example, to make a call in the case of the two previous headsets, you did not need to take your smartphone out of your pocket or bag - contacts from your address book were displayed on the Mikron screens. Meanwhile, with the help of bb-mobile MicrON-3 you can only receive calls, as well as dial the last number dialed (two quick presses on the middle button). For everything else, you will have to bring out your “shovel” into the light of day.

However, if you dig deeper, you will find out the following: firstly, the third Mikron costs 1,000 rubles, the second - 2,000, the first - 1,500. Yes, in principle, 500-1,000 rubles is not a huge amount of money, but it is in the case When purchasing a phone accessory, such savings are definitely pleasant. The second point is battery life: the bb-mobile website states that MicrON and MicrON-2 operate on a single charge for no more than 7 hours. Meanwhile, the bb-mobile MicrON-3 lasted 9 and a half (specially tested in the “non-stop speech transmission” mode). Probably, the operating time was increased precisely by removing “extra” components.

Motorola Finiti and bb-mobile MicrON-3

Actually, the “extra” was removed, but what was left? bb-mobile MicrON-3 is a thin (less than 7 millimeters) and light (30 grams) rectangle made of glossy plastic with a speaker, microphone and three “transparent” control buttons. The assembly is neat, the quality of the materials is very good. Also on the case there is a loop for a lanyard, a connector for a charger and a bb-mobile logo with a built-in LED - that’s all. Speaking of charging: I would really, really like to see MicroUSB here.

Using the keys you can do the following: accept/reject/end calls, hold a call, switch between a pair of calls, adjust the speaker volume, switch a call from the phone to the headset and back, turn on/off the microphone. In fact, there is no difference with most in-ear Bluetooth headsets. Well, except that multipoint bb-mobile MicrON-3 supports - but this function is far from unique in recent years.

In the bb-mobile business, MicrON-3 performed well - the quality of speech transmission/reception is high, there are no unnecessary rustles. The melody, however, is not played from the smartphone, but another one recorded in the headset’s memory. But this is the case with Android devices. I haven’t tested it with an iPhone, but the developers promise that in its case your ringtone will play.

The headset also connects to the computer - I tested it with Skype, everything works like a charm.

Lexand Antares and bb-mobile MicrON-3

There's not much more to say - the device is simple but useful. I personally don’t talk on the phone very much, and more often than not I receive calls rather than make calls myself. So the lack of a screen and keyboard in the bb-mobile MicrON-3 doesn’t really bother me. For 1,000 rubles (compare with 4,500 in the case of HTC Mini+), the product is worthy and can be recommended. If you make calls yourself more often, then you can look, for example, at bb-mobile MicrON-1 - it is devoid of all the disadvantages of the “troika”.