The Aliph Jawbone2 Reviewed

When the very first version of the Jawbone was released, it was widely regarded as one of the best Bluetooth headsets that a user could buy for the money, the proverbial Cadillac of Bluetooth Headsets. And like a Cadillac, it was one of the more expensive solutions, averaging between $85 to $120 when most other BT Headsets were priced between $30 and $60. And although it lacked a lot of the new Jawbone2’s functionality, it was still considered the top dog of the industry at the time.

Aliph has since updated the design and functionality of the headset, calling the new version appropriately enough “the New Jawbone” or “the Jawbone2”, the name I’ll use in this Product Review. When it first came out back in May of 2008, it was one of the single most expensive accessories that you could buy for your phone, with an MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of $129. But you certainly got a lot of bang for your buck with this device: the inclusion of the new NoiseAssassin Technology and the new smaller footprint (earprint?) makes this version a must-have item for the Ultra Mobile among us, even a whole year later.

Thankfully, the price of the Jawbone2 has also been substantially reduced in the last few months, coming down from the original MSRP of $129 to around $59. This to be mostly a reaction to the release of other “bone” technologies being offered by other competing technology vendors, but Aliph is also making room in their line for the release of their next BT Headset: the Jawbone Prime, which was released back in May of 2009.

Additionally, since most states have enacted some version of a “Hands-Free” law, owning a BT headset is actually becoming less of a want and more of a necessity, especially for those who accept cellphone calls while driving. This, coupled with the afore-mentioned discounted pricing now available, makes this is the perfect time to buy into this model and brand, with it’s uber-cool features.

Out of the three weeks that I wore this headset, it was mostly good times, but there were some frustrations that came packaged with the Headset. Most notable was the ongoing battle to keep the headset in my ear, which proved to be exceedingly frustrating. A distant second was the lack of a dedicated volume toggle switch, but this was minimized by overall good “automatic” balancing of the volume in general by Jawbone2 itself.
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