Ever since Nokia discontinued the DT-22, it has become almost impossible to get your hands on one or even an alternative. Well, that’s until now. We’ve recently got our hands on another tripod that does the job quite well, the Fly Mobile Holder.

This little tripod is perfect for mobile phones, because unlike most digital cameras, mobile device lack a built-in tripod mount. By using the adapter (Mobile Holder) you could in fact mount the device to the included tripod or just about any other tripod system, even the larger ones. This makes it very useful for mobloggers or just about anybody that tried to do a one-handed unboxing video or had countless group photos where they were missing from the shot. It’s also great for preventing camera-shake, also works perfectly for stop-motion video and even HDR photography.

There seems to be two units available, but the one we got was the model number S2120W. It comes in glossy black that perfectly matched our test Nokia N900 and consists of two parts: an adapter and the mini tripod.

The adapter is actually the most important part as it allows you to connect your device to any tripod. It’s adjustable at two key point, allowing you to adjust both the height and length. It has a spring loaded mechanism to control its extended height, but it’s not manually adjustable to a specific length. You can pull it up so that the device can fit in, and the strong spring loaded mechanism pulls it back down until it rest on the device. The mechanism has a VERY strong spring in the sense that it requires you to pull really hard to get get your device in.

In contrast, the DT-22’s solution works by using a screw to open or close its adapter. Both of these systems get the job done, but the DT-22 screw system allows for finer adjustments and requires a lot less force to pull it up. Strangely, the the part that extends the length of the adapter is fully (manually) adjustable  and uses another adjustment system. This part requires little force and allows for precise adjustments. I also like the fact that the adapter has rubberized pads on the inside that should prevent any scratches. Other than a strong spring, it’s simple to use and it works quite effectively in securing even a large and heavy device such as the N900.

The tripod is very compact, but the legs can be extended to almost double its height. With the legs extended and pulled together, it can even act as a monopod to get a shot above a crowd or even tight situations such as beehive. The tripod base uses a ballhead which allows it to pan and tilt in every possible direction and can be locked into a specific position using the key. As a plus, it can be removed from the adapter and used with most point-and-shoot digital camera and was even able to support a heavy camera such as the Canon Powershot G10.

Overall build quality is really good. The adapter does feel a bit plasticky, but seems to be strong to handle heavier devices such as the N900 and even survive a fall. It’s also light enough as to not add much weight to your mobile device. If you like taking pictures or videos with your smartphone, this is a must have and gets a 8.7 out of 10. The Fly Mobile Holder can be purchased at MobileFun.co.uk. 

Pros  

-Steady shots for HDR and stop-motion photography

-Good build quality

-Adapter can be used with other tripods

-Rubberized pads to protect your device

-Tripod can be used with digital cameras

-Highly adjustable

-Tripod can be adjusted to almost twice it’s height

-Supports even larger/heavier devices such as the N900

Cons

-Spring mechanism for height adjustment requires a lot of force

I know, I know, 32GB microSDHC cards aren’t even available yet and I’m already talking about SDXC. These next generation cards are supposed to revolutionize storage with capacities ranging from 32GB to 2TB and bus interface speeds from 104 MB/s up to 300 MB/s. Lucky for us, their will also be a mobile version in the form of the microSDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity). It’s been a few years since the launch of the N95, which is also one of the first Nokia smartphones to support microSDHC with capacities of up to 32GB. Shouldn’t Nokia be already thinking about the next generation?

With multi-megapixels Nseries devices approaching 10 Megapixels, possibly even surpassing that and the inevitable HD video recording, suddenly that 32GB of storage in your N900 or N97  doesn’t sound as impressive. Nokia’s own Comes with Music service is another way to quickly fill up your memory, OVI Maps and our ever present desire to carry anything and everything in our mobile devices are other reasons to look ahead to those 2TBs being promised with SDXC.

Another plus comes from the standard’s its fast bus interface. No need to get technical here, just think faster file transfers from your PC to you mobile. Also, in many electronic devices, including our smartphones, the storage system is almost always the weakest link. Adding a speedy storage system could make overall performance possibly a bit more responsive.

Who knows, when looking for your next Nokia you won’t only be checking  the specs to see whether it has Symbiam, MeeGo and QWERTY, but perhaps also whether it has microSDXC.

Is microSDHC enough or should Nokia quickly implement

An interesting post at the Symbian-Guru, showing 10 things Android does better than Symbian got me thinking. What struck me was that all of these things that Android indeed could do better than Symbian, were all things Maemo had already taken care of. Everything from the Browsing experience, multiple home screen and even notifications are advantages that Android may have over Symbian, but certainly not Maemo. In fact, all of these “new” features set to be introduced in the upcoming version of Symbian can be used right now using the N900 and Maemo.

After using Maemo on the Nokia N900, Symbian looks and feels outdated. Judging by the recent Symbian^3 and ^4 videos, fails to impress with just minor changes. Even Engadget seems to agree.

The N900/Maemo combo’s multi-tasking abilities could make any PC proud. Symbian in contrast feels leisurely when performance is concerned and is limited in multi-tasking. Unlike Symbian, Maemo is actually useable. The classic example is that of having multiple applications and browsers open and still having the ability to keep a Youtube video playing in the background and even having enough horsepower to show a preview of this video on the Dashboard! Unlike Symbian, the N900/Maemo combo never keeps you waiting and there isn’t really a limit to how many apps you can keep open with 1GB of RAM. For many PCs this is plenty enough, for a mobile device this is simply heaven. The best part is that performance never suffers, even with multiple apps or browser windows open.

Apps look great with next generation effects, even the system sounds are cool. There aren’t confusing soft keys, just point to where you want to go. Applications are also updated automatically and so far I’ve didn’t have the need to update the firmware using a PC. Sure, Maemo on a smartphone is fairly new and still needs a few fixes here and there.

We can also mention Maemo’s tightly integrated uploading features, Skype and Conversations. Features that Symbian doesn’t necessarily lacks, but isn’t as polished as Maemo.

Last but not least, we can mention Maemo’s crown jewel, its browser. Something that Symbian and in fact any other mobile device can match.

I can go on and on, but simply put: Maemo is in my opinion better than Symbian. For this reason I’ve simply stopped using current Symbian device, especially 5th edition based devices. One notable exception are the E72, E55 and E52. It’s sure going to take a lot to get me back to Symbian.

Do you agree? Is Maemo/MeeGo better than Symbian?

1.Backlit keys: This is one of those features that is increasingly  becoming popular among consumers. How many time did you find yourself trying to type in the dark and trying to put your screen at an angle so that you can see keys. This is especially the case for those of us that can’t blind type. This feature used be something reserved for high-end system, but Alienware’s 11” M11x has brought this feature in the sub $1000 range. The Booklet 3G is all about mobility, adding backlit keys means that the user can enjoy this mobility even in low-light conditions.

2.Add Nvidia ION 2 with Optimus Technology: The Booklet 3G is equipped with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 which struggles with 720p and 1080 video, making it virtually unplayable. Any form of 3D gaming is only reserved for the most basic titles. The inability to play high-def video makes the inclusion of a HDMI port less useful. Using the Nvidia ION 2 would equip the Booklet 3G with two graphic system: a dedicated Nvidia graphics card (for HD video and Youtube HD playback) and an integrated Intel Graphics when you need long battery life. By using the Nvidia Optimus technology, the system can automatically switch among the two graphics system depending on the task at hand. One example would be that it automatically switches to the Intel graphics when typing in Word and switches to the Nvidia graphics when a Youtube video starts playing in your browser.

3.Upgradeable RAM:The RAM is soldered to the motherboard and is not user upgradeable. The Booklet 3G actually works just fine with 1GB of RAM, but the user should always have the option to add more RAM. Heavy multi-tasking can in some cases reveal the limits of having only 1GB of RAM.

4.Longer battery life: The Booklet 3G’s 12 hour battery life is impressive, but real world usage is more in the range of 10 hours. Other models half its price, such as the Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU can already achieve an even more impressive 14 hours of battery life.

5.Drop Windows 7 Starter: The system is supposed to come with various flavors of Windows 7, but so far I’ve only seen Windows 7 starter. This particular version of Windows 7 lacks any way to change the Desktop Wallpaper, Windows Aero and Visual Style. The Booklet 3G has always distinguished itself as a “premium” system and for this reason should at least come with Windows 7 Home Premium and not the most basic form of Windows 7.

6.Better integrated 3G wireless: One of the features I was really looking for, was a netbook/laptop that had integrated 3G. No more USB 3G modems. To my surprise, I found that the 3G wasn’t as good as a dedicated USB modem, in fact it was way below.

7.Thick Screen Bezel: The screen is surrounded by a thick bezel. In this very same space, Nokia could fit an 11” display while still keeping the compact overall dimensions. The Booklet 3G looms impressively thin, but the thick bezel makes it look a bit funny when seen from the front.

I really love the N900. It’s a great all-round piece of gadgetry: crazy multi-tasking, best browser so far, speedy performance and 4 home screens that make trips to the menu a rare thing. On top of that there’s the great Skype integration and it’s simply fun to use. It even has graphics that could make a PSP proud and and an open platform that would make a developer blush. And yes, out of memory warnings and apps closing on their own are finally a thing of the past. Even with its geek phone status, it also seems to appeal more to the average consumer, when comapred to other recent Nokia phones like the N97. Despite having a lot going for it, Nokia seems to have forgotten about the mighty N900. Here’s why.

1.No free, voice guided turn-by turn navigation: When devices like the E72, N97 and X6 received their lifetime free navigation upgrade, N900 owners had to watch in envy as their device didn’t even have voice guided turn-by turn navigation. We are not even sure whether  this update will come eventually or whether they will just skip it and focus on their next Maemo/MeeGo device.

2.No PC Suite or OVI Suite support. According to Nokia, PC Suite version 7.1 supports the N900, but in fact it doesn’t. The latest version of OVI Suite totally lacks any support for this device. When was the last time you bought a Nokia that couldn’t sync with your PC? For me this is actually the first time.

3.No OVI Sync support. OVI Sync is an amazing service, that allows you to backup your contact, calendar and notes into the cloud on OVI.com. It has even been a life saver for me. Now I have all my contacts safely stored on OVI.com. And I can’t access them. Just perfect. The reason is simple: OVI sync doesn’t support the N900, which means that all that precious data is now locked on OVI with no way of getting them on the N900 other than manually entering, well that’s at least until Nokia decides the support the N900.

4. Nokia Messaging. There are actually two issues with the N900 and Nokia Messaging. The first problems comes from the fact that the N900 connects to Nokia servers “to check service availability.” If you live outside the default regions that come pre-installed on the N900, there’s no way for you to get Nokia Messaging, as it would detect that your outside of the supported regions and simply remove the option for Nokia Messaging. I for example live in the Netherlands Antilles, one of those regions that isn’t available on the N900, which forces me to choose another region. By doing this, Nokia Messaging doesn’t even show up in the list of service providers. Some users that do live in the supported regions have even complained how they still don’t get Nokia Messaging (and here) in the list of service providers.

One of the cool features of the Nokia Booklet 3G is it’s ability to reset to the original factory state. Basically bringing it to the state it was when it came from the factory. This is handy for those cases when you for example have an unmovable virus or spyware, slow performances and you just want a clean restart.

This can simply be done by pressing F8. You need to press F8 before the operating system logo appears. In the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to select Advanced Boot
Options > Repair your Computer. On the second screen choosing “ImageX recovery utility” should reset the system to factory defaults. Be sure to plug the Booklet 3G in. The entire process should take less than 30 minutes.

This is a quick heads-up to let you know that Nokia Ovi Suite 2.1 has now graduated and can now be downloaded here. Those running the BETA should get a notification to upgrade to the latest version 2.1.0.87.

What I can’t understand is why the Nokia N900 still isn’t supported. The N900 is currently an orphan without any love from either PC Suite or OVI suite.

The ZAGGsparq, one of the products we named “Ultimate Accessory for the Nokia N900” seemed to have a few problems charging Nokia’s latest Maemo smartphone. We weren’t sure whether this was being caused by the N900 or the ZAGGsparq, but provided a possible solution to get the two devices working.

Now it’s pretty clear that that problem was being caused by the ZAGGsparq, as ZAGG is now contacting their customers to get a replacement of the product. They are apparently working on version 2.0 of this product that should be released in late March. Current customers, including myself were contacted via phone to get the replacement in late March. Customers who haven’t been contacted should give them a call.

The ZAGGsparq seems to be Out of Stock, as they get ready to released the revamped 2.0 version. Once the 2.0 version comes out, we’ll be taking another look at it as its 6,000 mAh
battery power is still very impressive.

Have you been having trouble charging your N900 with the ZAGGsparq?

The Nokia N900 has received a small 16.2Mb over-the-air update that brings it up V3.2010.02-08 (PR1.1.1). This is likely an over-the-air only update that has started to hit many, but not all product codes and should reach most if not all by this week.

This minor update will make room for a second, major update that’s supposed to come out very soon that could bring Qt to the N900.

Other than make way for the upcoming major firmware, it also should properly support OpenGL ES 1.1 and fix a bug that I’ve been experiencing myself where the N900 can’t to a WiFi network until it is restarted. More of these community reported fixes can be found here.

What other changes have you noticed?

Introduction

When we covered the Nokia BH-804 in our First Impressions and later on in the Final review, we proclaimed it “Nokia’s most complete Bluetooth headset to date,” and still consider it one of the best headsets out there. Such a status isn’t easily achieved, of course. Most of it can be attributed to the high-quality materials, design-centric styling and considering it’s diminutive size, good wireless performance and battery life. Audio performance was also rated it as “above average.” An impressive feat for such a small piece of gadgetry. One would think that these elements are the only key for the success of such a Bluetooth headset, but as the Nokia BH-904 proves, there are different ways to reach one goal. In fact, the story of the BH-904 is one that contradicts with what is considered the current norm and completely defies current trends. This especially becomes evident when it’s compared to it’s smaller sibling, the BH-804, a Bluetooth headset that prioritizes style. As this review will show, some of these contradictions are actually in the BH-904’s favor.

Specifications

Dimensions

· 53 x 19.7 x 10.8 mm

Weight

· 18.2g

Operating keys

· Power on/off

· Answer/End calls

· Mute switch

· Volume up/down

Connectors

· microUSB charging connector

Operating temperature

· -15 °C to +55 °C

Operating range (maximum)

· 10 m

Available colours

· Black with stainless steel boom, black u-hook

Power

Power supply

· Li-Ion polymer 3.74V/75mA

Operating time (maximum)

· 8 h

Operating time with 15 minutes of charging (maximum)

· 5 h

Standby time (maximum)

· 160 h

Charging time with AC-6 (maximum)

· 35 min

Charging time with USB cable (maximum)

· 3 h

Compatible Nokia chargers

· chargers with a microUSB charger connector interface, Nokia Travel Charger AC-6 (included) and DC-6 (sold separately)

Additional power information

· Compatible with Nokia Charger Adapter CA-146C (sold separately)

Connectivity

Bluetooth version

· 2.1 with enhanced data rate (EDR)

Bluetooth profiles

· Handsfree profile (HFP) 1.5

· Headset profile (HSP) 1.1

Sales package contents

· Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-904

· Nokia Travel Charger AC-6

· User Guide

· 3 different shaped changeable ear rubbers

Package and Presentation

The 904’s packaging is basic and functional, communicating it’s capabilities, without being too plain. The 804 goes the complete opposite route, where it’s  is all about presentation with its “hidden treasure”theme, key, lock, map and treasure box. Packaging is usually not a deal breaker, if you ask us, but in the case of the  of the 804 it does stand out. I can see  myself giving someone the BH-804 with its fancy box without ever using gift wrapping, while with the 904 it’s simply not the same.

The 904’s package consists of two parts: an inner and an outer box. Staying true to the “Noise” theme,the outer box is decorated with Blue lines that symbolize heavy amounts of noise, while cut-out letters characterize missed or misunderstood words during a conversation in a noisy environment.  When you pull out the inner box the same theme is continued, but this time  the cut out letters are gone and replaced by complete words, while the Blue lines are less defined, representing noise being suppressed. Not very obvious at first, but a nice detail that serves the purpose of communicating the unit’s capabilities, instead of just using random box art. A nice little detail.

Despite the fairly large box, there isn’t much to be found inside. Other than the BH-904 itself you’ll find the charger and 3 different shaped changeable ear piece rubbers. That’s it. While this does covers the basics, one look at that the impressive list of accessories included with the 804, we couldn’t help but feel like Nokia forgot a few extras. Accessories such as a desk stand, pouch or even neckstrap would have been extremely welcome.

Nokia has been doing an impressive job when it comes to green packaging, with recycled materials and smaller packages, but in this case of the BH-904 there doesn’t seem any sign of recycled materials being used. What’s even stranger is that the 804 uses a smaller package with a lot more content.

The Nokia BH-904

The BH-904 belongs to the more traditional single-ear type headsets, focused on hands free communication, much like its smaller sibling the BH-804. Just by the product name alone a clear distinction is made: the 900 models are considered Nokia’s flagship series and comes from a line of Bluetooth and Stereo Bluetooth headsets that emphasize performance. As a results these tend to the be much larger in size when to compared Nokia’s other Bluetooth headsets, such as the 800 series. The BH-804 for example in contrast favors style and simplicity, looking more like a fashion accessory than a piece of technology, which is very evident from the overall  design and small size of that unit. The 904 is currently Nokia’s flagship single-ear  headset and replaces the BH-900, a headset with which it shares many familiar design elements, such as the sliding metal boom, U-hook and somewhat biggish dimensions (when compared to your typical headset.)

At first sight, it’s the large dimensions of the BH-904 that catches your attention. When it comes to Bluetooth headsets the general trend is towards small, trendy headsets, much like the BH-804 itself. The 904 totally ignores this trend and in what can only be described as something that tech support might use to answer calls. If the large size wasn’t enough, sliding the boom down makes for an even larger looking unit, adding an extra one third of its length.  Despite its size, Nokia has managed to make it look good and give it a “pro” looking design, that although not as pretty as the 804, definitely looks good. This is not an easy task if you ask us. The use of  mostly Black colors, also helps to make the unit look much smaller than it really is, while the metal Boom draws your attention to the center, giving it the impression of it being a lot slimmer.

Let’s take a spin around the BH-904.

The headset contains the following parts:1.Volume Key 2.Sliding Boom 3.Earpiece 4.Indicator Light 5.Power Key 6.Charger Connector 7.Mute Key 8.Answer/End key 9.Microphones

One of the distinguishing features of the 904 is the U-shaped ear hook. Smaller headsets rely mostly on the earpiece itself or an optional ear loop to keep it in place. This model keeps true to a tradition started by the BH-900 by using a built-in non-removable U-shaped ear hook. The benefits here are clear: no need to worry about loosing the ear loop or forgetting it at home, it’s always there. It’s also very flexible and scores  high on the comfort level, while still being a able to hold  such a large headset securely in place. The comfortable fit comes from the U-shaped design of the hook. It seems to spread the weight of the headset around the ear and slightly raises the headset above  it, giving the impression that the BH-904 was almost floating above your ear. In fact, during prolonged usage, the 904s never seem to put any strain on the ear, barely even touching it. In some cases I even forgot I had it on. It’s safe to say that the BH-904 can be worn the entire day without a single problem. This becomes even more impressive when you consider that 904s has the same length as two 804s, or three with the Boom extended and weighs more than two 804s put together.

One thing worth noting however is that the U-hook isn’t adjustable, but relies solely on the flexibility of the rubbery material used. This never compromises comfort, but due to varying ear sizes and shapes, it doesn’t always allow for the earpiece to fit exactly on top of the ear canal. This is precisely what happened in my case. The fact that the earpiece didn’t sit right above the ear canal, strangely didn’t have any effect on the  volume or audio quality, clearly showcasing the quality of the earpiece itself. Despite the great audio performance, I would like to see future versions of the headset with an adjustable hook or even better: an adjustable earpiece that can slide up or down and locking into various positions, in turn accommodating varying ear shapes. The BH-904 certainly has the size to house such a feature.

The most striking design element of the BH-904 is the metal sliding boom. At first this features seems to add unnecessary length and bulk without truly serving a purpose, but during our usage it actually worked incredibly well, easily proving its usefulness. The idea behind it is simple: the closer a boom mic is to your mouth, the better its chances of faithfully capturing audio.Only problem is that the distance between the ear and mouth is relatively long, requiring an equally long headset. Nokia solved this problem with the slide mechanism, allowing you to bring the boom closer to your mouth when talking .

The sliding boom is not only used to bring the mic closer to your mouth, but also to increase the distance between lower mic and the one on top near the hook. The BH-904 than utilizes a Digital Signal processor (DSP) to separate speech from background noise. If that wasn’t enough, the sliding boom can even be used to answer or end calls, by gently pushing it down towards your mouth or up to its initial position. While there’s also an Answer/End key, I prefer the sliding boom as it is more intuitive to use. It has a  smooth sliding movement, that slightly accelerates the slide speed at about half way through. The slide is not spring-assisted, but we would love to see them add this feature.

The left side is almost clear, except for the single volume key. You have to slide it repeatedly up or down to increase or decrease the volume. The key has a strong spring-assist mechanism that requires a little more force than usual, but otherwise works great.

On the right there’s an Answer/End key in the case that answering calls with the sliding Boom isn’t quite your thing. It basically mimics the functionality of the sliding boom, but we’re always fans of having options. On top of that it also adds voice dialing capabilities and last call, something that can’t be done with the sliding boom. There’s also a mute button and last but not least a microUSB port. We’re happy that Nokia went the microUSB route instead of some proprietary connection or even the usual Nokia 2.0mm or 3.5mm charger connector. This means that I’m for example able to use the Nokia N900’s charger or even third party chargers such as the Powermat’s Powercube. While the 804 does use microUSB charger with its desk stand or Charger Adapter AD-68, these are accessories  that I wouldn’t necessarily have with me all the time, but that I do need to be able to charge. In the case of the BH-904 I can just grab any  Nokia microUSB charger and connect it directly to the headset without the use of any adapters or accessories that I can potentially loose. This is a major advantage over the BH-804.

On the back we can find the earpiece, power key and indicator Light. Worth noting here is even though there are various interchangeable earplugs offered, they really don’t vary that much in size due to the large size of the earpiece itself. This isn’t much of an issue though as the earpieces never enter the ear canal but sits right above it, basically making the  interchangeable earplug useless.

One interesting feature of that’s not found on the BH-804 is the 904s ability to connect to two devices at same time such as your N900 for phone calls and your Bluetooth enabled laptop for Skype calls. Another feature missing from the BH-804.

Daily Use

When it comes to day to day operation, the BH-904 is very similar to other Bluetooth headsets, including the BH-804.  When you turn it on, it briefly uses the Indicator Light to show the battery charge level by using one of three colors: Green means that the charge level is sufficient, Yellow indicates that there’s some juice left, but you may need to recharge it soon, while Red means that the battery is pretty much empty. Even though it’s supposed to show three colors, so far I’ve only seen Green and Red. When the headset is On, briefly pressing the Power button will also give you the battery status functionality. This is a handy feature that’s actually useable on the 904 in the sense that while most headsets can show the battery status, most of them require long charging times, making it unusable for quick charge-and-go scenarios. A quick charge of just 15 minutes with the 904 gave us a remarkable 5+ hours of operating time, slightly more than the advertised number. To put this into perspective, that’s one hour more than the BH-804’s maximum operating time and that’s from just 15 minutes of charging! Pretty amazing stuff. A full charge requires an equally speedy 35 minutes. I was able to fully charge our sample in about 25-30 minutes, which should have given us a jaw dropping 8 hours of talk time. During our testing which involved listening to Podcasts, Music and making a few calls, we actually managed to get just bit over 9 hours! Other headsets that offer a talk time in the 8 hour range, such as the Jabra Stone, still need a slow 2 hours to completely charge the unit, a definite win for the 904. While it isn’t as stylish as other small headsets like  the Nokia BH-804 or Jawbone Icon, its large size easily makes room for a large battery, with an impressive talk time to match.

The first time the BH-904 is powered on, it automatically goes into pairing mode and requires the usual 0000 pass key. When connected to one or two devices, the indicator light slowly flashes a Blue light, indicating an ongoing connection. We tested the BH-904 with the Nokia N900 and noticed that there was a noticeable increase in volume when we upgraded to the latest firmware. The headset worked great with the N900, supporting every single feature like voice dialing, redialing last number and even answering calls with the sliding boom. There does seem to be a bug on the N900, which affects the BH-904. In some cases, when left connected to the N900 without being used, it would suddenly send out a piercing White noise that can only stopped by turning the BH-904 Off. It didn’t happen that often for it to be an issue, but we’re pretty confident it’s not an issue with the BH-904 itself, but a bug that needs to be addressed on the N900 through future firmware upgrades.

We really liked the multi-point connection feature, which is limited to 2 devices, which should be enough for most people. Although we do wish that future versions could add support for 3 devices: two phones and a possible third connection for VOIP via Skype. By default this feature is disabled but can be activated by turning off the headset and than holding the power button and volume up key. This does require you to turn off the headset, again bringing it into pairing mode to add the second device and  than powering it off and on to establish connection to both devices at the same time.Getting the headset to connect to two devices wasn’t difficult, but it wasn’t as intuitive as it should be. The manual doesn’t help either, providing little detail about the process. For example it does tell you how to enable the multi-point connection but doesn’t say anything about bringing the headset into pairing mode for the second device. Current headset users shouldn’t have many problems  getting this feature to work, but new users will likely be scratching their heads. Once up and running, future connections are luckily established automatically. Nokia should make the process a bit easier or at least explain this better.  The feature worked seamlessly being able to connect to both the Nokia N900 and my Bluetooth enabled laptop and handling calls from both devices without any problems while being connected to both devices at the same time. During our testing it didn’t seem to affect battery life or wireless range. One interesting detail, similar to what we’ve seen on the BH-804, is that when there’s an incoming call via Skype, the BH-904 will generate its own Nokia Tune tone until it’s cut off by the Skype incoming call tone.

When audio performance and wireless range is concerned, the 904 will easily beat the 804 delivering a range that’s almost twice or in some cases three times longer while also being able to produce  louder and clearer voice calls. While both have the ability to suppress noise, the 904 seems to have a significant edge which I can attribute to the two mics that are separated by a greater distance than on the BH-804. This seems to help the DSP to better distinguish noise from your voice. The sliding Boom seem to help here a lot too, bringing one of the mics closer to your mouth. According to Nokia, the noise cancelation only works when the boom is pulled down. This is supported by the fact that a caller wasn’t able her me when driving at high speeds with all windows down, but when I pulled down the boom I could have a normal conversation, something that simply wasn’t possible on the BH-804 or any other Bluetooth headset I’ve tried before.

Conclusion

The BH-904 contradicts with what is considered the current norm and completely defies current trends. This especially becomes evident in a world where much smaller units such as the Jawbone Icon and Nokia BH-804 that prioritizes style and ultra small size reign supreme. The Nokia BH-904 clearly proves, there are different ways to reach one goal. In this case it is the contradicting large size that helps it push way ahead of the pack. By having a large unit, there’s not only more space to house a larger battery, but it also seems to help the wireless range.

The 904’s packaging is basic and functional, communicating it’s capabilities, but lacks the style and presentation of the BH-804. Despite Nokia’s recent Green efforts, they seem to have forgotten about the 904, using a package that seems unnecessarily large. With just a charger and a few earplugs, we couldn’t help but feel like Nokia forgot a few extras. A pouch and desk stand should have been included.The Nokia BH-804 is ultimately the more stylish, well-rounded option, with a more impressive list of accessories. But what the 904 lacks in style and accessories it easily makes up for with its performance and extra features, delivering a truly impressive battery life and an equally impressive quick charge feature. With its 8 hours of battery life, smaller units can only dream of achieving half of that, coming to a halt at around the 4+ hour mark. It does this using a speedy 35 minute charge, while a 15 minute “quick charge” should  give at least 5 hours of juice. That’s an extra hour more than the maximum battery life  on the BH-804! The 904 continues this stellar performance with loud and crisp audio and about twice the wireless range of smaller headsets. The sliding boom makes for an even larger looking unit that in terms of styling won’t appeal to everyone, but makes calls possible in scenarios we couldn’t think of using a Bluetooth headset. The use of a microUSB port is an important one and we loved the multi-point connection feature.

In the end, the Nokia BH-904’s large size is won’t appeal to everyone and isn’t as polished as the 804, but its impressive performance pulls manages to push it ahead of what we considered one of the best Bluetooth headsets out there and giving it a slightly better score of 9.5 out of 10.

Pros

Impressively long battery life

Speedy Charging

Great audio performance

Long wireless range

Answer/end calls with sliding boom is intuitive

Comfortable fit

Noise suppression works surprisingly well

Ability to connect to two devices at once

microUSB charging, no adapters required

Cons

Package lacks a few extras

A few issued with Nokia N900 firmware version 2.2009.51-1