Customer Reviews

ThinkGeek Bluetooth Retro Handset

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Pros:
*This is the first bluetooh anything that has actually been able to answer my phone from 20 feet away.
*Has a incredible standby time for a bluetooth receiver.
*The bright blue indicator lamp on the reciever is a winner and lets people around you know you are not a looney walking around with half a telephone set.
*Has a great wow factor when you pull it out of your bag in public and answer your phone.

Cons:
* Its made of lightweight plastic.
* Its impossible to hold the handset between your shoulder and ear, in hands-free attempt.
* While I was able to hear callers clearly, people on the receiving end complained of echos, poor call quality or low volume or all three at the same time.
* Unreliable pairing with my phones. I have tried this with a lower tech Razr as well as my iPhone and I had the same predictable results with both.

Its a neat concept. But the execution is a joke. I would have paid $50 for this accessory to not be a piece of junk.

I know that this is marketed like a gag gift, and that it looks kind of silly in this day and age, but this is the most useful cellphone accessory that I've purchased since my extended battery for my smart phone. The problem is, while my phone is great for data, emails, and light web browsing, the small candy bar form factor [of the Samsung Blackjack] is just not very ergonomic as a telephone. Enter the ThinkGeek BT "Retro" Handset: there's a reason why this form factor was used for almost 70 years in Bell telephones, it was used because it works, and works well. The plastic of the handset is fairly sturdy, although my one gripe with it is that the top/back is triangular in cross-section rather than rectangular, as it was in the handset that it's imitating. The upshot is that it's a little harder to cradle on your shoulder semi-hands-free than it should be. Otherwise, it's great. Solid, functional, and it paired easily with my phone. Finally, it has a decent microphone and speaker arrangement with nice, clear, loud sound. I will probably use my cell phone as a phone more often in the future with this.

I love my handset. My husband got me this as a gift and unfortunately the first one I got didn't work properly but a quick email to ThinkGeek later and they sent me a brand new one and didn't even require me to send back the defective one. The new one has worked well for me for the last four months or so. I turn it on in the morning and when my phone rings I answer with the handset just by pushing the button. I have it connected to my iPhone and I've had no problems.

The range is probably close to what they say, around 30 feet or so. The sound quality is good, it sounds as good to me through the handset as through my iPhone. I love walking around home with it. It also prevents me from getting my iPhone screen all greasy. I'm not sure the battery lasts as long as they say, I've started turning it off at night and doing that it lasts about a week.

If you want something a little different and fun and something that's sure to start conversation with guests, get this handset.

I gave this as a gift to my boyfriend and he loves it. He said it works really well and has good range. This turned out to be a great gift!

I am writing with the sole intention of clearing up any misconceptions about this item. Realize that when you buy this product you are getting a mighty fine novelty gift (indeed that is the reason for my purchase), but you should not be under the impression that this device is a useful Bluetooth headset.

The primary problem is that the device is not built according to the design standards of the phone it is modeled after, to the extent that the advantages of the older phone design are turned into weaknesses on this device. It is very difficult to cradle the device using your shoulder because the back of the phone is far too narrow (blade-shaped). The original design featured a flat back that wedged the cell phone between ear and shrugged shoulder. More fundamentally, the phone's casing is very cheap plastic, nothing like the rugged design of the older phone. Simply put, you are not buying a device that accurately replicates the old design.

In addition, sound quality on the phone was lacking, both with respect to the caller and callee. Parties on the other end complained about the sound being "tinny" and too quiet, even at max volume. I noticed similar problems on my end. I have used other Bluetooth headsets, and this device is clearly inferior. Yet another problem is that it requires an excessive amount of time -- according to the manual 6-8 hours -- to charge the device (via USB).

The decision whether to spend the money on this device is yours to make, but appreciate this device for what it is: a humorous novelty gift and not an actual handset to be used daily. I would be curious to hear if the people who commented positively on this item continued using it on a regular or even sporadic basis--or if it ended up in the bottom of a junk drawer, as mine so ingloriously did.

So, I purchased this as a gift for my spouse in hopes she would find it uninteresting and I could take it to the office and impress my coworkers. Big mistake. Once I was able to pair it with her Driod Incredible, she was hooked. She immediately called me on the house landline phone to try it out. It sounded much better than the actual phone, but not quite the real old phone sound. She then went up to let our sons hear it, even though they were in bed.

PROS: It works. It looks really cool. Has a nice feel to it, and way better to hold than the phone.

CONS: Took more than one attempt to pair it. Could have better On/Off switching.

I have owned this handset for more than 2 weeks now. I have charged it just the first day of arrival and it is still powered on. When I leave the house it does turn itself off after about 5 minutes of losing reception to conserve battery. Compared to other reviews I have no complaints in sound quality on my end or the person receiving my call. The handset is difficult to cradle between your shoulder and ear, but with practice it does work.

I fully expected to use this as little more than a novelty for social occasions but to my surprise it is actually quite functional. I use it to answer my cell phone when I am at home in my office. The handset is both nostalgic and comfortable. Great product at a great price.

perfect for what it represents- a fun look back.

though light on documentation, it works well and feels good in the hand.

Awesome gadget.....enables me to comfortably talk on my iphone for long periods of time in any room of my house or while traveling in my car.