Accessories Galore: Review of the Nokia BH-803 and BH-603

Nokia has a wide range of Bluetooth headsets ranging from the basic BH-101 to the top-of-the-line BH-902, but the subjects of today’s review are going to be the BH-803, that’s just a step below the range topping BH-902 and the BH-602, a mid-end Nokia Bluetooth headset. Nokia’s line-up of Bluetooth headsets follows a very simple naming scheme: “BH” stands for “Bluetooth Headset” and as many product lineups the higher the number, the more advanced the product. Nokia’s Bluetooth headsets also tend to start of with the “BH-X00” name, which is then followed by models where the number in the name increases. For example: They started with the BH-800, which was then followed by the BH-801  and now the BH-803. So let’s have look at these two headsets and see how they compare.

The BH-803

The BH-803 and the rest of Nokia’s BH-800 family are aimed at fashion-conscious buyers. For this reason this series of Bluetooth headsets are a fashion- and-design- first affair. Normally “fashion” based products tend to be low on the features and high on style, but in the case of the BH-800 series they all tend to be pretty small and stylish yet they pack almost all the high-end features of the BH-900 series. The BH-800 family is also characterized by the use of metallic looking materials and the inclusion of a necklace-type headset strap.  The idea behind the necklace is to wear and display the unit as a high-tech fashion accessory. Most people I know just tend to keep their headsets attached to their ear after calls, giving them a weird cyborg look. Personally I like the idea behind the necklace because it gives the technology almost some kind of a personal human touch. I always found the idea of walking around with your headset attached to your ear socially unacceptable, so having the possibility of actually “wearing” the headset as it becomes part of your wardrobe is a big plus. Wearing the headset as a fashion accessory also tends to help it blend in: when you’re done talking all you need to do is hang the BH-803 on the necklace and most people would not even think that it’s a headset. It’s a very simple idea that just works. Nokia is adopting this into many of their latest headsets and in my opinion they should make this available on their entire lineup of headsets.

For a Bluetooth headset the BH-803 is relatively small and has a design that can only be described as stylish, sexy and understated. For the most parts it’s done in this glossy black finish accented with metal parts. The back of the unit is done in metal while there’s a small metal plate that on the front runs from left to right. This metal plate houses the Nokia logo and also doubles as a multi-function key. It’s just pretty clever how they’ve managed to hide this button behind a metal plate that at first glance doesn’t resemble a button at all. The other special thing about the BH-803 is the fact that it features a touch sensitive area for volume control, requiring you to move your finger towards the multi-function key to increase the volume or towards the mic to decrease the volume. All of this leads to a device that at first might look like a one-piece unit that was assembled from one piece of metal.  The retail package includes the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-803 Headset, strap and clip,Nokia Charger AC-6 and user guide.

 

The BH-602

The BH-600 series consists of Nokia’s mid-end Bluetooth headsets and stereo Bluetooth headphones.

Compared to the BH-803, the BH-602 is larger and longer. The BH-602 seems to be about 25% longer in length when compared to the BH-803 and is actually the successor to the BH-600. The BH-601 and BH-604 are part of the BH-600 family but are not Bluetooth headsets but rather stereo Bluetooth earphones. While the BH-803 is a fashion device, the BH-602 is considered more of a traditional Bluetooth headset that’s clearly function and battery life first, where design doesn’t seem to be highest priority on the list.

The unit doesn’t look bad at all with its metal edges and black rubbery inserts, but my biggest complaint is the size. A Bluetooth headset should be no bigger than the BH-803 and in my opinion no extra talk time is worth the extra weight and length. Ironically the BH-602 feels much more comfortable when worn with or without the earloop. The BH-803 didn’t feel quite as secure as the BH-602 until I had attached the included earloop. The unit is almost completely black, save for a metal edging on the front. The multi-function answer/end key is nicely integrated on the front, with only a thin line revealing the existence of this button. Unlike the BH-803, the BH-602 features a more traditional rocker volume key. The package includes the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-602,Nokia Travel Charger AC-4E, Headset clip and User guide.

The differences: BH-803 vs BH-602

To better see the differences I’ve put the specs against each other. The items in green are what I consider positive, those marked in red are negative and yellow is average.

Considering the fact that the BH-803 is a top-of-the-line product you would think that it would have a clear and easy win, but looking at the comparison chart there’s much more to this comparison than meets the eye. The BH-602 maybe larger and less stylish when compared to the BH-803, but from the comparison it’s clear that due its larger size it can house a larger battery hence its longer standby time and talk time. It also helps to know that despite the fact that the BH-602 features a digital signal processing (DSP) just like the BH-803, yet it comes in at a much lower price. From test I’ve performed it seems that the BH-602 also seems to have longer wireless range. This could be due to the simple fact that it’s a bigger unit that due to the extra size can pickup wireless signals a bit better. As a standard Bluetooth headset the BH-602 is a solid device that surpasses even the higher priced BH-803 in talk time and standby time. When choosing Bluetooth headsets ome people just don’t care about anything other than the fact that it needs to work and allow for long talk and standby times. For this group the BH-602 should be more than enough. On the other hand I find the BH-602 to be a tad too long for my taste, especially after you’ve been spoiled with the stylish and compact BH-803 and why did they include a headset clip, but not the necklace-type headset strap like BH-803? I doubt that this little accessory would add much. So why wasn’t it included? Having this simple piece would make a world of a difference. The BH-803 sacrifices battery life for a more compact and stylish unit that’s very light and barely visible when worn and having the simple necklace-type headset strap solves the problem of what to do with your headset after making calls. It just looks cool and is probably one of the best looking Bluetooth headsets on the market, even more than even the Jawbone Bluetooth headset. Having touch sensitive volume controls and the included necklace-type headset strap makes for a product you actually want to buy and not just because you need to.  On the other hand you do have to consider the hefty price for style and the fact that the battery performance drops dramatically going from 300 to 160 hours (standby time) and 11 to 6 hours (talk time) when going from the BH-602 to the BH-803.

When it comes to the voice and audio quality, the units sound very similar: clean and loud. Only thing I could ask for is if they could emphasize on the lower tones as it seems as the highs and mids are getting all the attention here. I’m not asking for bass, but rather the sound should be warmer.

Conclusion

In the end I think these two headsets are similar in many respects, both have excellent voice and audio quality with enough volume to keep most people. The wireless is in most cases pretty similar, with the BH-602 winning in some cases. But the biggest difference comes from the fact that BH-602 aims for a higher talk time and standby time. As a result the unit is bigger to house the bigger battery. The smaller BH-803 sacrifices on the battery in favor of style. The included neckstrap and touch sensitive controls add a touch sophistication. Choosing between is making a choice between style or battery life. While I’m sure that professionals requiring long talk times are better served by the BH-602, I for one prefer the BH-803 for its stylish look and cool touch controls. Having 6 hours of talk time is enough for me. The Nokia BH-803 scores a 9.3 while the BH-602 gets a 7.8 out of 10.

Nokia BH-602 Cons

Large

Nokia BH-602 Pros

Long talk and standby time

Comfortable

Nokia BH-803 Cons

Shorter talk and standby time

Feels less secure when worn

Nokia BH-803 Pros

Stylish and understated

Compact

Feature pack

Necklace-type headset strap

Touch Controls