Database Users

Universal BT headset survey

Please list what BT headset do you use with your Universal and the Pros and Cons. I'm in the market looking for the best BT headset for the Universal so I'll need as many feedbacks as possible, thanks all

As if you'd need warning, but I would (on the whole) advise against going for a cheapy clip-on one. I bought one a while ago on the basis that (a) it was cheap and (b) I didn't want to strap a 2.4GHz mini-microwave oven to my head :lol:
It works ok, but is just about fiddly enough to make me stay with a wired setup or speakerphone.
From what I've read in other posts, there isn't yet a bt headset that integrates with the ppc well enough to show the name of the caller. I think that until that one's resolved I'll be holding fire anyway.
[OK, I know it's not a particularly helpful addition to the thread, but at least it bumps it, right ]

Sony Ericsson HBH-660
+ Small
+ Light
+ Cool display
- Display only displays number with HTC devices
- Battery life poor
Jabra BT800
+ Battery last for ages
+ Really big display
- Takes ages to pick up a call
- Display only shows number with HTC devices
- Big

Hi,
I hope you people can help.
I looking for a Bluetooth headset thats got a a little display.
Hopefully this will display information like time, person calling, and possible scroll through contacts.
Due to the size of the Exec, I would like to store this in a backpack when out and about. And a smartheadset would really help.

Jabra BT800
Long battery life
Quick recharge
Reliable
Light
I never look at the display, other than to see the charge status.

din007 said:
Hi,
I hope you people can help.
I looking for a Bluetooth headset thats got a a little display.
Hopefully this will display information like time, person calling, and possible scroll through contacts.
Due to the size of the Exec, I would like to store this in a backpack when out and about. And a smartheadset would really help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BT headsets with displays don't display anything other than the caller number when used with HTC devices such as the Universal. Not sure why.

Smartphones need Smartheadsets..
Its just the XDA Exec is to big to carry in your jacket pocket.
And you need to open it everytime you need to call someon.
Living in london you get some looks on the underground.
And majority of all streetcrime involves mobile crime.
I`ve been toying with the of idea of a Mini-XDA Exec....
A device that small enough to fit into your pocket.
Snycs between the headset & XDA Exec.
With a display for Caller ID, Contacts, SMS...(Basic phone functions)
This would be a top seller..

I agree this would cost but would be perfect.
No more fearing getting mugged at the station.
No more being a flash git in the pub.
No more carring a brick in your pocket.
HTC should consider designing accessories.

Both the SE HBH-608 and Jabra Bt800 workl well. The battery life on the HBH-608 is just fantastic. I get about 8 days of use from it (it is on 10 hours a day). Ear piece volume is low on both models when used with the JJ. Need to test my HBH-300 and Jabra BT330.
Edit: @rilot, for caller ID to work you need a particular BT profile, the Se P910i does support the profile, which I think is the "hand free profile"

SE HBH 662
Just got my SE HBH 662. It's small, lightweight, seems comfortable. So far sound quality seems good on both ends.
I'm new to this headset business, so I'm not the best one to offer comparisons. I bought this model based on remarks on this and other forums, and so far my impression is that I have definitely benefited from the collective wisdom of great online communities like this one.
Thanks All.

I tried with Motorola HS850 and Jabra BT 250V.. Dont think they are made for jasjar... I know both of them doesnt have Display, was hoping to good sound quality.... But I was not lucky enough.

SE HBH-300
10 hours talk time, 300 hours standy.
Sound quality on an 02 XDA Exec is okay but not as good as with an SE P910i. The XDA's bluetooth suffers from static background noise.

jah said:
Edit: @rilot, for caller ID to work you need a particular BT profile, the Se P910i does support the profile, which I think is the "hand free profile"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct.
HTC state that their devices do have a handsfee profile. No idea why they can't pass the caller ID to the headset though.

Jabra BT 800 is OK with me.
*Long battery life.
*Discharging in short time.
*Big display screen.
*Big, but light.
*Easy to use.
*Can make calls from the Head Set for the last 10 Nos. without needing to open the phone.
*Reliable.
I was using sony erricson before buying the Jabra, but Jabra is far better than sony erricson........sony erricson battery dies in a couple of hours standby.
Regards,

I did try my hbh-660 just to see if it would work but shortly after changed over to my preferred bluespoon AX which works fine with the voice dialling etc. no issues there for me

rilot said:
jah said:
Edit: @rilot, for caller ID to work you need a particular BT profile, the Se P910i does support the profile, which I think is the "hand free profile"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct.
HTC state that their devices do have a handsfee profile. No idea why they can't pass the caller ID to the headset though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guys, the phone number is the exact caller ID you're after. It is working as advertised. However, what you want is the _name_ behind the caller ID. Not sure if this is specified in the bluetooth specs, though...

problem with Jabra bt800
Has anybody experienced a crap sound with Jabra?
I can hear pretty well, but the person on the other side complains a "drummy" sound.
I tried deleting the pairing and restoring it, same results.
Any thought?
:shock:

I use the HBH-662, very comfortable, shows the number, has improved the voice quality 10 fold and sounds alot better than using the phone itself, dont use my phone without it anymore regardless of where i am.

This is strange. My SE HBH-662 (BT 1.2) works perfectly with my Jam and shows the caller-id as long as the number exists in the Outlook AB. IT doesn't show the number then, just the name. In the absence of a name, it will show the number only.

stamppot said:
rilot said:
jah said:
Edit: @rilot, for caller ID to work you need a particular BT profile, the Se P910i does support the profile, which I think is the "hand free profile"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct.
HTC state that their devices do have a handsfee profile. No idea why they can't pass the caller ID to the headset though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guys, the phone number is the exact caller ID you're after. It is working as advertised. However, what you want is the _name_ behind the caller ID. Not sure if this is specified in the bluetooth specs, though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it isn't
They both display the caller name when used with my SE P910i

Jabra BT800 - yes or no?

Hi!
I was about to buy another bluetooth headset and am seriously considering the jabra bt800.
I had a Jabra bt250v....which recently took a spin in my washing machine, now rendered worthless
The problems with my 250v were -
1. Lots of static noise (phone in my pocket)
2. Bad range
3. Most times, the voice dial wouldnt pick up, when i hit the button on the jabra (this i think is a ms ppc os problem though)
Having said that, i think the bt800 would be better due to their new DSP technology, and of course the btooth 1.2 specifications. A few questions i have though -
1. How is the audio quality when you keep your device in a tight jeans pant for instance?
2. Whats the range of the device?
3. Does the caller id display the name in my address book?
4. How's the battery life?
And the last question, is it worth buying it....and will i regret it???!
Thanks!
San

With the Universal:
- okay sound quality
- no caller name just number on the display
- good battery life as long as you run down before first full charge
- range is good but is limited by the Universal not the BT800
Yes it is worth buying but be aware that on the ear it may not feel as secure as the BT250

jah said:
With the Universal:
- okay sound quality
- no caller name just number on the display
- good battery life as long as you run down before first full charge
- range is good but is limited by the Universal not the BT800
Yes it is worth buying but be aware that on the ear it may not feel as secure as the BT250
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard some of the devices, when paired with, reveal the contact name in the address book too....i saw it on a couple reviews. Strange that the universal cant do something like that...
Have you tried with the latest Jasjar ROM? (with aku2?)
Thanks for your feedback Jah...
cheers,
S

@dreamtheatre, I have not tried the latest Universal ROM as I am waiting for O2 to release their version. But I do have the latest BT800 firmware for Europe. For transfer of the Contacts details you need the handfree BT profile (or is the heaset profile?) - not sure if the latest ROM supports both BT profiles though.

I have not got that working
More to the point, I can not find any settings on my universal or BT800 for remote sim or remote contact access which is needed to access the address book.
I would love to leave my universal in my bag and make a call from the headset accessing my address book.
I see no menu in the BT800 to allow this.
Hope I am wrong and someone can tell em how to do it!
I have latest t-mobile a2dp rom and latest jabra rom

@GDawes, I don't think the BT800 allows remote access, it allows previously used numbers (people who call you) to be called from the headset. I think the Tekkeon ET3000 gives you the function to access the address book, but not with the Universal as fas I know.

Re: I have not got that working
GDawes said:
More to the point, I can not find any settings on my universal or BT800 for remote sim or remote contact access which is needed to access the address book.
I would love to leave my universal in my bag and make a call from the headset accessing my address book.
I see no menu in the BT800 to allow this.
Hope I am wrong and someone can tell em how to do it!
I have latest t-mobile a2dp rom and latest jabra rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess my question wasn't lucid enough....
what I meant to ask was...if the display on the headset shows the caller's name which is taken from the address book on the device.
Does it?? please tell me it does!
thanks,
San

BT800
The BT800 does not show the name even with the latest ROM. It only shows the number of the person that is calling you.

@dreamtheatre,
there are two functions:
1. When you get a call, the name of the caller is extracted from the address book
2. You can scan through your full address book from your headset to make a call
Now, for #1 I know you need both handfree and headset BT profiles, for #2 I have only seen the Tekkeon and I think some SE headsets that claim they can do this. But I think you need both BT profiles. I do not think this is the case for the Universal. I hope someone with the latest ROM can verify the BT profiles that are supported.
(my free Moto v3x supports both BT profiles and yes with my Tekkeon I can see who is calling me - but the HTC Universal may be behind the curve a bit)

jah said:
@dreamtheatre,
there are two functions:
1. When you get a call, the name of the caller is extracted from the address book
2. You can scan through your full address book from your headset to make a call
Now, for #1 I know you need both handfree and headset BT profiles, for #2 I have only seen the Tekkeon and I think some SE headsets that claim they can do this. But I think you need both BT profiles. I do not think this is the case for the Universal. I hope someone with the latest ROM can verify the BT profiles that are supported.
(my free Moto v3x supports both BT profiles and yes with my Tekkeon I can see who is calling me - but the HTC Universal may be behind the curve a bit)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the detailed reply m8!
Its a pity that this 200kg monster cant send out a friggin name :twisted: arghhh!
again, somethings dont change.....we got to wait for our sweet monopolistic company to release a rom upgrade....we know how long that can be! (well, i actually love MS )
cheers,
S

well, you guys still didnt answer my question........
do i buy it or not??????!!!
best,
San

@dreamtheatre, after a bit of reflection I suggest you buy a modern SE BT headset with caller ID as the DSP capability (for reducing background noise etc) of the newer SE headset will better than the 2 year old design of the BT800. Also I have found the newer SE headsets to be more comfortable and lighter.

Another annoying point of bt800
The BT800 only pairs to a single device at a time.
My moto ht820 support multiple connections which is nice, I have my universal as my phone paired, and my magician with a2dp paired as an mp3 player. When I get a call it is routed throught headset and music is paused.
Wanted to connect my BT800 to laptop for Voip and mobile phone, but forced to choose 1 the other.
Also the design is not that re assuring , have the feeling it could fall off at any moment

I have the V3 BTH-8 and Im quite happy with it. i think it's cheaper, lighter, faster, better than Jabra bt800...but Im not ecstatic since it has the same problem as BT800. It just shows the number not the name. It says it's able to show the name and even browse the phone book of other models.. but not our beloved universal. I hope someone comes out with an upgrade for our phone so that i can maximize my V3 headset..

cuteangelika said:
I have the V3 BTH-8 and Im quite happy with it. i think it's cheaper, lighter, faster, better than Jabra bt800...but Im not ecstatic since it has the same problem as BT800. It just shows the number not the name. It says it's able to show the name and even browse the phone book of other models.. but not our beloved universal. I hope someone comes out with an upgrade for our phone so that i can maximize my V3 headset..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After i saw your earlier post where you mentioned about your oled headset, thats ever since i've been thrown into a dilemma (i never knew the v3 headset existed!). Now i'm finding it hard to make a choice...
According to the feature sheet, the oled claims more (15 number history compared to 10 - i know i'm being a little anal here , and address book browsing etc.)
The problem though, I dont seem to find a distributor here in this god forsaken place :evil:
I'm trying to get it from a friend of mine who's currently in singapore....if he manages to find it, i might just end up with one of those....lets see
btw, ca....you have no major issues with it, do you? Stuff like static noise, or interference problems, or whatever may be! ??
cheers,
S

I have both the Jabra BT800 and the Tekkeon 3000. Both are good units but the Jabra has better sound quality when used with my Exec. I have also used both units with a XDA Mini S for about 2 weeks and came to the same conclusion. With the Mini S, I was able to pull the phone book but it was a pain. It allows you to scroll from a to z one name at a time, one number per name at a time. This means that if you have say 50 names with 2 numbers each (mobile number and home number) then you would have to press the button 20 times just to get to the 10 person in my phonebook and the second number for that person. When I first read about this feature I was exicited but in application it is a pain so this is not a feature I will be using. Other than that the features are pretty close and with the Tekeon coming out alittle ahead with last 15 number recall versa the last 10 of the Jabra.
The Jabra (with it's out dated looks) has become my choice for 2 reasons, sound quality (as mentioned above) and upgradability. The Jabra can be firmware upgraded by the user as Jabra releases new code so it may be possible to have new features in the future.
Just my humble opinion

Batman - agree about the scrolling problem with the Tekkeon but its battery life, for me at least, has been much better than wih the BT800. The funny thing is that my 3 year old SE HBH-200 can do basically what the BT800 is designed to do (i.e. caller ID and making calls from the headset).

WOULDNT BUY IT AT ALL.
I have installed latest ROM, and use BT800. No caller ID. But this could be sortly solved with latest firmware.
Dont like sound quality. To be more precise, almost nobody understands me while using it. If I am in the street, forget about having a conversation. Metallical sound, etc.
Despite some things I have read before, not that good battery life I'd say.
In the end, I dont like it, but check out more opinions. Mine is a little bit "oriented" as I am so with it.

@jmcl, as I said before the digital signal processing technology of the BT800 is now 2 years old. The latest SE phones are better for noise reduction or you can use the HBH-300 with a very good boom mic.

@jah
what nextgen headsets from SE are you talking about? I dont find any headsets from SE with a display on it (except for one, which is totally lame )
is there something i'm missing?
thanks for all your views guys,
San

Recommendations for X7501 BT Headset

I'm going to be getting my HTC X7501 Advantage from Amazon in about two weeks and wanted to know from current owners what bluetooth headsets you'd recommend.
I understand that this phone doesn't have a vibrate mode. Should I get a BT headset that vibrates? How about a display? What other factors are important? I've never owned a headset, BT or otherwise, so I'm new to all of this.
If you have any specific headsets that work well with the HTC X7500/X7501 Advantage, please post.
Thank you.

A lot of them here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=4010633

whoster69 said:
I'm going to be getting my HTC X7501 Advantage from Amazon in about two weeks and wanted to know from current owners what bluetooth headsets you'd recommend.
I understand that this phone doesn't have a vibrate mode. Should I get a BT headset that vibrates? How about a display? What other factors are important? I've never owned a headset, BT or otherwise, so I'm new to all of this.
If you have any specific headsets that work well with the HTC X7500/X7501 Advantage, please post.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jabra BT8010 is very highly recommended. It has Caller ID (showing contact names when used with Jetware) and also vibrate. Second choise would be i.Tech Clip D with the same Caller ID feature, but not vibrate.

victoradjei said:
A lot of them here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=4010633
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I didn't know you could search that way! On forums and subforums with keywords! Thanks victoradjei!
I've performed searches and read a bunch but thought I'd ask here as well, in case someone mentions something that I've missed.
Thank you too coyotte! I've seen a lot of people recommend the Jabra BT 8010. I've often wondered how useful the caller ID would be when this thing is stuck in my ear right? Or is it that people have this out when they get a call (I guess that makes more sense since people don't want to wear it all the time LOL!). How do people carry this along with their phone so they can get feel the vibrate and see the caller ID?
Thanks again both of you!

Aliph Jawbone FTW. Sound quality is more important to me than displays or vibration.

whoster69, I don't know if you've already seen this, but I came across this link to a demo of the Jabra BT8010 and it looks interesting:
http://www.ultramobilegeek.com/2007/06/jabra-bt8010-review-great-umpc-toy.html
I too have an HTC X7501 on order from Amazon (shipping est. 2-3 wks.) and was also wondering how I was to use its phone capabilities. I'm a total newb to all matters pc phone-related so I may be in left field here, but I think I'll be able to: 1) buy a BT headset w/ callerID & vibration functions, 2) keep headset in my shirt pocket or another readily accessible place, 3) be alerted to calls via the X7501's ringer function, 4) field calls by pulling the headset and checking the callerID on the headset's LED screen, and 5) answering the call by popping the headset in my ear and talking away or refusing the call by some other such means (I suppose you can push a button on the headset to have the call go directly to voice mail.) Anyway, just a newbie thinking out loud but, hopefully, posting a link to some info someone may find useful.

Jefson said:
whoster69, I don't know if you've already seen this, but I came across this link to a demo of the Jabra BT8010 and it looks interesting:
http://www.ultramobilegeek.com/2007/06/jabra-bt8010-review-great-umpc-toy.html
I too have an HTC X7501 on order from Amazon (shipping est. 2-3 wks.) and was also wondering how I was to use its phone capabilities. I'm a total newb to all matters pc phone-related so I may be in left field here, but I think I'll be able to: 1) buy a BT headset w/ callerID & vibration functions, 2) keep headset in my shirt pocket or another readily accessible place, 3) be alerted to calls via the X7501's ringer function, 4) field calls by pulling the headset and checking the callerID on the headset's LED screen, and 5) answering the call by popping the headset in my ear and talking away or refusing the call by some other such means (I suppose you can push a button on the headset to have the call go directly to voice mail.) Anyway, just a newbie thinking out loud but, hopefully, posting a link to some info someone may find useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link Jefson. Yes I had seen that. I thought it was pretty useful. So far at least, I'm leaning toward the Jabra BT8010. While there seem to be headsets out there that have better clarity or noise cancellation (Jawbone) and others that have many of the functions BT8010 (BlueAnt V12), none seem to have the completeness of the feature set of the Jabra BT8010.
Have there been any people who have tried the Jabra BT8010 and didn't like it? If so, why didn't you like it? I know it's kind of big and a few have complained that it's not perfect for listening to music (something about the range not being enough). I'd be curious to see what people who have used it think of it and how practical it is to use with the HTC Advantage.
Regarding how you want to use it Jefson, I agree. I've never used a headset at all and I'm trying to figure out, ergonomically what will work. If I get a call, will it ring on the headset, the phone or both? Is it reasonable to expect that I can whip out the headset and see who is calling and then decide to take the call or not? And if I do take it can I get it put on in a reasonable amount of time to answer the call?
Anyone with some experiences with the HTC Advantage/Athena please post and let us know how this works and if our ideas are reasonable or not.
Thanks again everyone for your comments. They are helpful!

You might want to check the BlueAnt V12. Vibrate, LCD caller id (numbers only), works well with VC1.6. Good price. I like mine.1

wgary said:
You might want to check the BlueAnt V12. Vibrate, LCD caller id (numbers only), works well with VC1.6. Good price. I like mine.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Gary. It's one I'm looking into.
What is VC1.6?

I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I just ordered both the Jabra BT8010 and the BlueAnt V12 from Amazon and they are slated to arrive August 1st. I'm going to see how easy and convenient (for me, at least) they are to use and which one I prefer with my AT&T 8525 (UTC Hermes). I'm assuming the experience will carry over, at least to some extent, to the X7501. Anyway, in the near term I may be able to answer, remembering my newbie status, some basic questions regarding use of the two devices.

whoster69 said:
Thanks Gary. It's one I'm looking into.
What is VC1.6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Microsoft VoiceCommand 1.6

Jefson said:
I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I just ordered both the Jabra BT8010 and the BlueAnt V12 from Amazon and they are slated to arrive August 1st. I'm going to see how easy and convenient (for me, at least) they are to use and which one I prefer with my AT&T 8525 (UTC Hermes). I'm assuming the experience will carry over, at least to some extent, to the X7501. Anyway, in the near term I may be able to answer, remembering my newbie status, some basic questions regarding use of the two devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent Jefson! I was thinking of doing the same thing! My X7501 will be shipping any day now so I'm hoping I'll get to test it with them fairly soon (though I don't have a cell plan yet -I plan on testing the PDA stuff first and deciding on whether or not to keep the phone before committing to a cell plan). I'm looking forward to hearing your results Jefson!

Anyone know of any headsets that are going to be coming out in the near future that are worth considering?

Great info here about the Jabra BT8010, can anyone compare to the Jawbone
in terms of call quality?
Like the Athena, the Jabra's convergence features seal the deal.
Unless there is another headset out there that has a display, and vibrate mode with stereo bt, it is in a class by itself.
If some other model comes out, I would like an internal earbud.
Keith Walker

keithwwalker said:
in terms of call quality?
Like the Athena, the Jabra's convergence features seal the deal.
Unless there is another headset out there that has a display, and vibrate mode with stereo bt, it is in a class by itself.
If some other model comes out, I would like an internal earbud.
Keith Walker
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree Keith. I just thought I'd ask. Yesterday I heard about the Jabra BT8040, but it doesn't have the features of the 8010 it seems. Too early to tell for sure though.

HD2 USA not announcing caller ID over bluetooth

Got the phone on the second day it was available. Upgrade from the Touch HD. Nice phone in general. The problem I ran into was Microsoft voicecommand would not announce incoming calls through the bluetooth headset no matter what changes and adjustments tried it would only announce through the phone speaker. I had this working on the Touch HD fine. Spent the entire day with T-mobile tech support which was not very helpful on matters of anything technical. Then called HTC tech support and spent about an hour and a half trying to get it to work. The answer HTC gave me was my headset was not compatable. I have three different bluetooth headsets none of which they could get to work. I asked the tech what headset HTC tested with this phone and I would gladly purchase that brand. His answer was he did not know. My answer, this does not function on this phone and was not tested. Has anyone else tried to get bluetooth caller id working and if so what were your results. I have since returned the phone till this is resolved if ever.

has anyone tried caller id announce incoming calls on their bluetooth? Am I the only one having this issue. Could someone please test this on their HD2 and let me know if it works for them.
Thanks

It has been a problem on the european hd2's also. Since HTC started using the widcom bluetooth stack none of the existing voice control apps (such as MSVC) are working properly. If you search around you will find a few threads about the same problems with bluetooth headsets.

Thank You very much for your answer. I was hoping that was not the case. I waited for this phone to come out and bought it right away. I use mostly basic functions, phone, voice dialing, appointments etc it was a shame I had to return it the extra features were nice to have and the screen is beautiful. Does anyone know if they are working on an answer for this???

polera257 said:
Thank You very much for your answer. I was hoping that was not the case. I waited for this phone to come out and bought it right away. I use mostly basic functions, phone, voice dialing, appointments etc it was a shame I had to return it the extra features were nice to have and the screen is beautiful. Does anyone know if they are working on an answer for this???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try here, good info on this subject. I would like to hear my ringtones in my headset but this is the best answer I have found to this. Hope it helps.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=654165

Guadm, Thanks for the link. I will give it a read and see what's up. I wish someone could figure what is causing the conflict with caller announce not going through the bluetooth. I got everything else going to bluetooth except caller ID.

polera257 said:
Guadm, Thanks for the link. I will give it a read and see what's up. I wish someone could figure what is causing the conflict with caller announce not going through the bluetooth. I got everything else going to bluetooth except caller ID.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are welcome. I am waiting for Blue Ant's T1; it announces the caller by name, and that's good enough for me if I cant get the ringtones.

Help - Bluetooth and Voice Dialling

As it says.
I have an HCB 150 BT car kit which has workred well with other SE phones and it imported/used the phones phone book and allowed BT voice dialling Safe and legal.
X10 connects easily and reliably but no phonebook available (is this PBAP?) Thinks bum! but OK I can live with that as voice dialling is available. Er. apparantly not
Can't believe that a flagship phone can't do these things even worse the documentation does not make these issues clear.
I really like the phone BUT had I known this I would have waited.
I hope (really really really) that it will be the subject of an update.
Leaving BT aside has anyone got the voive dialler to work? I can't. It does not seem to be able to recognise anything.........................dimwit ding.
Oh, and battery life sucks - I know i've read the thread..........all of it.

I tried it once.. and failed.. but thought nothing of it as I wasn't really bothered to use it.. never really had a lot of success with voice dialling on any handset i've had... so I downloaded oftseen gestures which allow you to swipe a gesture to call someone.. I've used that for my main numbers..

No good for driving though................................................
What about that phone book access...........can you help?

Voice dialing using a bluetooth device is not supported by Android 1.6. I don't know whether 2.1 does, but it is one of the major drawbacks of Android devices.
Tons of complains about this feature that Google somehow failed to do. This is specially bad in places where it is illegal to hold a phone while driving.
Edit: Did a search. Apparently, 2.1 does not support bluetooth dialing either. Some people found a solution by using bluetooth headsets that store the contact list in the headset.

Is that 2.1 that shifts the phonebook to the headset? Or is 1.6 supposed to be able to do it?
Help, about to crash whilst attempting to illegally dial..................
Google feels a law suit coming on.............

Bump..............

I meant that I found somewhere, someone stated that there are some bluetooth headsets that store the phone list in the headset's own memory and it is the headset itself that recognizes your voice and instructs the phone to dial. I have searched the web and can't find such a device.
I don't think you will find an answer here or anywhere. You can go to a Google hosted forum and complain over there. This issue has been around since the first Android phone, and I am like you, at a loss why Google can't write a piece of software to deal with this.

Thanks vistador. I assume that in the US hands free is mandatory whilst driving, in which case I foresee law suits against Google?Android for not providing somehting that has been readily available for years.
How do i COMPLAIN DIRECTLY TO gOOGLE?