Product: BlueAnt Supertooth 3
Supplier: BlueAnt
Price: $100      Find Lowest Price @ PriceGrabber
Author: Nick
Date: December 5, 2008

Laws requiring cell phones to be used in conjunction with a hands free device while driving are becoming increasingly popular, so many people are forced to use a Bluetooth device or similar. However, Bluetooth headsets are not for everyone. The BlueAnt Supertooth 3 fits into this niche perfectly. This Bluetooth car kit can be clipped to the visor or mounted any number of other places, so those who prefer not to have a headset on their ear can still enjoy it.

Features

• Bluetooth v2.0
• TTS Text to Speech – a voice announces incoming ‘callers’ name or Caller ID
• Announces device status, call status and setup instructions for use
• Voice Answer – answer calls with your voice. No button press needed
• Automatic Vibration Sensor Reconnection
• Choice of 6 languages (British English, American English, French, Italian, Spanish and German)
• Full DSP Noise Cancellation/Echo Cancellation
• Full Duplex, high performance speaker
• Automatic connection and reconnection with notification
• Digital Volume Control
• Can also be charged directly from a PC via USB Cable (not included)
• Fix to the sun-visor via a two sided magnetic clip – no installation costs
• Supports voice dial activation, redial and call reject
• Pairs with up to 8 Bluetooth devices
• Includes 1 x AC Travel Charger
• Includes 1 x Car Charger
• 2 Year Replacement Warranty

Packaging

Included with the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 are a user manual, quick start guide, AC wall charter, car charger, and 2 magnetic sun visor clips.

Setup

To pair the Supertooth 3 with your phone, simply turn on the Supertooth 3. It will ask you to select a language. You will then proceed through the normal pairing process for your device. After the Supertooth 3 has been successfully paired with your phone, the Supertooth 3 will download contacts from the device. This information is used when the Supertooth 3 announces the contact name.

I was able to pair the Supertooth 3 with a LG Scoop, Motorola E815, Samsung Hue, and a Motorola V3m Razr without any problems.

First Impressions

BlueAnt’s Supertooth 3 is 4.8 inches long, 2.4 inches wide and 0.8 inches thick. The large size of a the Supertooth 3 allows for up to 15 hours of talk time as opposed to the 4 – 5 hours of most Bluetooth headsets. I was able to get around 13 hours of talk time with the Supertooth 3. However, anytime the unit is on but not being used, it will shorten talk time.

The Supertooth 3 can easily be attached to a car visor using the included magnetic mounting clips. Two clips are included for easy switching between multiple vehicles.

Operation of the Supertooth 3 is pretty straight forward. There are two buttons on the front and a volume up and volume down button on the top. The button with a green phone icon is used to answer phone calls, or activate the phone’s built in voice command program. The red button is used to hang up. Powering the unit on and off is accomplished by holding the green button for several seconds.

Everything that you do with the Supertooth 3 is announced. For example, when powering on the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 it speaks “BlueAnt ST3 Ready… Connected to phone.” and when turning the Supertooth 3 off it speaks “BlueAnt ST3 powering down.”

The volume of the Supertooth 3 was loud enough to hear in a variety of settings including driving down the highway or while at the stop light next to a semi. However, the same could not be said about the microphone. Often times I had to talk louder than normal for the other party to hear me. Also almost everyone I spoke with complained about an echo. The Supertooth 3 has echo cancellation but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work very well in this case.

Any time someone calls your phone, the Supertooth 3 will announce the name of the caller. The name pronunciation is not bad but is still far from perfect. If the number is not in your contact list, the Supertooth 3 will announce the phone number. Answering a call using the Supertooth 3 can be accomplished by either pressing the green button or using the Voice Answer function. To use the Voice Answer, after the caller ID is announced, simply say “Answer” or “Accept Call”. If you do not want to answer the call, there is also the option to say “Reject Call”.

Conclusion

BlueAnt’s Supertooth 3 is a worthwhile alternative to Bluetooth headsets. It is easy to use, has plenty of features and long battery life. Although the echo cancellation is far from perfect, it is better than other car kits I have used. I would recommend the BlueAnt Supertooth 3 if you are looking for a hands free device without having a Bluetooth headset hanging off your ear.

Pros

+ Excellent battery life
+ Easy to use
+ Easy mounting
+ Voice answer

Cons

- Need to talk louder than normal for other party to hear you
- Requires better echo cancellation

Tags: BlueAnt, Bluetooth, handsfree, Supertooth 3