Design
Motorola is making some impressive moves in the Bluetooth headset market. Recently we saw the pricey but well-designed S9 Bluetooth headphones, and the H12 hands-free headset definitely continues in the same vein, with chic design and a heavy price tag.
The H12 is impressively small and uncommonly sexy for a Bluetooth headset. At only 42mm in length the H12 barely extended past our ear lobes when worn and is an extremely light 12g. Bundled with the H12 are two charging docks; a tiny magnetised stand and a cute enclosed pod.
Motorola promise the H12 will fit comfortably based on their "extensive ergonomic measurement study of the human ear". This sounds like tedious work, but we have to agree that the H12 earbud did have a comfortable fit, although, not any more comfortable than other earbud headphones.
Performance
We had no major complaints about the H12 unit we tested. The unit paired easily with numerous non-Motorola handsets, and the call quality was good with the paired handsets, within a range of approximately two or three metres.
Motorola have been spruiking the "CrystalTalk" ambient noise cancelling technology built-in to the latest of their Bluetooth headphone releases. We made several calls outside in busy city street traffic and found we could hear our conversations clearly, and were told we could be heard clearly as well.
Battery life was also good. Motorola estimate 5.5 hours of talk time. We clocked up about an hour of talk time over a week without recharging.
Overall
With the H12 performing well and looking great, our only gripe is the price. With a local RRP of AU$159.95 the H12 is a mobile phone accessory that costs more than some mobile phones. If price is no obstacle, the H12 is one of the best Bluetooth hands-free devices we've seen lately.
