Review: Moto Hint. Is there a future for the Bluetooth headset?

Source: thatgeekdad

When I first took the Moto Hint out of its package, picked up the walnut-sized headset, and put it into my ear, I tensed waiting for something amazing to happen. Some new life force would enter my universe, a sentient voice in my head providing conversation and information while I went about my life. I’d ask it questions; it would provide directions and feedback and Giants scores; we’d be friends.

And indeed, the $149.99 Hint sprang to life as soon as it entered my ear. It made a decidedly modern, space age sound, like an instrument booting in a spaceship in the year 3056. Then a calm female voice, not Scarlett Johannson but the friendly Google Now lady I’ve gotten to know, spoke.

Source: thatgeekdad

“Moto Hint is ready to pair. Go to Bluetooth menu on device to complete pairing.” 

“Paired,” she said, after I’d spend a few seconds digging through the menus on my iPhone 6 Plus. “Moto Hint connected.”

Now what?

"Hint" is actually a perfect name for Motorola’s little earpiece. It’s not invisible; about half its body sticks out of my ears even after I’ve twisted the little silicon tip (which comes in three sizes) into place next to my ear canal. People notice I’m wearing it, maybe even more than other Bluetooth headsets, but no one’s quite sure what it is. It looks a little like a hearing aid, or at a quick glance could just be a big earring. The Hint exists in an awkward middle ground, actually. We’ve all learned to recognize, roll our eyes at, and forget about people talking into their Bluetooth headsets, but as I wandered around nattering aimlessly with a small rock in my ear, people noticed. And they stared. And they asked what in the world I was doing.

Source: thatgeekdad

Even if the people around weren’t gawking, I never really forgot the Hint was there, but I never really felt compelled to take it out of my ear, either, even while working out. It’s incredibly light and surprisingly comfortable, though it rarely did leave the same stiff soreness I get when I wear Apple’s EarPods for too many hours in a row. (A few seconds of massaging my ears solves either ailment.) It doesn’t appear to be actively doing anything to allow sound through the object blocking my ear, but the Hint still permits a lot of ambient noise — I could wear over-ear headphones with the Hint in my ear, and it neither felt nor sounded strange.

Motorola’s goal for the Hint is for it to be invisible. Maybe not for those around you — the BlueDouche problem is hardly mitigated here, much less solved — but at least for you, the wearer, it’s meant to be just an omnipresent thing ready at any moment for input. From a pure hardware perspective, it’s close. It even comes in multiple colors and natural finishes, so it feels somehow more organic. I really didn't mind wearing it all day.

One thing it does do well is automatically turn on and connect when I put it in my ear and shut off when I take it out, which is incredibly convenient and useful. 

There are two mics on the device, one for listening to you and the other for canceling out ambient noise. My biggest worry with the Hint was that the mic wouldn’t work well, for sheer distance from my mouth, but that really wasn’t an issue. I just as good to others than they did to me, and voice commands came through as accurately as they ever do when I talk to my phone on a busy street.

Based on my testing — a mix of phone calls, listening to Spotify, and relatively frequent voice commands — Motorola’s advertised three hours of talk time battery life is about right. I used it all day without fail, as long as I wasn’t touching it every two seconds or constantly streaming music. It’s not for the heavy phone callers, but it’ll stay alive in your ear throughout a normal work day. And there’s that handy canvas carrying case, which keeps the tiny headset from disappearing in my bag and also provides two extra charges. It’s also a convenient dock, attaching to a Micro USB cable and sliding closed to keep the Hint safe. The case is, honestly, the most innovative thing about the Moto Hint.  It's no bigger than a roll of quarters but less than a third of it's weight; easily pocketable.

Source: thatgeekdad

The Hint is just about tapping on the button. For all the time I’ve spent with it, I can’t yet figure out why I’d want to keep it in my ear all day. It’s a very comfortable, good sounding Bluetooth headset, and comes in handy sometimes when I’m quickly sending a text and don’t want to dig out my phone.  Even the Hint itself would prompt me to take my phone out sometimes, to read a recent message or check a map.  I love the idea of having a headset that’s always listening, always connected, always ready.

If a simple Bluetooth headset is what you're looking for, there are a thousand options, many of them better at their specific task — taking and receiving phone calls — than the Moto Hint. The Jawbone Era even offers some of the hands-free control you get from Motorola's device, and it's $50 cheaper (It even has a similar charging case.) but then again the Hint is a lot less noticeable and less of a distraction (mainly to other people).  

Get this if:

• You want a very discreet bluetooth device that you can wear a lot but doesn't make you look like "one of those people".
• Good incoming and outgoing sound
• Conversation starter from on lookers who think you are from 5 to 10 years into the future
• Don't want to worry about finding a plug to charge it as the carrying case takes care of that for you