The 2014 HTC One in the fuzzy flesh (credit: HardForum via BGR)
The All New HTC One is a foregone conclusion at this point, but that's not stopping leaks from spilling in the days leading up to its March 25 launch.
A user over at HardForum spent some one-on-one time and got a little handsy with a test version of the HTC One 2. The person's post seems to have been pulled, though not before a few sites got a hold of the info.
Despite a number of to-be-expected bugs - this was an early model - the leaker described the new HTC One as "faster than my Google Edition S4."
The front, 4MP camera is "incredible" and "really crisp. The phone sported a dual-rear camera, and the HardForum user described it as "amazing" even though they were unable to try it out.
The handset it also taller and thinner than the 2013 HTC One, too.
According to a report in Chinese online media, the freshly announcedHTC Desire 816 will cost below $300 when launched. Allegedly, the phablet will be priced at ¥1799 (about $294) when it goes on sale in China in the near future.
Should the reported pricing turn out to be the real deal, the HTC Desire 816 is bound to become a mighty good mid-range proposition. The phablet sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC, 1.5GB of RAM, 13MP camera, and 5.5” 720p display, tucked into a sleek-looking, well-built body.
There is no word on international pricing of the HTC Desire just yet. We surely hope that it remains in the same vicinity as in China.
You can find out all about the HTC Desire 816 in our MWC hands-on.
In the quest for searching for a new handset there are only a few handsets that actually stand out, but with their bright colours the chances are you've seen the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and Apple's iPhone 5C.
If after reading our full in depth reviews of both you're still struggling to work out which one of these 'cut down' handsets is right for you then you've come to the right place.
Here we give each of these handsets another run through and pit them against each other in order to answer that all important question: which handset it right for you?
Design
Both handsets follow a similar design DNA as their larger siblings, although that is slightly less pronounced on the iPhone 5C.
Its plastic chassis doesn't come with the same premium feel that is found on the iPhone 5S where the Xperia Z1 Compact still comes with the metallic and glass exterior that made the Xperia Z1 so stylish.
But it's not metal
In terms of sheer size the iPhone 5C comes out smaller all round, the curved plastic back wrapping around makes it smooth and really comfortable. Measurements of 124.4 x 59.2 x 9mm and 132g means it sits very easily in one hand.
That's not to say that the Xperia Z1 Compact is uncomfortable, measuring a mere 127 x 64.9 x 9.5mm, so still very similar in size. The extra 5g in weight is also barely noticeable; it would take a lot to call the Z1 Compact heavy.
The biggest difference is the whole feel that you get when holding the handsets, something that is particularly noticeable when holding an Xperia Z1 Compact, where the iPhone 5C takes an "unapologetically plastic" approach that many have equated with cheap.
A glass and metal frame alludes to a high end device even when holding the lime green or pink options, although we'd struggle to say the effect isn't slightly muted .
A slightly more muted colour palette
This means that it fits into an office environment much better and will suit those that don't wish to look so conspicuous when out and about.
The colours of the iPhone 5C (white, pink, green, yellow and blue) help the Apple handset stand out a lot more, something that is vital in the evil world of playground politics or for those that really want to express themselves through their phone.
Elsewhere though the Xperia Z1 Compact trumps the iPhone 5C thanks to its IP58 certification. This means that it comes with enough waterproofing to survive being dropped in a puddle, a bath or even the kitchen sink (although we're never going to advise making calls whilst in the shower).
The camera button
Covering of all the vital ports with the genius idea of leaving the headphone port exposed really gives the Xperia Z1 Compact something extra to shout about, as well as coming with the ability to take photos underwater with thanks to a dedicated camera button.
Camera
A dedicated camera button certainly hints that the camera isn't something that can be ignored on the Xperia Z1 Compact. Other clues might also have given it away; Sony crowing about the massive size (a whopping 20.7MP), the G Lens and Exmor sensor.
On top of that it should be clear that the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is gunning for the compact camera market, something that is abundantly clear within the naming strategy.
The camera on Sony's phone
Apple hasn't left the iPhone 5C to suffer though, even if the 8MP sensor brought over from the iPhone 5 seems more than a little diminutive when stood in direct competition against the monstrous 20.7MP of the Sony.
Even the front sensor of the compact Xperia is much larger than that of the iPhone 5C, coming with a 2MP offering rather than the 1.2MP that comes with the Apple.
Sony has kept the same camera that graced the Xperia Z1 on the Compact and with it has also brought over the same revamped camera app.
This means that the AR Mode, varying filters, superior auto and Timeshift modes all make an appearance as well as Social Live which allows for live broadcasting over social media.
These modes will prove very handy when it comes to showing off your latest snaps to the likes of Flickr or Instagram.
Budding photographers won't be left disappointed with the iPhone 5C though; its stripped back camera app provides little in the way of customisation but there are still a few filters that can be applied.
Where the Sony provides oodles of camera gizmos, Apple has taken it the other way.
Both just about border on providing too much or too little but it is to both of their credit as they both provide a unique experience with the Xperia Z1 Compact allowing you to explore to your heart's content and the iPhone 5C providing you with a really simple easy to use app.
In terms of performance there was always going to be a difference even if you don't subscribe to the 'more megapixels means better imagery' scenario.
In short, while the iPhone 5C provides a more-than-adequate mobile camera experience the Xperia Z1 Compact comes as one of the best handsets on the market for taking photos.
Screen
There are a few things that mark both the iPhone 5C and the Xperia Z1 Compact as smaller handsets.
For the Apple it is as simple as being an iPhone; (in)famous for smaller screens when the likes of the 5.2-inch LG G2 and 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android handsets have really pushed the boundaries of what people expect on a mobile flagship.
The 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5C
On the Sony the smaller nature is highlighted with the name, you don't call something "Compact" and expect it to be huge.
Size-wise there is little to choose between the two. The Xperia Z1 Compact comes with a 4.3-inch screen making it marginally larger than the 4-inch iPhone 5C, as well as packing in a larger resolution.
While not full HD (that would have been wishful thinking) we're treated to a HD 720 x 1280 screen that gives a really respectable 342ppi.
On the Apple is a smaller 640 x 1136 resolution which gives the 5C a smaller 326ppi, although there is still a lot to be said about the iPhone's screen.
It comes 'Retina' branded meaning that Apple feel that any higher ppi is indistinguishable by the human eye at the intended use distance, and it is still razor sharp.
Neither screen lend themselves heavily to intense movie watching sessions whilst out and about, those are and will always be the preserve of the larger 'phablets' or even tablets.
The Sony features a slightly larger screen than the 5C
Instead these screens are far more suited to light web browsing whilst on the train or for playing casual games such as Angry Birds or any of the Flappy Bird clones.
Again the Sony has a small trick up its sleeve in its ability to use the Xperia Z1 Compact with a pair of gloves on. Thanks to nifty screen technology the Z1 Compact recognises touches with a (rather annoying) circle on screen when the sensitivity is enhanced. It's only a small feature but it's one we can see being rather important when out in the cold.
Modular phones focused on being great, not profitable
Going modular may be even cheaper and more accessible than some imagined.
According to Google's Advanced Technology and Projects team, the folks behind Project Ara, speaking with Time, Google wants to get the first barebone version on its modular phone on the market for as little as $50 (about £29/AU$55).
This "grayphone" will consist of little more than a frame, screen and Wi-Fi radio, and it will be "designed to be sold at convenience stores." Users could then swap out and plug in parts as they like, which will presumably cost a price per piece.
Google hopes to put a consumer-ready version of Ara on sale in the first part of 2015.
More Ara
The Time report also revealed that Google plans to have some level of control over Ara hardware.
The platform supports three sizes of phone - mini, medium and jumbo (think phablet) - which will be determined by an aluminum endoskeleton. This component will be Google-branded.
The ambition is to do for hardware what Android and other platforms have done for software, Project Ara lead Paul Eremenko told Time. In other words, open manufacturing to innumerable developers as opposed to a handful of major names.
There's still a ways to go before a $50 phone hits the market, including getting down to that price point to begin with and convincing communications regulators in places like the US.
Still, Eremenko said he wants Project Ara to be "great, not profitable," so consumers may hold out hope that customizable phones are not far off on the horizon.
Here's the hands on you've been waiting for - read our Galaxy S5 review!
Near Field Communication technology (NFC) has spread its way across the mobile landscape like a forest wildfire, yet how many of us actually use it, let alone use it to its full potential?
We all know how NFC works (if not, then here's all you need to know about NFC) although one of its greatest applications is still being hidden away and unused; Google's Android Beam.
In order to help you make the most out of your hardware here's our guide to what Android Beam is and, more importantly, how it works.
What is Android Beam?
Having been baked into every iteration of Google's mobile OS since Android 4.0 Ice Cream, Android Beam is an app designed to make the most of NFC and enables the sharing of just about anything whether it's a contact card, picture, web page or YouTube link.
How do I use it?
The first thing to check before we go any further is whether your handset supports NFC. This can be found within connectivity settings alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Once this has been confirmed for both handsets it's as simple as touching the two devices together, bringing the NFC chips in close contact. Unfortunately, this isn't always as easy as it sounds when it comes to working out where the chip actually is, although we'd suggest that the chip is generally in the centre near the top.
The handset that you're hoping to send information from should pull the screen in slightly displaying the message "Touch to Beam".
Just tap the screen and you'll find the information popping up on the second handset, or a link to the Google Play store to find the relevant app.
What if my handset doesn't show Android Beam?
As Android Beam comes built into the Android OS there is no specific app for you to boot up. Instead just enable NFC on both handsets and press them together. Often handset manufacturers will allow you to turn NFC and Android Beam on and off individually.
If you find that Android Beam doesn't appear within the Android NFC settings you shouldn't fret. The HTC One is a prime example as there is no mention of Android Beam anywhere; however following the above steps will still bring up the "Tap to Beam" page that we mentioned earlier.
Owners of Samsung branded devices will also find sat alongside NFC the S-Beam app, which is largely the same thing, as you'll find out if you read on.
S-Beam is a Samsung specific app that builds onto features that are already included in Android Beam. It still connects via NFC although all data is sent via Wi-Fi Direct. This makes transfer speeds faster when sending files such as your latest holiday snap or video.
Working through S-Beam is done in the exact same way as Android Beam, pressing the NFC chips in each device together, but it initiates a faster and stronger connection than Bluetooth.
Are there any downsides?
One of the biggest problems with Android Beam is NFC and the location of the chips. Availability of NFC is no longer an issue given that it now comes on many of even the cheapest handsets but locating the chip in the first place can be a pain in the posterior.
In mobile phones the problem isn't so bad given there's limited space to choose from, but trying to locate the chip on a tablet can be more than a little tricky.
This can often be found with a quick search online, although you then have to find a way of putting the two chips together. In tests we found that while the NFC chips recognised each other's presence (with a small vibration) the sending handset occasionally didn't want to register Beam.
It is also probably worth pointing out, if not immediately obvious, that Android Beam does only work with Android phones. iPhone's don't even come with NFC on board, at least not yet., and Windows Phones don't want to know.
What does the future hold?
Since its inception Android Beam has grown to encompass sending files via Bluetooth. This works by instantly pairing devices and turning on Bluetooth, sending the file then disabling Bluetooth. You can then move the phones apart as they no longer rely upon NFC.
Just as S-Beam incorporates Wi-Fi Direct so could Android Beam, something that may find favour from the recent Google-Samsung patent licensing deal. This would enable even faster file transfer than Bluetooth.
At a stretch it's not too difficult to imagine Android Beam becoming part of the Internet of Things either, allowing you to tap your phone against an Android enabled refrigerator to share a shopping list or to a potential updated Chromecast dongle to enable Wi-Fi Direct streaming of content to a larger screen nearby.
While NFC hasn't quite caught on as a payment method, there's still a real desire to find cool ways to connect - here's hoping Android Beam keeps getting the development it deserves.
We're on our way out of the MWC grounds. The biggest mobile tech event of the first half of teh year is over. While last year we left slightly disappointed, this year was full of excitement with several flagship launches, several new tablets and plenty of wearables, too.
Before we say goodbye, we have time slow down and review the highlights of the frantic week behind us.
Samsung
Samsung's announcement brought the hotly anticipated Galaxy S successor. The Galaxy S5 improves on the S4 on all counts, with water-resistance, big camera sensor with 4K video capture, fingerprint and heart rate sensors as the headlining features.
The slightly bigger screen (just 0.1") and faster processor were a bit less exciting (S4 Advance has Snapdragon 800 versus the 801 of the S5).
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung also brought out Tizen devices - three smartwatches - but the only Tizen phone was a prototype that will never see store shelves.
Sony
Sony was the other big player to unveil its flagship - the Xperia Z2 builds on its predecessor with 4K video capture, bigger screen (0.2" more) and lighter, but bigger, body. Sony has publicly adopted the two flagship updates per year, so this is really for Xperia Z owners. Z1 owners will probably have their upgrade later this year.
Sony Xperia Z2 • Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet LTE
Sony also revamped its tablet - the Xperia Z2 Tablet is the thinnest Android tablet around and it's so light and pretty, it's a serious rival to the iPad Air. As other Z devices, it's water resistant.
Nokia
Nokia had no flagship to show, but its event brought a big shift in strategy - the now Microsoft-owned phone division made Android-powered devices, three of them. Of course, former CEO and future Microsoft head of tech Stephen Elop made sure to stress that the Nokia X family uses Microsoft and Nokia services, not Google's.
Nokia X • Nokia X+ • Nokia XL
You can read our thoughts on Nokia's deviation from the Windows Phone-centric smartphone approach here.
LG
LG unveiled the G2 sidekicks - the G Pro 2 phablet and the G2 mini compact phone - a couple of weeks before the MWC, but this was our first face to face meeting with the new gadgets. While the G Pro 2 is a serious challenger to the Galaxy Note 3, the G2 mini has some drawbacks - it's not much smaller than the G2 and its specs are thoroughly mid-range. And we thought that after the Xperia Z1 Compact, things were turning around for small flagships.
LG G Pro 2 • LG G2 mini
HTC
HTC didn't put too much effort into the MWC - the ailing manufacturer only brought the Desire 816 phablet and that was only a dummy. We guess HTC is saving its ace for the end of March when the HTC One successor will be unveiled.
Huawei brought a "don't call it a mini" compact version of its Ascend P6 phone, the G6. The company also threw down the glove, challenging the Nexus 7 (2013) with the LTE and voice call enabled MediaPad X1.
The company also showed an innovative wearable, the TalkBand B1. It's a Bluetooth headset that can be worn as a smartwatch thanks to a clever wrist band.
Huawei Ascend G6 • Huawei MediaPad X1
Lenovo
The Lenovo S850 smartphone and Toga Tablet 10 HD+ stand out on Lenovo's roster. The S850 is a mid-range 5" phone with a 13MP camera and a plastic finish meant to feel and look like glass, while the Yoga tablet updates its predecessor with a 1,920 x 1,200px screen.
ZTE showed the second generation Grand Memo tablet, now with LTE. The screen grew to 6", though the chipset was demoted from a Snapdragon 800 to a 400. ZTE also had a couple of Firefox OS phones on display.
ZTE Grand Memo II LTE • ZTE Open II • ZTE Open C
Alcatel
Speaking of Firefox OS phones, Alcatel had a whole gaggle of them, there's even a 7" tablet. Alcatel had the most new devices in general, but the most interesting Android devices are the Idol 2 S and Idol 2 Mini / 2 Mini S.
The Pop Fit is an interesting device too - a tiny, entry-level Android phone that can come on a run with you thanks to the arm band (and its small size, of course).
Alcatel One Touch Idol 2 S • Alcatel One Touch Idol 2 Mini • Alcatel One Touch Idol 2 Mini S
Others
A few devices from lesser known makers also deserve a shout out. The Blackphone addresses hot issues of today - privacy and electronic security - while the New YotaPhone tries to revolutionize phone design with two screen (the second one being an e-paper display).
The Gionee Elife S5.5 is the thinnest smartphone yet, just 5.55mm thick.
Gionee Elife E7 • Gionee Elife S5.5
Other intersecting developments came from SanDisk, like the first 128GB microSD card (which the latest flagships support). This NAND storage progress was, of course, accompanied by bigger embeddable storage chips for phones and tablets.
SanDisk also unveiled external storage for your phone or tablet, the Dual Ultra USB Drive. It plugs into USB OTG enabled devices and provides between 16GB and 64GB of extra storage. It has a handy full size USB end for plugging into computers too.
While Apple wasn't at the MWC (it never is), the awards committee honored the Cupertino tech giant with the Best Tablet award for the iPad Air.
In a not so surprising move Samsung released its latest flagship with a fingerprint scanner just as rumors suggested. The home button on the Galaxy S5 does more than just unlocking the phone though.
Samsung is also providing its fingerprint scanner information for use with other apps so developers can, for example, replace passwords with biometric print data.
This is done with the Pass API, released as part of the Galaxy S5 development kit. PayPal is the first to utilize the open API and will allow confirming payments via fingerprint on the Galaxy S5.
Apple on the other side held its fingerprint scanning information under lock and key inside the A7 chip and only allows data to be shared (read used) with its own services (like iTunes, iBooks, etc.).
Some might argue the latter is a safer approach amid constant raiding of online-accessible personal information. On the other hand the fingerprint scanner opens a world of possibility and enhanced usability.
There's revolution in the air. People and companies are tired of essentially being limited to a choice of just three smartphone operating systems. They're tired of the walled gardens of iOS and Windows Phone and they're wondering about the open-source-but-secretive development of Android.
This atmosphere has led to four new operating systems being built to challenge the status quo. There's Firefox OS, Ubuntu, Tizen and then now Sailfish OS, an operating system developed by a small team with big ambitions.
Sailfish OS might be reasonably new, but many of the ideas driving it aren't. It's an open source Linux based operating system but more specifically it was born from the ashes of Nokia's failed MeeGo OS, which was used on precisely one phone: the Nokia N9, before the Finnish phone-smiths pulled the plug.
Some of the people behind MeeGo weren't ready to abandon it though, so they jumped ship, formed a new company called Jolla, raised an impressive £160 million and got to work on Sailfish OS, taking many of the ideas from MeeGo with them.
Not a button in sight
So why should you care about Sailfish OS? Well, it's largely open source for one thing, and not open source in the way Android is where most of the development is done behind closed doors, but truly open, allowing the public to see much of what Jolla is doing and use the code for their own purposes.
It also has a user interface that's quite different from any of the competition. It starts with the homescreen, which rather than showing static app icons instead gives you a window to all your open apps, and lets you switch between them or interact with them with a swipe, taking multitasking to a level not really seen on other phone OS's.
The Jolla. From Jolla.
For example, if you have the phone app open on the homescreen a swipe one way will reveal the dialer and the opposite way will show you your contacts.
But each app icon also shows live information, so for example the music player might show what track is playing. In many ways it's a mix of BlackBerry 10's homescreen layout, Windows Phone 8's live tiles and Android's widgets all in one.
As you might have guessed from all that, it's also a very gesture based OS. You can access the app drawer with a swipe up from the homescreen, get back by swiping from one side to the other when in an app or close it down by sliding your digit from top to bottom.
You can also check your social network updates and other notifications without interrupting what you're doing by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, quickly access options that are relevant to the screen you're on by accessing the 'Pulley Menu' with a downwards swipe from the centre of the screen and wake the phone up from sleep by double tapping anywhere on the screen.
It's a system which cuts down on buttons and menus and gives you access to just about everything from any app or screen.
In fact there are no physical or virtual home, back, menu or search buttons. Being able to carry out different actions with just a swipe also makes it much easier to use one-handed than other mobile operating systems and could potentially help it stand out on larger handsets and tablets where two-handed use has been all but essential up to now.
Custom colours
Sailfish OS also puts a lot of focus on visual customisation, allowing you to change the colour of the interface to match the colours of whatever background image you're using and the colour change is applied not just to the home screen but also to the apps themselves.
Speaking to Japanese K-Tai.Impress Sony Mobile's Creative Director, Director of Product Planning and UX General Manager, Yoshiro Kurozumi, addresses the early rise to the throne by the Xperia Z2 and why he thinks a half a year upgrade cycle is a better fit for this industry.
According to him, in order to maintain a the flagship status of the product, you must upgrade it faster to keep it competitive. He went on to confirm that the Xperia Z2 will likely be Sony's flagship for only the first half of 2014.
He also commented about design, saying Sony doesn't want to rely on a single design, which could mean the company will perhaps move away from its OmniBalance design language, which has dominated the Xperia line so far (including Z, Z1 and Z2, compact and ultra included).
And while we can extrapolate from Mr. Kurozumi's words that Sony will be releasing its next flagship some time in Q3 or Q4 of 2014 and that it may feature a new design, we truly hope Sony will at least continue to update its Z and Z1 flagships for the sake of those users, who have purchased these devices for a handful amount of money (all of which are still waiting to receive Android 4.4 KitKat).
Samsung Huron for Verizon has been confirmed via the GFXBenchmark's database and @evleaks tweets. Huron is supposed to be a Windows Phone 8.1 running device headed to Verizon this spring.
According to the latest info, courtesy once again of the notorious @evleaks, Samsung codenamed Huron will be called ATIV SE. Since Verizon is already offering the first ATIV, we guess the SE might be short for Second Edition.
Anyway, Samsung ATIV SE is rumored to pack either a 4.3" 720p or a 5" 1080p display. It should be running on a quad-core Snapdragon processor with 2GB RAM and a 13MP camera.
As the latest rumor has it the ATIV SE will come with the latest available Windows Phone 8.1 OS. This means it will most probably launch in April or later, after the Microsoft's BUILD conference where the WP 8.1 is going to premiere.
Samsung's going to let developers use the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner in their own apps, which means you could be waving goodbye to your passwords for good.
The fingerprint-friendly Pass API was released as part of the S5's development kit, which also includes all the information devs need to create apps for the Gear 2 and Gear Fit.
The fingerprint scanner was already more useful than most, allowing you to control certain parts of the phone with your biometric data, and more apps being able to access the info will certainly attract consumers.
Pass out
"With Pass, you can provide reinforced security, since you can identify whether the current user actually is the authentic owner of the device," the document explains.
PayPal is the first to make use of the open API; its app lets you use your phone and fingerprint scanner combo to pay for things in participating stores.
Unlike Samsung, Apple's TouchID has stayed tightly guarded so you can only use it to unlock your iPhone 5S and authorise payments in Apple's own products like iBooks, iTunes and the App Store.
What did we make of the new Samsung flagship? Read our hands on Samsung Galaxy S5 review to find out
Once in a while, a product pops up that reminds you just how remarkable digital technology can be. The Jabra Motion Bluetooth headset does just that.
It integrates such an impressive array of functionality into such a tiny device, you simply have to marvel at what's possible.
Put another way, it's that Star Trek thing - the Jabra Motion is Lieutenant Uhura's ear-dangling comms device productionised and available to buy.
That's not to say it's unique or even necessarily does its intended job well. Several outfits will do you a full-function Bluetooth headset.
Indeed, the critical point is that you can have a Bluetooth headset for as little as £10 – Amazon.co.uk will do you a Plantronics ML18 for just that. The most basic version of the Jabra Motion typically costs in excess of £60.
On paper, both that device and the Jabra Motion do the same basic job – allow you to connect to your mobile phone via Bluetooth for hands-free calls.
Question is, then, does the Jabra Motion's particular feature set and execution – its controls, its battery life, the quality of its noise cancellation – make it worth the price premium.
The Jabra Motion comes with a complete charging kit
Features
Our review sample is the basic Jabra Motion. That means its a Bluetooth hands-free headset that will connect to any Bluetooth-enabled phone for voice calls.
It has physical controls for receiving and ending calls, audio volume and mute. The micrphone itseld is on a flip-boom which doubles as a power switch for the whole device.
Thanks to an extendable, swiveling ear piece, it's also adjustable for size and can be worn on both left and right ears.
Status lights help with simple syncing
Digital features start with motion and environment-sensitive noise canceling. It also sports voice control both natively and through certain handsets.
That means you have voice control of a number of the Jabra's own functions. But you can also use the full voice control of your handset through the headset. For example, you can access Apple's Siri voice control on iPhones with the headset.
The Jabra Motion also has a few other neat frills, such as using its motion sensor to automatically answer calls when you pick it up.
If this is the entry-level version, other variants add extras like a USB Bluetooth adapter to allow you to connect to PCs and support for Unified Communications (UC) which will be attractive to corporate users.
Performance
Call quality, that's surely one of the biggies for any Bluetooth headset and here the Jabra Motion scores pretty heavily.
Exactly what goes into the noise cancelling tech, we're not sure. But the end result is impressive suppression of car noise. If you didn't already know someone was calling you in-car and on the move with the Motion, you probably wouldn't guess.
And that was with our test car which is a relatively noise cabriolet with a fabric roof. That said, the audio quality for the receiver is a little thin. But if you don't want people to automatically know you're on the road, the Motion gets the job done.
As it happens, the sound quality for the Jabra Motion user is a little skinny, too. You don't notice this much in calls. But it is obvious if you try to listen to music through the ear piece.
Not that you'll likely want to use it as a single-ear wireless headphone. But it does reveal the fundamental quality of the audio of offer. And it's mediocre.
The other major element of the user experience is ease of use and that's a story of wins and losses for the Motion. The least satisfying aspect is physical fit.
The Jabra motion is adjustable and also configurable for both ears. But we found achieving a comfortable, stable fit tricky to achieve.
That's compounded if you wear glasses where the Motion and the arm of your glasses compete for space and stability atop your ear.
Folding mic boom doubles as a power switch
However, we're all different shapes and sizes so our advice here is clear. Try before you buy. The Motion isn't poorly designed, it's adjustable and it may fit you very nicely.
The rest of the usability package, however, is much more successful. Initial setup and syncing is a cinch, as is accepting and ending calls. Ditto volume adjustment and accessing additional features. It all works very smoothly indeed.
The voice control feature is an added boon and means you can have full access to your contacts on the move and hands-free. In our testing, there was no detectable loss of accuracy of Apple's Siri voice control when on the move and using the Motion as an interface.
Battery life is also good. Much will depend on usage. But Jabra claims seven hours talk time and that seems realistic.
The bottom line is that you want the device to last a day on a single charge and so long as you don't spend literally every moment on calls, we reckon you'll get just that.
