New Jawbone headset from Aliph now official

Don't call it Jawbone 2, Aliph's Jawbone sequel is the company's new flagship product, with the old Bluetooth headset being put out to pasture to make way for the new hotness. The new Jawbone is 50% smaller than the original, and includes "NoiseAssassin" technology, a followup on the noise canceling tech of the original. There's a faster processor on board to handle heavier signal processing duties for canceling out ambient noises better and faster, along with that Voice Activity Sensor which lets the Jawbone know when you're talking so the rest of the time can be noise free. A new fast charge battery can suck up 80% of its capacity in 30 minutes, but the overall battery life is lower than the original, with 4 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby. The whole unit weighs in at 10 grams, and is available now for $130 at AT&T retail stores and online at Jawbone's site. Initially it's being offered in black only, but silver and rose gold (pictured after the break) versions are coming soon.

[Jehad @ May 15th 2008 12:05AM]

Looks amazing, hopefully Apple will catch on and add some improvements to its bluetooth headset!

[stickybit @ May 15th 2008 12:24AM]

why are there back to back posts about the same headset ?

[Anders @ May 15th 2008 12:31AM]

Because, like apple products, it's THAT awesome that it deserves an "it's official" AND an unboxing post.

[Mojo @ May 15th 2008 12:26AM]

I don't understand the "Breaking" tag on any of these "breaking" news items.

What makes this breaking? Oh wow, a new bluetooth ear piece.

[Ypoknons @ May 15th 2008 12:30AM]

Not only is the Jawbone a popular, exciting and technologically advanced headset, some people actually need headsets. Just because you don't care isn't a reason to whine.

[Mojo @ May 15th 2008 12:33AM]

I wasn't even really talking about the Jawbone.

Just that "breaking news" stories on a gadget site is dumb.

[Colin Potter @ May 15th 2008 12:39AM]

it's "breaking news" cuz it makes me "break wind" with excitement, HA!

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ May 15th 2008 1:26AM]

Am I the only one who thinks this is ugly as hell?

[0megapart!cle @ May 15th 2008 2:42AM]

Yes, yes you absolutely are. In fact, I bet if you did a canvass of the entire world's population, and asked them if they thought this was "ugly as hell", they would all disagree with you.

[ugg.tryptophan @ May 15th 2008 2:44AM]

yes

[Nick Catalano @ May 15th 2008 2:04AM]

This is not 'breaking news'
Don't kid yourself

When Apple introduces a device that will send you to the moon (the iRocket to take you to the iMoon perhaps) and only tells Engadget, then you get to call it breaking news... this is not breaking news

[Matt E. @ May 15th 2008 3:15AM]

This just in: You'll still look like a complete tool wearing one.

[MBN @ May 15th 2008 6:18PM]

Tool envy?

Seriously, I use one when I'm on the phone, but I TAKE IT OUT when I'm not. I guess I don't mind looking like a tool when I'm on the phone. 24/7 wearers worry me.

I've seen guys on dates, even in church wearing one. Wow!

[Down @ May 15th 2008 3:59AM]

Am i the only one who still has no idea what this "Jawbone" is? Or what its used for?

[Bad Beaver @ May 15th 2008 5:31AM]

You stick it in your ear and then you hear voices in your head. It also has active noise reduction so you can hear those voices better.

[Down @ May 15th 2008 7:30AM]

The first 6 words of your reply had me expecting an insult. Guess not.

So its like an bluetooth earphone? I assume you need a separate microphone or something to speak in if you're using it for a mobile phone?

I also assume it connects via bluetooth - Couldn't it be used as earphones for an mp3 player (given that it supports bluetooth) ?

[MBN @ May 15th 2008 6:04PM]

First, it's a Bluetooth HEADSET. It includes the microphone.
Second, the noise canceling technology works on the mic side, allowing you to talk on the phone in a noisy environment without the person on the other end hearing most the noise.

It's truly amazing stuff, and not just if you work around loud jets or something. Have you ever been in a loud, crowded public place, and needed to talk on the phone? This allows you to do it. I have the original Jawbone and wouldn't ever go back.

Watch the demo on their site for an illustration. They don't exaggerate its effectivness either!

[Arkweld @ May 15th 2008 4:35AM]

does it play nicely with Skype and other non-cellphone devices this time around?

[Bad Beaver @ May 15th 2008 5:26AM]

I second the notion that people using headsets look like tools. Nevertheless, this one makes for a more bearable appearance. Ten years ago, people babbling to themselves in the streets were still caught and brought away to... recover. Always remember that.

[Rick @ May 15th 2008 6:07AM]

Will I still sound like a fish in the bottom of a barrel?

[rederikus @ May 15th 2008 6:48AM]

If this thing is anything like the orginal, which I have then it will be very good indeed.

This device has transformed the way that I can use my phone legally whilst driving. It works perfectly even with the a/s and the sound system running.

I use a true smartphone - the BlackBerry Curve - and it works perfectly with that. If it does not work with that brick of an iPhone then go buy a phone that actually has features apart from a very good browser.

[MBN @ May 15th 2008 6:08PM]

rederikus, I too use the Jawbone with the Curve. I also use it with the iPhone and it works great! Brick? No. Each phone has exclusive features that I love.

(Yeah, I like to switch my SIM from phone to phone depending on my mood.)

I hope the new Jawbone will pair with more than one device at a time. Re-pairing when I switch phones is annoying.

[CubeSquare @ May 15th 2008 7:48AM]

Dear God above, finally we got a sexy headset.

[strictlymacin @ May 15th 2008 8:04AM]

Funniest thread ever. I hear a voice telling me to buy one.

[Wwhat @ May 15th 2008 8:15AM]

Interestingly enough there are many implementations and designs made to cancel noise and directionally amplify sound by using 2 microphones, and many audio codecs on motherboards have it even hardwired in them, and in drivers, and yet you never see it used in devices like this AFAIK, while a second microphone would cost next to nothing but would enable directional cancellation and amplification very effectively, weird huh.
And on motherboards they most always only have 1 connector for mono microphones too and that would also cost almost nothing to alter.

[Flur @ May 15th 2008 12:39PM]

I've tried all the top-rated noise reduction BT headsets out there and they've all gone back to the store - none of them work as well as the jawbone.

[Wwhat @ May 15th 2008 5:32PM]

I think I heard others say that too, that it's pretty good.

[MBN @ May 15th 2008 6:12PM]

The reason it's better than noise cancellation which relies on two mics is the sensor that rests on the cheek. That sensor picks up sound vibrations directly from your mouth. The sensor doesn't pick up ambient noise so it's easier for the device to determine what sounds are your voice, and what sounds are not.

[JimH @ May 15th 2008 9:28AM]

Maybe one of the twenty some posts here is worth reading. Think I'll go find something more worthwhile.

[MBN @ May 15th 2008 6:13PM]

Yours definitely wasn't that one post.

[PS3guy @ May 15th 2008 10:26AM]

No thanks I'm happy with mine Plantronics Voyager 520 and it cost haft the price of Jawbone.

[James Herald @ May 17th 2008 8:21AM]

I also have a Plantronics voyager 520, and I thought I was happy with it, when I tried to talk to people and all they would tell me is how much noise they heard. As of my purchase of the Jawbone Friday May 9th, it among some others has officially been retired.

[James Herald @ May 17th 2008 8:23AM]

One other thing... forgot to mention it was the original jawbone... not jawbone 2.

[sopan @ May 15th 2008 12:15PM]

First of all those who think wearing a bluetooth headsets are 'tools' need to understand that most states are in acting laws requiring hands free operation. Unless you live in a village and not near a major US or international city, this obviously doesn't matter to you.

The jawbone is probably the most 'advanced' headset with a nice feature set that makes it sound like you're normally speaking into a cellphone rather than a wind tunnel.

[zoey @ May 17th 2008 12:44AM]

I understand that some people have to wear them while driving because of laws passed for safety reasons, but seriously... do people have to wear them while eating in the restaurant? Riding in the elevator? I think these people are the "tools" that the previous posters were referring to.

[CaptSaltyJack @ May 15th 2008 12:13PM]

Sweet, that rose gold Jawbone will go great with my purple fur coat and pants, white shirt, and my big fuzzy purple hat. Bling!

[anthony.lam @ May 15th 2008 5:22PM]

Hey, does anybody know if the new ear piece will fit the old one? The old one keeps slipping off ~_~

[Bazil @ May 22nd 2008 4:25PM]

To those saying that BT headsets are for "tools": I use a bluetooth headset EVERY TIME I talk on my phone, so as to get as little electromagnetic radiation as possible (phone's emitting power is 1W, while a BT headset emits at 1mW). I am not a tool, nor a geek, I am just a normal human, and I use a BT headset so as to remain normal. If you care about your health you should also do the same...

[jzschau @ May 23rd 2008 6:33PM]

I was unlucky enough to get a defective one. The sound quality on my end seemed fine. However, the sound quality for the listener was extremely poor. It sounded muddy when the Noise Assassin was on and there was hardly any sound when it was off.

I feel this is worth mentioning here because there have not yet been many posts identifying issues such as this. This is my first bluetooth headset (ever) and it took me a while to figure out that something actually was wrong. I may have not noticed it at all if a friend of mine hadn't pointed out that the sound on his end was poor.

The moral of this story: test yours out. If the sound on either end isn't extremely clear get a replacement. The new one sounds great!

[Earth First! We'll drill the other planets later. @ Jun 30th 2008 8:12PM]

I've had the original Jawbone for about a year now. Actually, I've had three of them so far, because I keep losing the damned things. I love the original as far as the fit.

I purchased this new Jawbone headset, and people on the other end say they can hear me even better than with te original. My only bitch about the new and "improved" unit is that it's hard to keep the sensor against my cheek when I'm talking. The earloop holder doesn't seem to be spring loaded like the original ones were.

I still have my (now 3rd) original one hooked up to a BT connector for non BT phones from Jabra, using it to get even better hands free noise cancellation on the Motorola M900 mounted in my work pick-up truck.

I just wish there were more options for the ear gels... I just can't get any of the three included ones to fit my ear properly.

[Cl @ Jun 10th 2008 3:31PM]

a friend of mine got a gel from a store that sales mics for TV studios and glued it to an original that came with the JAWBONE and it worked great. I think the GELS were a 4 pack for $10

[Tom @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:24PM]

The Jawbone is awesome, Aliph sent me a set to review a few days ago. Still playing around with it, testing it's NoiseAssain feature under different situations [driving in a car with windows down...etc]. Should have a detailed review out in a few days on www.handsfreed.com