Recently I got my hands on Xiaomi's Bluetooth headset, I know its already old school tech and not many people use single-ear Bluetooth headsets these days but its still a good day-to-day use gadget for people who spend a lot of time making phone calls. The Bluetooth headset is officially available in India but is out-of-stock most of the time, I waited a month for it to come back in stock but no luck, so I decided to check eBay and find a reseller. The headset was easily available on eBay but the asking price was a bit more than the official Xiaomi price and since I wanted this for my mother, I decided to go for it anyways. It took four days for the package to arrive at my doorstep and the headset which I received was the Chinese variant and not the Indian one. No problem.
What's inside the box?
What's inside the box?
So the Bluetooth headset came in a small box with transparent plastic cover, through which the device was visible. I ordered the black version of Mi Bluetooth headset, you can also go for white if you like. The box contained the headset, a user guide (Chinese language only), a small microUSB charging cable and two additional ear tips (different size).
Design
Coming to the design, Mi Bluetooth Headset has the coolest design I've ever seen for a Bluetooth headset. The device is made up entirely of plastic and comes with a matte finish, it is cylindrical in shape and feels very light in hand. The design of the headset is very attractive and looks cool when you wear it since it weighs around 6.5 grams, you won't feel it when wearing. It is very important that you install the correct ear tip according to the size of your ear, before using the headset. The ear tip fits well in the ear but there are chances of it falling out if you're jerking your head, so make sure you are using the correct size ear tip as per your ear.
On the top of the headset, you'll find a function button which can be used for receiving/rejecting calls and for controlling music playback. The bottom tip contains microUSB port for charging purpose. One of the sides contains volume buttons for adjusting the volume on the go and lastly, you get a small LED light on the front which indicates the state the headset is in. The dimensions of the headset are 56 x 10 x 8 mm.
Performance & Battery
The Mi Bluetooth Headset supports Bluetooth v4.1 and has a range up to 10 meters. It takes around 2 hours to charge fully and delivers a talk-time up to 4.5 to 5 hours and up to 150 hours of standby time.
The audio quality on Mi Bluetooth headset is quite impressive and decently loud, the volume can be controlled via your smartphone and from the headset as well. I personally tested the headset for a few days before writing my final review, during my testing the headset performed well. During phone calls, I could clearly hear the voice of the caller on the other end and he too was able to hear my voice without any issues.
Music Playback
The Mi Bluetooth headset supports music playback as well, you can simply play music using your smartphone while paired with the headset, although I won't recommend it for music, only for calls. If you are looking for a Bluetooth headset for music playback, you're better off with something else like Brainwavz BLU-200 or Brainwavz BLU-Delta earphones.
How to Pair it with your Smartphone?
If you ever end up ordering the headset from eBay or any other seller apart from the official Mi store, most probably you'll end up with a Chinese version of the headset, which means that the user guide which comes with the headset will be in Chinese language, though you can still figure out the instructions by looking at the picture diagrams provided by Mi, but it is always good to have the instructions in the language you understand. In case you couldn't figure out how to pair your headset with your phone, here are the steps.
Now you can enjoy the headset.
Conclusion
It has been two weeks since I'm using the Mi Bluetooth headset with my Mi Mobile Phone and I did not find any issues except for the earbud design, since there is no ear hook, the headset can fall out of your ear if you are moving or jerking your head, or simply when running or jogging. You can prevent the falling of the headset for some extent if you used the correct size ear tip with your headset, you get three different sized ear tips inside the box, so make sure you install the correct one as per the size of your ear. Apart from that, there were no issues, the audio quality is very good, the buttons are solid and have a nice clicky feel. The LED light blinks red when the battery juice is low, in other situations it just blinks blue occasionally. I would definitely recommend this product if you spend a lot of your time making or receiving calls, then this headset will prove as a life saver, you can easily talk for hours without even touching your phone.
You can buy the Mi Bluetooth Headset from official Mi website here.
On the top of the headset, you'll find a function button which can be used for receiving/rejecting calls and for controlling music playback. The bottom tip contains microUSB port for charging purpose. One of the sides contains volume buttons for adjusting the volume on the go and lastly, you get a small LED light on the front which indicates the state the headset is in. The dimensions of the headset are 56 x 10 x 8 mm.
Performance & Battery
The Mi Bluetooth Headset supports Bluetooth v4.1 and has a range up to 10 meters. It takes around 2 hours to charge fully and delivers a talk-time up to 4.5 to 5 hours and up to 150 hours of standby time.
The audio quality on Mi Bluetooth headset is quite impressive and decently loud, the volume can be controlled via your smartphone and from the headset as well. I personally tested the headset for a few days before writing my final review, during my testing the headset performed well. During phone calls, I could clearly hear the voice of the caller on the other end and he too was able to hear my voice without any issues.
Music Playback
The Mi Bluetooth headset supports music playback as well, you can simply play music using your smartphone while paired with the headset, although I won't recommend it for music, only for calls. If you are looking for a Bluetooth headset for music playback, you're better off with something else like Brainwavz BLU-200 or Brainwavz BLU-Delta earphones.
How to Pair it with your Smartphone?
If you ever end up ordering the headset from eBay or any other seller apart from the official Mi store, most probably you'll end up with a Chinese version of the headset, which means that the user guide which comes with the headset will be in Chinese language, though you can still figure out the instructions by looking at the picture diagrams provided by Mi, but it is always good to have the instructions in the language you understand. In case you couldn't figure out how to pair your headset with your phone, here are the steps.
- Press and hold the button on the top of the headset for a few seconds. When the blue light starts blinking rapidly, your headset is in Pairing mode now.
- Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone. Search for the device. If your Mi Bluetooth headset is the Chinese variant, you'll see a device with a Chinese name, in other cases the name will be Mi Bluetooth Headset. By tapping on it you'll pair your headset with your phone.
Now you can enjoy the headset.
Conclusion
It has been two weeks since I'm using the Mi Bluetooth headset with my Mi Mobile Phone and I did not find any issues except for the earbud design, since there is no ear hook, the headset can fall out of your ear if you are moving or jerking your head, or simply when running or jogging. You can prevent the falling of the headset for some extent if you used the correct size ear tip with your headset, you get three different sized ear tips inside the box, so make sure you install the correct one as per the size of your ear. Apart from that, there were no issues, the audio quality is very good, the buttons are solid and have a nice clicky feel. The LED light blinks red when the battery juice is low, in other situations it just blinks blue occasionally. I would definitely recommend this product if you spend a lot of your time making or receiving calls, then this headset will prove as a life saver, you can easily talk for hours without even touching your phone.
You can buy the Mi Bluetooth Headset from official Mi website here.
