The Best of Both Phone, and TabletJawbone Icon Thinker
Manufacturer: AliphCom Part number: JAW_ICON_THINKER
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Not only is the Aliph Jawbone Icon attractive and affordable with great call quality, but it is also highly customizable with advanced features that make it the most innovative Bluetooth headset we've seen to date.
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CNET editors' review
Jawbone Icon Thinker price range: $48.29 - $93.74
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 01/17/2010
- Released on: 01/17/2010
The good: The Aliph Jawbone Icon comes in a variety of beautiful jewellike designs; it has a dedicated on/off switch; and it comes with several ear-fit options. It has many advanced features, including an iPhone battery meter, and is highly customizable with certain Audio and Dial "apps" via Jawbone's own MyTalk Web site. It has amazing sound quality and excellent canceling of wind noise.
The bad: The Aliph Jawbone Icon doesn't have a manual volume rocker and the ear fit could be a bit more comfortable.
The bottom line: Not only is the Aliph Jawbone Icon attractive and affordable with great call quality, but it is also highly customizable with advanced features that make it the most innovative Bluetooth headset we've seen to date.
We see so many Bluetooth headsets here at CNET that most of them seem the same after awhile. That's why we sit up and notice when a unique one comes along. Last year, for example, we were awed at the stellar audio quality of the Plantronics Discovery 975 and praised the design of the Aliph Jawbone Prime. Aliph, in particular, has been bullish in pushing innovation in its Bluetooth headsets, consistently making it on our top Bluetooth headsets list year after year.
This year, however, it appears that Aliph has outdone itself with quite possibly the most innovative Bluetooth headset yet. It's called the Aliph Jawbone Icon and not only does it come in an array of designs that look as if they belong in an art museum, but it is one of the first headsets in the world to have a built-in "operating system." This internal chip can be programmed to provide a far richer experience than other headsets can; for example, this lets it have a visual battery meter right next to the one on the iPhone. Also, this is the first headset we can think of to have its own line of Audio or Dial "apps" that you can install via Jawbone's own MyTalk Web site.
We do have a few issues with its design, but its outstanding features and improved quality definitely makes the Jawbone Icon the best headset of the year so far--and it's very competitively priced at $99.
Similar to its predecessors, the Aliph Jawbone Icon is unquestionably the most fashionable Bluetooth headset in the market today. The Icon comes in six fashion-forward designs, in different jewel and metallic tones and shapes. All of them have different names: the Ace, the Rogue, the Bombshell, the Hero, the Thinker, and the Catch. The one we looked at was the Ace, which has a clear lens and a mirror finish, resulting in a very jewellike look. In fact, it looks like a piece of costume jewelry when worn on the ear. These names also correspond to different voice "personalities," which we'll get to later in the review.
The overall headset is quite petite in size. Measuring only 1.77 inches long by 0.95 inch wide by 0.72 inch thick, the Jawbone Icon is lightweight as well, about 0.3 ounce. It is slightly curved to sit gently on the side of the face. On the top of the headset is the multifunction talk button. It's a horizontal bar that's wide enough to almost span the width of the headset, plus it is raised above the surface so it's easy to find and press. Next to the talk button is the charger jack.
Flip the headset around and you'll find a power slider switch. This makes it much easier to turn the headset on and off, which also helps conserve its battery life. Below it is a tiny nub that acts as the Voice Activity Sensor. It is best to wear the headset so the sensor touches your cheek to ensure that your voice comes through clearly to your listeners. The audio quality won't be harmed if you don't have it touching your cheek (thanks to Jawbone's new fail-safe acoustic voice detector), but it'll be much better if it is. Surrounding the sensor is a round LED indicator.
Also on the back of the headset is the ear piece. You can either wear it with a special looped ear bud that fits in your ear without a hook, or you can fit in a nonlooped ear bud, plus a hook for added security. You have a choice of ear bud sizes, so you can mix and match until you get your best fit. For us, we found the default looped ear bud works fine for the most part, though we did have to go through quite a bit of practice to get it to fit right. To do so, you have to place it in your ear pointing down, and then twist it upward so the mic points toward the mouth. We did wish the fit was more comfortable; we feel it leads to a bit of ear fatigue after hours of wear.
The Icon is also noticeably missing a volume rocker of any kind. Aliph's justification is the headset already has automatic volume normalization so it is unnecessary. Still, it would be nice to have a manual option.
Of course, the Jawbone Icon has many of the features on today's Bluetooth's headsets. It can answer, reject, and end calls, plus it has last number redial, voice-dialing support, and multipoint technology that lets it connect up to two devices simultaneously. But the Icon has more than just those features in store. It now has spoken alerts and custom audio tones for certain functions. For example, it'll read out incoming caller ID, and when you press the Talk button while not on a call it'll tell you the estimated remaining battery life. It will also speak when you pair and connect your phone, and let you know when you're redialing or voice dialing.
Perhaps the most exciting feature of the Jawbone Icon is its new "mini computer on a chip" that lets Aliph build custom applications and features for the headset. One benefit of having an operating system on the headset is that when you pair the Icon to an Apple iPhone, you can actually see the headset's battery meter located right next to the iPhone's battery icon. This way, iPhone owners can easily tell when their headset needs charging. Even though it seems like a small thing, we think this is a very cool feature that makes the Jawbone Icon almost a must-have headset for iPhone owners.
Another big benefit of having this advanced chipset is that you can customize the Icon with Audio or Dial "apps." You can do this via Jawbone's own MyTalk Web site. Simply log in to the site, attach the headset to your computer via a USB cable, and the MyTalk Web site will automatically recognize your headset. You can then select which Audio or Dial application you wish to associate with your headset. The Audio applications are basically just custom audio profiles with different voices, and they are named after the six shield designs we named above. They range from a deep baritone male voice (the Hero), to that of a sultry female (the Bombshell). You can also choose a language; right now Aliph offers English, French, German, and Spanish.
As for the Dial applications, you can essentially map a speed-dial number to a particular service, which you can then access simply by holding down the Talk button. Currently supported services include Voice Dial, Directory Assistance, Jott Assistant (a service that lets you dictate notes, reminders, text, e-mail, and even Twitter messages), 1-800-FREE-411 (free directory assistance), and Dial2Do, which is a service similar to Jott. Both Jott and Dial2Do do require you to have an existing account with them. Though it's a bit of a stretch to call these things "apps," we do appreciate this level of customization that almost no other headset can match.
Another benefit of being able to sync and customize the headset in this way is that Aliph can easily send out firmware updates to the Icon. If Aliph decides to add A2DP functionality in the future, for example, it says it can do so via this method. We're really very impressed with the MyTalk service overall.
We paired the Aliph Jawbone Icon with the Apple iPhone 3G. Its call quality was excellent. We tested the calls in a variety of situations: in a quiet home environment, a moving vehicle with the radio at full blast, a busy city sidewalk during rush hour, a crowded cafe, and in front of an indoor fan. We were very impressed with the call quality in almost all situations. The Jawbone Icon does a good job at minimizing background noise and emphasizing the voice, which was a great help in a noisy environment. In the busy sidewalk for example, our callers could still hear the rushing traffic a bit, but it wasn't a distraction, thanks to how clear and natural our voice sounded. We did detect some crackling and static at times, but that could be contributed to the iPhone and AT&T instead of the headset.
Surprisingly, the Icon also performs quite well in windy conditions. When we reviewed the Plantronics Voyager Pro (and the Discovery 975), we mentioned our callers could hear us perfectly even though we were talking in front of a fan. They could still hear the wind, but it sounded more like heavy rain. With the Jawbone Icon, callers could hardly hear anything aside from us. They did hear some swooshes of wind in the background, but it was not a big deal. Our voice sounded loud, clear, and natural. It seems that Jawbone has done a very good job with its NoiseAssassin noise-reduction technology.
On our end, callers sounded great, with good volume, natural voices, and clear audio. We did complain about the lack of a volume rocker, but it does seem as if we didn't need it. According to Aliph, this volume normalization is especially helpful in conference call situations, where all callers will have the same volume levels.
The Aliph Jawbone Icon has a rated battery life of up to 4.5 hours of talk time, and up to 10 days of standby time.
User reviews
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I had the ear candy Prime but.....
by Jude526 on March 14, 2010
Pros: easy to turn on and off
comfortable to wear
hear well in any environmentCons: no volume rocker
the power cord to the charger adapter is too shortSummary: I had the Prime ear candy and really liked it. But within two months it was defective, not showing when charging
and replaced it under a month ago. Then the ...Summary: I had the Prime ear candy and really liked it. But within two months it was defective, not showing when charging
and replaced it under a month ago. Then the voice recognition stopped working. Ia m a Verizon customer and they were great. They no longer carried the eye candy and switched me into the Jawbone's new Icon THE THINKER. I am impressed except for one thing. No volume rocker so you cannot control the volume. It adjusts to the surroundings you are in when calling but I like having the option to control the volume. It is a cool device. You can download a special voice and there are a few options to choose from. Makes it fun and you can change it anytime. That is really cool.
You also are told who is calling by phone number. Also will tell you how much talk time you have left.
Those prompts from the special voice are rather low but the voice commands are fine.
Calls are clear and those I am talking to say I sound really clear.
I miss my eye candy. Loved the color. Could control the volume on that blue tooth. But this one is very good and I do like it.
I know I will get used to it. I just got it two days ago and even with the small objectives, I do like it.
I highly recommend this bluetooth. It works great with Blackberry. And there were two hours of talk time on it from the beginning. I like how Jawbone has it charged so you can readily use it upon getting it. It is comfortable and I like not having to use the ear loop. But you can if you want.
You won't regret getting this bluetooth. I have owned many and Jawbone is really good. I didn't let the Prime issues stop me from getting another one. Like anything, there can be issues. But Verizon backs up the products they carry and I was not hesitant in trying another one.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not so impressed
by Cokekid66 on February 2, 2010
Pros: The noise filtering does work! I drive a truck for a living and so those who are on the other end of the phone call have nothing but positive things to say about how clearly they can hear me regardless of how much noice I am around.
Cons: there is no way to control the volume on the earpiece itself. If you are in any kind of enviroment that has noise levels above normal, you cannot hear the party on the other end very well. The incoming call alert is so faint that you miss calls
Summary: I am taking my Jawbone Thinker back to where I purchased it. I will take my chances with something else.
Summary: I am taking my Jawbone Thinker back to where I purchased it. I will take my chances with something else.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Customer support does not care.
by jaborre on January 22, 2012
Pros: it's small
it works for a little whileCons: stoppped working after 6 months
poor customer supportSummary: My Jawbone Icon stopped working 6 months after I got it. Unfortunately, I was busy and did not report it until 10 days after the warranty expired. A customer focused ...
Summary: My Jawbone Icon stopped working 6 months after I got it. Unfortunately, I was busy and did not report it until 10 days after the warranty expired. A customer focused company would understand and honor the warranty.
After jumping through hoops with technical support and providing serial #, shipping info, etc. I was told I was out of luck because I didn't report the issue 10 days earlier. I feel scammed.
I was surprised at their poor customer support. I will no longer recommend Jawbone products to friends, and will never buy another product from Jawbone. -
Bad product
by bccorvette on November 27, 2011
Pros: None I can mention
Cons: Poor quality incoming , people say it sounds like an echo on their end
Summary: I am returning it is I can and would not recommend under any circumstances .
Summary: I am returning it is I can and would not recommend under any circumstances .
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outstanding outgoing voice quality/better incoming qlty
by karanj on November 4, 2011
Pros: noise cancellation
receiver can hear whispersCons: not found yet any
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Worth It (& yes, you can manually adjust volume)
by GDKay on August 18, 2011
Pros: Excellent incoming audio quality
Lightweight and not ugly
Noise cancellation worksCons: Manually adjusting volume is touchy (had to turn on/off if I wanted to change baseline volume again)
Limited call button configuration
Personalities sound worse than call voicesSummary: Nobody seems to read any more. Yes, you can log into mytalk and choose to adjust volume with call button whilst on a call. Here's the hitch... if you ...
Summary: Nobody seems to read any more. Yes, you can log into mytalk and choose to adjust volume with call button whilst on a call. Here's the hitch... if you do, you replace manually turning off noise cancellation. Same sort of hitch exists with earpiece apps-- you can assign only one at a time, so no voice activated dialing AND free directory service apps at the same time. Pick one or the other. These are icing, though.
There *is* a way to link more than 1 app at a time to the Call button-- even the help files at Jawbone.com call it "sneaky"-- if your phone supports voice dialing, assign each app the prescribed phone number from help file and voice dial that app. Look up Answer ID 190 for details.
Main function is to make and receive calls and it does both very well. I must not be adjusting volume properly since an on/off cycle seems to be necessary to adjust base line again. All in all an excellent buy. Auto volume works like a charm-- I can whisper and other end can hear me. I got it 65 percent off and love it.
Updated on Aug 18, 2011
Also: Manual volume control is available only for A2DP enabled phones. Apologies to non-A2DP folks who complained.
Also: Couldn't find MUTE feature because it *does not exist*-- must be muted via hand piece. hmm. -
No one can hear me with this earpiece
by buzz94583 on May 19, 2011
Pros: I can hear people
Cons: People can't hear me
Doesn't fit in ear securely, doesn't touch cheek reliably, and the little clip-on over-the-ear device falls off and gets lost oftenSummary: don't buy this
Summary: don't buy this
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The best bluetooth headset I have owned so far
by phillysdon04 on March 27, 2011
Pros: Mini USB which my Evo uses, great sound, installable apps, customizable, affordable, speaks the caller id......
Cons: I have to adjust it often.
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I had an original Jawbone 1 which I loved
by mrmattch3w on January 2, 2011
Pros: Very stylish and befitting to to both me and my new smartphone. The quality of the sound and especially with noise assassin was awesome.
Cons: The product advertises a universal customizable ear fitting system. I did not find the headset comfortable to wear nor secure even with the included ear clip. I think the fitting system was a huge flop on this headset.
Summary: Other than the fit, I also found the estimated talk time of 4 hours relatively disappointing. Although I do not usually talk on the phone that long, it is still ...
Summary: Other than the fit, I also found the estimated talk time of 4 hours relatively disappointing. Although I do not usually talk on the phone that long, it is still a pain to have to charge it every day. I do not think I should have to turn the device on and off when I am not using it. With my current headset, I leave it on day night and charge it every 3-4 days. So yes if I do get a call while I am sleeping (which is often) the thing I reach for on my night table is my headset.
Besides the previous mentioned fittment issues and battery, I thoroughly enjoyed the call clarity and quality of the headset. I would definitely be looking forward to buying another one of these if they could improve the ear mounting system. I have never bought anything after the original Jawbone 1 so I was just a bit disappointed with this device. -
Black Thinker is what I have
by wayiv888 on November 27, 2010
Pros: Stylish, sound is crisp, clear, and noise assasin is awesome, very comfortable to wear with jabra earpieces, AD2P + apps
Cons: connection sometime drops
Summary: I love this bluetooth headset, Aside from its sound quality, it's so stylish and make you looks professional when wearing a suit, or on special occasions.
Summary: I love this bluetooth headset, Aside from its sound quality, it's so stylish and make you looks professional when wearing a suit, or on special occasions.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: AliphCom
- Part number: JAW_ICON_THINKER
- Description: Jawbone ICON is a smart, comfortable, and small Jawbone ever created. ICON boasts lethal NoiseAssassin 2.5, voice tones, and six stunning jewelry-like designs.
General
- Product Type Headset - Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
- Width 0.7 in
- Depth 1.8 in
- Height 0.9 in
- Weight 0.3 oz
- Color Black
- Additional Features Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphone - Monaural
- Headphones Form Factor In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount)
- Connectivity Technology Wireless - Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
- Bluetooth Profiles Hands Free Profile (HFP),
Headset Profile (HSP) - Active Noise Canceling Yes
Microphone
- Type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
Wireless Link
- Transmission Range 33 ft
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable - External
- Included Accessories 3 ear tips,
4 earbuds,
Earloop - Compliant Standards FCC Part 15,
EN55022 Class B,
EN 60950,
RoHS,
UL,
WEEE Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Battery Headset battery - Rechargeable - Lithium polymer
- Run Time (Up To) 4.5 hour(s)
- Standby Time 240 hour(s)
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Product series
-
Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Headphone - Monaural,
Headset,
In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount),
0.3 oz,
On/off switch,
Voice caller ID,
Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology,
Battery level indication,
Limited warranty - 1 year -
Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Headphone - Monaural,
Headset,
In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount),
0.3 oz,
Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology,
Limited warranty - 1 year -
Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Headphone - Monaural,
Headset,
In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount),
Black,
0.3 oz,
Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology,
Limited warranty - 1 year -
Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Headphone - Monaural,
Headset,
In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount),
0.3 oz,
On/off switch,
Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology -
Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Headphone - Monaural,
Headset,
In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount),
0.3 oz,
On/off switch,
Voice caller ID,
Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology,
Battery level indication,
Limited warranty - 1 year -
Manufacturer: AliphCom
Specs: Headphone - Monaural,
Headset,
In-ear ear-bud (with over-the-ear mount),
0.3 oz,
Multipoint technology,
Voice Activity Sensor (VAS),
NoiseAssassin technology,
Limited warranty - 1 year
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse AliphCom products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:AliphCom
- Address:
8000 Marina Boulevard, Brisbane, CA 94005 - Phone: 1-866-529-2663
- Email: info@aliph.com
