Editorial Review
The Motorola HS850 is the company's update to their HS810 headset, one of my personal favorites. The changes made to produce the new HS850 are few, but the effect is relatively substantial. But first, let's start with what is the same.
Like the HS810, the HS850 makes use of a body design that employs a folding microphone boom. The folding microphone boom acts as the on and off switch, as well as just providing a convenient way to make the headset smaller and more pocketable when not in use. When a call comes into your phone, you can turn on and answer the phone at the same time just by unfolding the microphone boom. You can end the call and turn it off by removing the headset and re-folding it. Using the headset in this way conserves battery power, since no battery juice is wasted on standby time - time where the headset sits around waiting to be contacted by a mobile phone or other compatible device. The physical design of the HS850 and the battery savings it imparts is my favorite aspect of the Motorola HS850.
The HS850 folds neatly and fits easily in your pocket. |
Of course you don't have to remove and turn off the headset between calls. If the headset is already on when an inbound call comes, you will hear the ringing come through on the headset and can answer it by pressing on the main multi-function call control button. You can end the call with this same button, and adjust volume levels with the two volume buttons. If you are using a phone that supports the Hands Free Bluetooth profile, then you can also use the call control button to reject an inbound call or redial the last number.
The HS850's audio properties are also like those of the HS810 before it. The audio quality in both directions is very clear and understandable, but sounds a bit thin. You and the party on the other end of the call will both be able to understand each other easily, it just doesn't sound as full and natural as it might with some other headsets. The HS850 makes up for this small lacking by having great resistance to wind noise, though. That makes the headset perfect for people that enjoy driving with their windows down, or those that work outside. Most headsets are very susceptible to wind noise, the HS850 bucks that trend.
Two softly pulsating blue LEDs signal when the headset is in use. |
And now for the new stuff. First up, a more powerful battery. The HS850 I tested managed an amazing 7 hours and 50 minutes of talk time. That is a full two thirds improvement over the older model. The truly amazing part is that this new battery life didn't come at the expense of added weight. Like the HS810 before it, the HS850 weighs only .7oz (19.9g).
The next major change perhaps sounds more important than it worked out to be in reality. The HS850 supports the newer Bluetooth v1.2 spec, whereas most headsets support v1.1 only. Motorola claims that when used with a v1.2 compatible phone (there are still relatively few available at the time I write this), the HS850 will be able to connect faster, use less battery power, and offer improved audio quality. While I can see what appears to be a slight improvement in connection speed, I haven't really noticed much of a change in battery life or audio quality.
The last major change is purely cosmetic. The new headset is sold in this very nice black color and is also available in blue-gray, like a darker version of the HS810's color. I find both colors more attractive than the light silver found on the HS810.
But regardless of the color, you can't go wrong with Motorola's HS850, which I consider to be perhaps the best value on the market.
Pros:
- Small, light
- Comfortable
- Nearly 8 hours of talk time
- No wind noise
- Can be worn on both ears
Cons:
- A bit unusual looking
- Audio lacks bass
What's in the box:
Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset, User Manual, and Quick Start Guide.
--Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com
Cached date: AWS Called=true
Customer Reviews
Motorolla headset HS850 
2008-08-11
It works just fine. The head set is extremely light but also a bit large and therefore feels cheap and like it will fall off your head any minute. I'm concerned about it's longevity and practical functionality. Light can be great but not if the thing is flapping against your head. I'm a much bigger fan of the H700 series or better yet the H710. Much better device but you'll pay more for it.
Battery Life Anyone? 
2008-07-20
I got this as a gift from a friend and it worked wonderfully for about 3 months. The battery kept dying on me more quickly every time I used it, now it won't even hold a charge and has been since allocated to a worthless item on my desk. I may have gotten a bad apple out of the bunch but that's my story...
WONDERFUL!!!! 
2008-05-22
I purchased this as a gift for my husband, and I have to say we are both very impressed. No echo, great charge life. 99% of the time when he calls me using the blue tooth I can not even tell it is on. Sounds very crisp and clear.
Pretty good but happy with an upgrade 2008-04-12
Well I am on my second HS850 - the first was a gift and the second I bought to replace the first one whose batteries I had exhausted. Well I ordered the black one from a vendor on Amazon (the order confirmation even said black) but when it arrived it was silver and I was pretty disappointed. To make this short the vendor never responded and Amazon did a good job of refunding me the cost and since the vendor did not respond I kept the item - well it is great, just like the first one.
* No one can ever tell they are on a headset
* I used the first one to death and it was so comfortable that I was more than willing to get a second one just wanted a new color to change it up
* Not only does this pair effortlessly with my cell phone(s) but it works great with Skype and my home cordless phone system (Uniden ELBT - This is a great system that I do not think is made anymore but the handsets can be paired with a BT head set so you can cook dinner, do dishes, etc. and talk)
* Well after the let down of not getting a black HS850 I wound up getting a H700 in royal blue - this one is signfigantly smaller than the 850 but the audio clarity is not quite as good (that is my only complaint) however I use this one solely with my cell(s) in a rather noisy car (sports cars are just that and far from a luxury liner)
* In the house the H700 wins simply because it is smaller and easier to use/gague the battery status (has a led that changes color) - the sound quality is fine as long as I am not driving around.
* Both are easy to pair with my cell, laptop/skype, and home phone system so no complaints there - the only quirk seems to lie in one of my cell phones - the BT needs to be reset (soft reset of phone) sometimes to make the BT connect.....
* In the end I like the H700 for its smaller size and slightly easier use but in the end both are great products; the HS850 tends to be a bit heavier on my ear after a while but the H700 is tighter so both rub or are weighty after awhile on the phone but other than that no complaints about either though I would probably go for the 700 next time I need a new one.
defective product 
2008-03-08
The product arrived on time but was defective. I was unable to pair it with my blackberry or my motorazr. The unit would not shut off even after the boom was closed. I emailed DBroth who asked me to get in touch with customer support in Motorola. There I went through the trouble shooting steps and was advised to return the product.
The service was prompt though and refunded my full amount paid.
Best Bluetooth for me so far 2008-01-22
The Motorola HS850 is the company's update to their HS810 headset, one of my personal favorites. The changes made to produce the new HS850 are few, but the effect is relatively substantial. But first, let's start with what is the same.
Like the HS810, the HS850 makes use of a body design that employs a folding microphone boom. The folding microphone boom acts as the on and off switch, as well as just providing a convenient way to make the headset smaller and more pocketable when not in use. When a call comes into your phone, you can turn on and answer the phone at the same time just by unfolding the microphone boom. You can end the call and turn it off by removing the headset and re-folding it. Using the headset in this way conserves battery power, since no battery juice is wasted on standby time - time where the headset sits around waiting to be contacted by a mobile phone or other compatible device. The physical design of the HS850 and the battery savings it imparts is my favorite aspect of the Motorola HS850.
The HS850 folds neatly and fits easily in your pocket. |
Of course you don't have to remove and turn off the headset between calls. If the headset is already on when an inbound call comes, you will hear the ringing come through on the headset and can answer it by pressing on the main multi-function call control button. You can end the call with this same button, and adjust volume levels with the two volume buttons. If you are using a phone that supports the Hands Free Bluetooth profile, then you can also use the call control button to reject an inbound call or redial the last number.
The HS850's audio properties are also like those of the HS810 before it. The audio quality in both directions is very clear and understandable, but sounds a bit thin. You and the party on the other end of the call will both be able to understand each other easily, it just doesn't sound as full and natural as it might with some other headsets. The HS850 makes up for this small lacking by having great resistance to wind noise, though. That makes the headset perfect for people that enjoy driving with their windows down, or those that work outside. Most headsets are very susceptible to wind noise, the HS850 bucks that trend.
Two softly pulsating blue LEDs signal when the headset is in use. |
And now for the new stuff. First up, a more powerful battery. The HS850 I tested managed an amazing 7 hours and 50 minutes of talk time. That is a full two thirds improvement over the older model. The truly amazing part is that this new battery life didn't come at the expense of added weight. Like the HS810 before it, the HS850 weighs only .7oz (19.9g).
The next major change perhaps sounds more important than it worked out to be in reality. The HS850 supports the newer Bluetooth v1.2 spec, whereas most headsets support v1.1 only. Motorola claims that when used with a v1.2 compatible phone (there are still relatively few available at the time I write this), the HS850 will be able to connect faster, use less battery power, and offer improved audio quality. While I can see what appears to be a slight improvement in connection speed, I haven't really noticed much of a change in battery life or audio quality.
The last major change is purely cosmetic. The new headset is sold in this very nice black color and is also available in blue-gray, like a darker version of the HS810's color. I find both colors more attractive than the light silver found on the HS810.
But regardless of the color, you can't go wrong with Motorola's HS850, which I consider to be perhaps the best value on the market.
Pros:
- Small, light
- Comfortable
- Nearly 8 hours of talk time
- No wind noise
- Can be worn on both ears
Cons:
- A bit unusual looking
- Audio lacks bass
What's in the box:
Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset, User Manual, and Quick Start Guide.
--Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com
Good product 2008-01-07
Good buy for the price paid. I purchased one for each of my children and they like them. They both complained about the fit but sound quality is very good.
too heavy and bulky 
2007-12-31
i had the h700, which as it turns out is lighter and more streamlined, i thought the product would be super light and barely visible on the ear...but is is a bit bulky for a blue tooth piece for the ear...i would check for lighter products...
Worked well so far!! and Now breaking apart! 1 year of use so far 2007-11-15
I have this set for a year or so. It works well till date.
But the plastic part close to volume button cracked and broke, which is very close to ear hanging loops hinge. Used the crazy glue.
Lets see how much long it holds on.
HS850 2007-10-30
This product looks great and that is it. It works when it wants to.
