As well as being the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones, Nokia also have a solid line up of branded accessories available, designed to help you get the most from your mobile phone. By far the largest number of accessories are cases, pouches and phone holders of multiple design and look, offering protection for your phone, helping to keep it in pristine condition. But, let’s be honest, whilst keeping your phone in tip top condition can be helpful for its future sell on value, cases are just a little bit boring!
Of more interest are headsets, for music playback, and we’ve chosen a couple of our favourites to recommend, starting with the BH-505 Stereo Bluetooth headset. This slim, lightweight headset supports A2DP stereo streaming, so you can listen to your music in comfort, on the move, without getting tangled up in messy wires. The BH-505 wraps around your neck for comfort, and being sweat and splash resistant makes them perfect for use when taking part in physical activity, such as going out for a jog or down the gym. The headset is also designed with Near Field Communication technology, and DSP Digital Signal Processing, which offers superior sound quality in noisy environments. The feature set on these headsets is completed with the inclusion of music control keys, plus a call answer key for incoming calls. The BH-505 headset is very comfortable to wear, and a good choice for the more actively minded user.
An alternative to the BH-505 would be the BH-905, designed more for the music connoisseur rather than those involved in more adventurous activities; the BH-905 headset has larger, padded ear pads, and incorporates noise cancellation technology which delivers optimal clarity to audio playback. As with the BH-505, the BH-905 offers A2DP support for wireless connectivity, but can also be used with products that don’t support stereo Bluetooth by simply plugging a wire into the headphones. Remote control music keys make controlling music as simple as possible, and call clarity is enhanced with the inclusion of two built-in microphones.
The Nokia Home Music device is more like a personal jukebox, with the option for playing internet radio stations and podcasts, plus streaming music from web services, your PC and your mobile phone. The latest audio technology offers rich, clear natural sound, with a solid bass performance, but if you prefer you can connect the device to a compatible home stereo system to utilise your own speakers. The device has a remote control, and a built in LCD display which allows you to view information of the track playing, browse through digital music and see album art, too. These features are complimented by a built in FM radio, and alarm clock, whilst for personal listening there is a 3.5mm audio jack to plug in your own headphones. The Nokia Home Music device is a unique product, and one that would be a welcome addition to any music loving person’s gadget collection.
Away from music, but still with an eye on audio connection, our focus turns to the Nokia LPS-5 Wireless Loopset. The loopset is designed to connect to your T-Coil equipped hearing aid, offering excellent sound quality for the hearing impaired. The loopset is comfortable to wear, worn with a neckstrap, and the device is built to take a few knocks, constructed from hardwearing material. A built in vibrate alert helps you to keep track of incoming calls, and answering and ending calls is made simple with one large multi function key handling all these options. The need for such an accessory is going to be limited, but it is good to see companies like Nokia taking their social responsibility seriously with products like this.
The last accessory we are going to look at is the Nokia HF-510 Display Speakerphone. Designed for use in the car, the HF-510 has three mounts included in the sales pack to help you find the optimised mounting position, and with DSP technology call audio quality is clear and crisp. The HF-510 is rechargeable, and offers a talktime of up to 30 hours, connecting to your mobile device via Bluetooth. A unique point about the HF-510 and one of the reasons it gets our vote is the inclusion of a display under the speaker that shows incoming call information, allowing you to screen your calls on the move. We are not the only ones who recognise the quality of the HF-510, appreciating its simple design, either, as the product has recently won a 2010 iF product design award.
These are just a few of our favourite Nokia accessories; if you have a favourite, let us know via the comments box.