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Introduction

This is Tech-Reviews first review for Iqua, it’s for a product called the ‘Iqua Sun’ which is literally the world’s first solar powered Bluetooth headset.  Bluetooth headsets have become more common over these past few years with the new laws in the UK such as the rule which states you cannot use a mobile phone whilst driving. Read on to find out how this revolutionary product performs…

About Iqua

The success of a dynamic, fast-moving company like Iqua depends entirely on the people behind it.  Started in Finland, in 2004, by a group of industry professionals with over 100 years of combined experience in the industry, Iqua now has offices in 7 countries and products available in over 25 countries around the world.

Packaging

The Iqua Sun comes in a sleek, yet simple, soft, black plastic box.

On the front of the box, the main focus point is the sun which is peeking through the gap in between the man and the woman, a nice idea which I presume is meant to represent solar energy.  Also, as you can see, there is a plastic window so we can see the headset in full glory.

On the back of the box it says that the ‘Iqua Sun and any other Iqua headsets are compatible with any brand of Bluetooth enabled phones’.  Below that statement is a picture of the headset and a short list of the items included in the box (which is written in 9 different languages).

The box weighs in at 14 grams (with all contents inside) which is pretty light seen as though the box contains the headset, earhook, earplugs, wall charger, carrying strap and user guide.

Features and Specifications

• Answer/end/reject call
• Last number redial
• Voice dial activate (when supported by mobile phone)
• Mute
• Volume control
• Switch between phone and handsfree modes
• Bluetooth connection active, call status and battery low indicated by multi-coloured LEDs
• Automatic reconnection to default user or the last user
• Automatic reconnection at power on and disconnect at power off
• Support for VOIP calls

External Impressions

The Iqua Sun’s aesthetics are very impressive as it’s rather small and compact; this makes it look very sleek indeed.

The colours are a very good choice (dark grey on top and light grey for the bottom).  But even though these colours look good, I’d say a shiny sort of black all over, to add to the brilliance of this product, would have been more ideal rather than two different colours.

The two main visible buttons are metallic silver which act as the volume button controls and other functions. These are located on the left side of the headset where the two colours meet.

Setting Up

The Iqua Sun was relatively easy to connect up and get going by following the simple instructions provided.  I did have a problem at first which was getting it to connect to the phone as I’m a male and don’t like to read instructions!

Other than that, setting up the headset was a total breeze as instructions were simple and easy to read (although they were on an A3 sheet which was jam packed with 8 other languages).

Testing/Usage

I tested the Iqua Sun with the LG chocolate and the Samsung E250 both of which connected and found the headset very easily.  I tested the sound quality by getting a volunteer to ring the mobile phones and just have a quick conversation with me. 

Overall the quality of sound in and out was amazing, and the microphone inside the headset is definitely better than some £100 headsets. The speaker too is very impressive.

The Sun’s battery lasts for a lengthy 12 hours when fully charged. However if you’re using the Iqua outdoors, it’ll constantly be charging itself up.

Conclusion

Before using the headset I thought that this was a very useful and helpful gadget. With energy saving being a prominent factor in the UK, it’s a good leap forward in the start of ‘green tech’.

My thoughts after testing were very good, it’s an easy to use product and works very well.

Also, priced at only £40, its features definitely outweigh its price, therefore I’m going to ward this product both 4/5 and the value award.

Pros

• Compact
• Reliable
• Clear sound through both speakers and microphone
• Fairly cheap

Cons

• The depth is bordering on the bulky side but is still very compact

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