The SuperTooth Buddy is a simple no-nonsense Bluetooth 2.1 device that will connect up to 2 iPhones (or other phones, if for some reason you're not all in on the Apple gear) for hand free use in a car, truck, or other vehicle. Since more and more jurisdictions are forbidding talking or otherwise using a mobile device in your hands while driving, accessories like the SuperTooth Buddy are becoming essential for everyone from those who drive all day for a living, to those who drive to work, to those who drive the kids around.
The SuperTooth Buddy offers full duplexing, digital signal processing to eliminate echoes, and double noise reduction to give you the best sound quality possible over a Bluetooth connection. It also features support for volume control, for call waiting, voice control, and last call redial.
You can either clip the SuperTooth Buddy to your car visor, but it also contains a magnet so it can adhere to any magnetically attracted surface as well. Since it's so small, it's easy to find a convenient place for it, and once attached, the Supertooth Buddy stays out of your way until you need it.
It takes roughly 3 hours to charge the SuperTooth Buddy's lithium-ion battery over USB with the included cable, and that gives you 1000 hours of stand by time and 20 hours of talk time. In my tests, that was pretty good.
Since this is such a no nonsense hands free device, the SuperTooth Buddy does not come with a FM transmitter. In today's market, however, I think the FM transmitter is kind of a necessity to be competitive.
Also, while the SuperTooth Buddy can connect with up to two iPhones (or other Bluetooth enabled devices), the second device that gets added to the unit is greatly limited functionality -- it can only accept or reject calls.
To power up the SuperTooth Buddy, you hold down the power button for about 1 second. Keep holding it down for 5 seconds and you put the SuperTooth Buddy into pairing mode. As with most Bluetooth devices these days, pairing with iOS is simple and straight forward. You go to Settings, General, Bluetooth, wait for the SuperTooth Buddy to show up, and tap on it to connect.
Once paired, you have your standard 30 foot ranger over Bluetooth 2.4GHz, but since the SuperTooth is intended for in-car speakerphone use, that's more than enough.
There is an End button on the SuperTooth Buddy as well, but that feels almost old fashioned at this point. Frankly, they could have got away with omitting the End button entirely by simply using the talk button to accept and reject calls with a second tap.
The volume buttons on the SuperTooth Buddy are large and easy to use, and the talk button will bring up Voice Control on an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, and the Siri personal assistant on an iPhone 4S.
The good
- Extremely small and light
- Easy to set up and use
- Can adhere via magnets
The bad
- No FM transmitter
- Provides limited functionality for second device
The bottom line
The SuperTooth Buddy is a small, no frills Bluetooth speakerphone system designed for those who want to quickly and easily connect up to two iPhones (or other phones) to stay safe on the road. No more, no less. If you're looking for fancier features, like FM transmitters or big, blasting speakers, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a well designed, well built, incredibly portable, incredibly inexpensive speakerphone so you hands can stay on the wheel, where they're supposed to, check out the SuperTooth Buddy.
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