Hands-on: Sony Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH20

Sony is still keen on manufacturing accessories to further enhance your smartphone experience. Let’s go on and take a short look at the Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH20 by Sony.

At first glance, the SBH20 looks like a small media player that you could clip on your shirt but, actually, it’s just a media controller for your smartphone. It has the usual controls and is Near Field Communication or NFC enabled for easy pairing via Bluetooth.

The device is quite packed — the front shows the controls for Play/Pause which also acts as an answer key for incoming calls, Next & Previous, and the NFC chip which is represented by the distinct logo. On top, we have the volume rocker that looks a bit cramped due to the small dimensions of the device. On the sides, there’s the protected micro-USB port on the right and the 3.5mm headphone jack, the power switch, an LED indicator, and microphone on the left. Finally at the back, there’s a metal clip-on with the Sony logo on it.

The SBH20 is fairly easy to use thanks to the NFC chip built in to it. If you have an NFC enabled phone, then all you have to do is simply power up the device, tap the phone over the NFC logo and the phone will automatically pair. If your phone does not have NFC or you prefer the old way, you may do so by manually pairing via the phone’s Bluetooth settings.

It comes with a set of in-ear earphones with multiple rubber tips included out of the box so you could find which fits your ear perfectly. The included earphone is designed to be worn around the neck so you have a shorter right-ear wire than the other which could be troublesome if you have to clip it somewhere farther than your chest area. Good thing you could plug in any headphone with the SBH20 as long as they have a 3.5mm jack.

Nevertheless, the earphone is of good quality with average sound produced, not the best around but could get the job done. The microphone does not have noise cancellation, so be sure to make your calls somewhere more quiet than a busy street or in a club.

The Sony Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH20 sells at Php2,250USD 38INR 3,250EUR 37CNY 279 at Widget City (see listing here).