There has been much buzz about the new BlueAnt Supertooth 3 handsfree speakerphone. It features voice prompts to help you communicate with the unit and can upload your cellular phone's address book so it can turn the 'text to speech' by announcing who is calling.
Given the new laws requiring handsfree cell phone use while driving, these features are an attractive reason to choose the Supertooth. I researched many bluetooth units, comparing various features sets, designs, and reviews, and decided this is the unit for me. I like its magnetic visor clip, battery life, proximity connection, and power management. I even saw a video on YouTube documenting how easy it is to integrate my iPhone's address book in a few simple steps.
When I received the unit from Amazon, I was eager to get it set-up with my 3G iPhone and take it for a test drive. Nothing is ever this easy and proved to be the case with the Supertooth 3. After easily pairing with my phone, it was unable to upload my address book. After numerous attempts, I resorted to calling tech support to guide me through the process, hoping I had missed something. Although I was quickly connected to an eager representative, he was unable to solve the problem and suggested I take my iPhone into an AT&T store, Apple Store, or try connecting to another iPhone. He assured me that he had never been unable to get an iPhone to work.
I then tried connecting the unit to a friend's 3G iPhone and was immediately successful. This was very disappointing. I contacted tech support and once again, they were unable to get my phone to communicate properly. He then told me to keep trying, because previous customers with this problem have had success after numerous attempts. He said, if it didn't work, it was a problem with my phone and not the unit. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, I have been unable to get the address book feature to work.
Through further research, I have found that there are many iPhone users out there with this same issue. I have yet to find out whether the Supertooth 3 or the 3G iPhone is the source of the problem and neither Apple nor BlueAnt has been able resolve it. I have endlessly tried applying suggestions from numerous discussion groups and blog posts, along with various troubleshoots on my own. I have given up and am hoping that the next iPhone software update will solve the problem.
This issue aside, I do like the unit. It sounds clear, is designed well, and is easy to operate, but BUYER BEWARE. If you own an iPhone and are thinking of purchasing a BlueAnt Supertooth 3, make sure it works with your phone. If this 'text to speech' feature is the reason for choosing this unit, make sure it communicates with your phone before buying. Go to a store, pop it out of the box, and test it first. If you buy it online, be prepared to be one of the many consumers who may need to send the unit back or live with this feature disabled.
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