Sometimes you have to see a product up close to actually appreciate it. That was the case for me with regard to the MoGo Talk XD.
Judie had mentioned this headset and case in on to me a few months ago and I scoffed at it. “After all,” I thought, “who needs a case that actually HOLDS the headset in it?” The idea struck me as an example of “just because you CAN do it doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it.”
Then I saw the Mogo Talk XD at CES and ate my words. The idea of a case and headset in one makes perfect sense… So long as both are well designed. And the Mogo Talk XD IS well designed.
The case itself is nice. It is rather sleek in design and does a nice job of offering decent protection to the all-too delicate phone. Of course you aren’t going to get the level of protection you might with a case like the OtterBox Defender but that isn’t the idea behind this case. This is a minimalist case for someone who wants good scratch protection and SOME degree of drop protection.
I expected the case to be tremendously thick. After all, it HOUSES a headset when the headset is not being used. Well I called that one wrong. You see what the designers of the Mogo Talk XD did was to designed a BlueTooth headset that is shockingly thin and has an earpiece that folds out and flat when not being used. In other words, my ASSUMPTION was that the case/headset combination would take a traditional design approach and you know what happens when we AssUMe.
The result is a case that is only a little thicker than expected and a headset that is far thinner than any I have previously encountered.
Despite its thin design the headset sports some impressive technology. It has what the company refers to as “SmartAudio Sound + Voice Enhancement” along with noise and wind reduction and echo suppression. It does not deliver the BEST audio quality I have seen in a headset but it is by no means the worst I’ve tried- it isn’t even in that ballpark.
It comes with 3 “Slim-Line” ear buds and 3 sound isolating ear buds so you can get the fit and sound you prefer.
The case has a micro-USB port built into it for charging the headset. This is important to note since this is the ONLY way the headset can be charged. In order to keep the headset as thin as possible the designers clearly opted to NOT include a charging port right on the device. I
Instead the headset has contacts that, when placed in the case, connected to the micro_USB.
Finally, because it can be difficult to remove the iPhone from cases like this the company designed a small spot beneath the headset “house” that is a pass through to the iPhone itself.
You simply press on the soft material and can easily push the iPhone out of the case with ease.
It is small touches like that that really impressed me with this case.
The Mogo Talk XD has an MSRP of $99. An updated version with a slightly modified case will begin shipping February 3rd.
What we Like: Case and headset all in one so you always have the headset with you; headset sounds quite good, especially considering its size; various earpieces let you find the right fit and comfort
What Needs Improvement: Headset can only be charged while in the case; Not the prettiest case we have seen