Review: Bluetrek SPEAKY Bluetooth Speakerphone: “The most friendly car kit”

I thought I had seen it all until the SPEAKY showed up at my door. SPEAKY looks like a little Kewpie Doll, albeit without hair and not quite as cute but has some interesting hidden features. Yes, SPEAKY is a full-service Bluetooth speakerphone. I took a look at one and we’re giving it away so… read on.

From BLUETREK:

A cute, interesting speakerphone developed for those who need a good audio quality as well as ease of control. Speaky is the first Bluetooth carkit in market which enable automatic switch on/off functions.

Speaky is equipped with the best in class audio processing technology to allow crystal clear conversation while keeping your hands free. Adopting the most advanced Bluetooth wireless hardware it ensures no latency and seamless connection with your mobile handsets.

Ease of control: You can press the large belly button for receive / reject the call. Press the arm for volume control.

Voice instructions in English: Voice prompts when Speaky is powered on, ready to pair, connected, low battery, etc.

Superior Noise cancellation: NoiseLock™ noise cancellation to assure crystal clear conversations for both user and receiver.

Automatic sleep mode: Speaky enters sleep mode automatically when it loses connection with your mobile phone for more than 5 minutes.

Motion sensor detection allows for an Auto On function
It switches on automatically when the build-in motion sensor is triggered, e.g. when you open the door of your car.

Simplified Pairing: No PIN code needed for most of the latest models of mobile devices

Multipoint connection: Supports active connections with 2 Bluetooth® enabled mobiles or devices simultaneously.

VoIP: Supports Bluetooth enabled computers for VoIP calling, such as Skype.

Other operation features: Volume up, volume down, mute, unmute, transfer calls between phone and Speaky call waiting, mobile voice dialling, etc.

*Features may vary depending upon your mobile phone etc.

Specifications:

Talk time: up to 6 hours

Standby time: up to 38 days

Product colour: Pink or black

Weight: 63 g

Size: 77 x 68 x 56 mm

Bluetooth specification: V3.0, backward compatible

What’s in the Box:

USB car charger

USB charging cable (80cm long)

3.5mm audio in cable (80cm long)

2 sets Velcro base for attach on dashboard

Okay so lets talk about the good and the bad aspects of this and then we’ll embed a short video.

The Good:

The Speaky has all the Bluetooth bells and whistles we have come to expect in a BT product. It has noise cancellation, multi-point pairing, simplified pairing, automatic sleep/awake mode and VOiP support. The sound quality is decent. Yes, I’ve heard much much better in some of the new high-end Bluetooth speakerphones but I have also heard much worse.

The Bad:

The Voice Prompts. The pairing voice is supposed to sound cute. I find it anything but. And the welcome… “Hi, What’s up?!?!” Seriously? The Bluetooth speakerphone says “What’s up?”

The Look. Speaky sure is different. I know that’s what the company was going for but, at least for me, it just doesn’t work. It doesn’t look cute and, sad to say, it DOES look cheap. This is the kind of thing that some teeny-boppers might find cute and fun for a brief while. Thing is… They’re not driving and this is a speakerphone!!!

Yes, you can do all kinds of neat things with Bluetooth technology and it can be embedded in all sorts of devices and gadgets. Speaky is an interesting idea but I can’t quite figure out who the target market is. And at a price of $69.99…

I asked a trusted advisor (**cough cough** Judie **cough cough**) if I was being too harsh and here’s what she replied- “At $8.99 it is too harsh. At $49.99 not so much.” (I priced it for her.) “HUH??? Not harsh enough… ”

Here’s the video-

You can check out Speaky here on the Bluetrek web site. (It also comes in black.)

MSRP: $69.99

What I Like: Includes the latest Bluetooth bells and whistles

What Needs Improvement: Looks silly; feels cheap; $69.99!!!!!!!!, “IM Speaky” needs to be “I’m Speaky” then again, with my punctuation… pot/kettle/black

WANT SPEAKY? Tells us why in the comments below and Speaky just might be on the way to you!!

The fine print–

1. This contest will be open until Monday August 8; the winner will be announced shortly after.

2. Shipping address must be in the USA

3. If you’re entering this giveaway using Facebook connect, you MUST have your Facebook page set to accept messages from non-friends so we can contact you through your page if you are the winner. If you are unsure how to set your privacy settings to allow this, feel free to contact us for assistance or read Facebook’s instructions.

4. The winner will be announced on the site and will have 24 hours to contact us. After 24 hours a new winner will be picked.