Sonyericsson IV835 RM188The Sony Ericsson HBH-IV835 is a in-ear style headset. This long and narrow device nestled itself nicely inside the ear canal. With its straightforward push-in design, the HBH-IV835 provides an uncomplicated solution for users. Eyeglass wearers may benefit the most from its simplistic design. Users do not encounter any struggles or obstacles when attempting to position the device for use, mostly because there is no ear hook to wrestle with. Sony Ericsson does not include an ear hook with headset, although I do feel one should be provided for extra stabilization when required. On a number of occasions the device fell out when I moved around a lot. For example: A quick hop down my steps to greet the FedEx man caused the HBH-IV835 to lose its grip and come tumbling out. I don't believe the headset would be a good solution for anyone that is fairly mobile or active. For more stationary activities such as working at your desk or driving a car, there probably won't be an issue.
The HBH-IV835 offers some of the standard controls: a call handling button, and a power button. To prevent accidental touches, the tiny power button is located on the rear of the device, near the base. I found the power button extremely difficult to manage at times. A thumbnail seemed to get little reaction when the button was pressed and I resorted to using a stylus or the tip of a retracted pen. The headset's call handling button is conveniently located front and center on the HBH-IV835. When the headset is in use, the call handling button can be easily located by touch due to its raised oblong shape. The Sony Ericsson logo is also quite prominent on the HBH-IV835 but does not provide any function, even though it feels just like a button. Something that is missing on the HBH-IV835 is a set of volume control buttons. Sony Ericsson did away with them and instead provides a fast and automatic volume adjustment system in the device. This means that the headset will automatically adjust the volume for any type of environment, as it deems necessary. In other words, your ears are now in the hands of Sony Ericsson. The headset's base line volume level must be set with the mobile phone, instead.
The slender HBH-IV835 we had for testing came in a glossy black finish, but is also available in matte black, white, or silver. The headset, when compared to some recent models I have reviewed, is a bit obtrusive. Most of its bulk is derived from its length: the device measures a lengthy 62mm x 12mm x 11mm (2.4" x .5" x .4"), but weighs a mere 10.8g (.35oz). The HBH-IV835's rechargeable battery provides users with up to 3.5 hours of talk time or 6.5 days of standby time, according to the manufacturer's claim. The battery will fully charge in 2 hours. Battery status is indicated by LED flashes: 3 flashes equates to a full battery, 2 equates to a half empty battery, and 1 flash means a charge is needed.
The HBH-IV835 comes with a user guide, an AC power adapter, a lanyard that utilizes the device's power port as its connector, and 3 ear buds. It is worth mentioning that I had to use a larger sized ear bud that I normally would find comfortable in order to keep the headset secure.
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