Review: Samsung WEP410 Bluetooth Headset

Looking for a bare knuckled, compact Bluetooth headset? Look no further than the Samsung WEP410 ($59.95). Out of the box, the first thought that came to my mind was “tiny”. Weighing in at 7.4 grams the headset is a mere 1.75 inches long it has plenty of features and straight forward operation.

Read on for our full review!

Product Overview

The unit is packaged with a charging cradle and small, medium and large sized ear piece covers. Samsung provides an easy to follow Quick Start Guide as well as a full manual for the headset.

The headset has three buttons; a multi-function button and two volume control buttons. The multi-function button is surrounded by a light ring that will glow blue or red depending on the function.

Multi-Function Button

The primary control on the WEP410 is a multi-function button. This button controls the WEP410’s on/off function, answering calls, initiating voice dialing, re-dialing, pairing set-up, placing calls on hold, answering a second call, rejecting a call and transferring a call. Most of these functions are distinguished by how long you press and hold the button.

The multi-function button is assisted by a light ring that surrounds it. Glowing or flashing blue or red, depending on the purpose, this ring light will alert the user to incoming calls, the unit’s battery life, when the unit is charging, and when the unit is in stand by. All distinguished by the color and frequency of flashes.

There are two issues with the multi-function button. First, is that it seemed to take forever to turn the unit on and off. To do so, you must press and hold the button for four seconds. At first this feels like an eternity but you get used to it.

Second, to answer a call you simply press the button. To redial the last dialed number, you simply press the button. It’s easy to accidentally hit the button and start the redial. I accidentally redialed my wife while adjusting the headset. While it was nice to speak to her again, I think it would have been better for the redial function to require a double-tap of the button.

I wasn’t able to accidentally activate the redial while carrying the WEP410 in my pocket but I’m sure it’s possible. It only took once for me to learn the lesson and as long as you are careful handling the small headset, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Functionality

After charging the headset overnight, it was time to take it out for a test drive. Pairing the headset up with my phone was simple. When you turn the headset on for the first time, it automatically goes into pairing mode. Once the phone finds the headset, you enter the security code and your set.

The headset fits comfortably and with the various sized ear piece covers, you can customize the fit. With the large ear piece cover, the WEP410 fit snugly but not uncomfortable. I wouldn’t necessarily go jogging with this headset but for normal activities (e.g. walking, sitting, driving, etc.) it felt securely in place.

The connection with the phone was clear with good volume. The small design made it a little challenging to manipulate the volume controls but not to the point of frustration. Microphone volume was good as well with no complaints being registered with those I called. Speaking with normal tone and volume was sufficient. There was background noise when using outdoors but no more worse than using the phone’s microphone.

Operation is easy. To answer incoming calls, you simply press the multi-function button. The headset is compatible with voice dialing and you can ignore incoming calls by holding down the multi-function button.

Other features on this headset include redialing, muting the microphone, call transfer, placing calls on hold and answering a second call. You can also turn of the ring light indicator for privacy.

Construction appears solid and the only downside to the charging cradle is that there’s no easy way to charge the headset while you are on the go. If you are using a Samsung phone, you can buy a charger adapter to use with your phone’s travel charger but I couldn’t find a universal solution for those who might be using other phones.

Battery life is reported to be 4 hours of talk time and 70 hours of stand by time. Based on my short use of the headset, I can see these numbers holding true. There is no battery indicator but when the WEP410’s battery gets down to 10% capacity, the light ring flashes red. I easily got two days worth of use out of the WEP410 with moderate use.

Conclusion

This is a small, lightweight headset that is comfortable to wear, has good call reception and a good variety of features. If you’re not apt to wear a headset all the time, the WEP410 can easily be carried in a pocket and popped into your ear when the phone rings.

It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles but instead concentrates on the basic call functions. I can see this being a popular headset for someone who needs a hands-free solution for the car.

Can it be better? If it had an optional ear hook or a slightly tighter fit it would be secure enough to handle more active movements. The multi-function button is an easy control but no two functions should share the same process. The redial and answer function both are accomplished by pressing the button once and can cause confusion if accidentally pressed.

While there is room for improvement, if you are looking for a straight-forward, lightweight BT Headset, the Samsung WEP410 ($59.95) should make everyone’s short list.