Bluetooth handsfree kits

	The BTCK-038 Bluetooth car kit with an LCD from mainland China's Great Well uses CSR's BC3 chip and complies with Bluetooth 2.0, with support for A2DP, HSP, HFP and AVRCP.

Greater China makers have gotten better in the way of audio and design. Both standalone and integrated units are available.

The growing volume of Bluetooth-compatible car devices is driving an increasing demand for Bluetooth car kits from Greater China. Some suppliers that mainly specialize in car electronics and digital A/V devices plan to enter the line because of the low technology threshold.

Makers in mainland China are concentrating on improving audio quality and cosmetic design, while integrated models are popular in Taiwan. Bluetooth car kits from Hong Kong are fully portable or require professional installation.

Models are either standalone or integrated in other car electronic devices. Price quotes start as low as $15. Guangdong emerges as the main production hub, with most interviewed suppliers exporting to Europe.

Intensifying market competition and a mature chip solution are expected to keep prices steady for most units, although there are makers with a more optimistic forecast.

	Longvitech of mainland China has the ergonomic B-328 handsfree car kit with a wide LCD and 204 frequency channels (88.1Hz to 107.9Hz). It has EQ mode and circulation mode options.

Makers are paying attention not only to building functionality but also delivering greater audio clarity in their units. Great Well Electronic Ltd, for instance, has adopted Clear Voice Capture (CVC) technology for its models to eliminate noise and control echo.

Great Well has an R&D team of 60 staff members. Its R&D period is about 25 days, including new mold design. The company recently released the BTCK-038 Bluetooth car kit with an LCD. The model uses CSR’s BC3 chip and complies with Bluetooth 2.0, with support for A2DP, HSP, HFP and AVRCP. It has an FM transmitter and comes with a separate earphone.

Longvitech Co. Ltd also manufactures other Bluetooth-related products as well as digital photo frames and car MP3 players. The company’s B-328 handsfree car kit is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled phones. The model is ergonomically designed for easy and safe use while driving. It has a wide LCD, and supports line-in, MMC and SD cards, and USB. It has 204 frequency channels (88.1Hz to 107.9Hz), and EQ mode and circulation mode options. Other functions include last call redialing, voice dialing, mute and auto connect.

Another popular model at Longvitech is the B-228BT with CVC feature. The Bluetooth car kit comes with MP3 and WMA file support, and last call redialing, mute and voice dialing. It supports line-in/line-out, USB and SD/MMC, and can play music through Bluetooth wireless transfer. The product has a built-in microphone.

In the coming months, the company plans to follow its B-328 model with the B-358 featuring clearer audio. For ODM orders, Longvitech usually needs seven to 15 days to update the function or user interface and 30 to 45 days to adopt a new module design.

Shenzhen Well Electronics Co. Ltd has 10 staff members tasked with new product development and an R&D period of 45 days for Bluetooth car kits.

Its HF-88B1 Bluetooth car kit has a full-duplex system and recording function. The easy-to-install unit supports the Bluetooth 2.0 standard and operating range is 10m. The product can transmit signals into the car radio via the FM band. It has a 1,600mAh lithium battery for 5hrs headset talk time, 11hrs talk time or more than 160hrs standby time. The HF-88B1 Bluetooth car kit adopts noise and echo suppression technology, and is equipped with an intelligent microphone, powerful speaker and independent FM wireless earpiece. It has a USB interface for updating software and a bright LCD for caller name display.

The V9 series of Bluetooth rearview mirror car kits from Shenzhen Jeasun Technology Co. Ltd also supports Bluetooth 2.0. The PK358-1, a representative model of the series, comes with a 3.5in LCD, digital caller display and CMOS camera with night vision.

Shenzhen Jeasun has a six-member R&D team with focus on developing Bluetooth rearview mirror car kits with parking sensors for H2 2008.

The LY-998 Bluetooth car kit with a 12-digit caller number display from Jingwah Kaoge Communication Technology Co. Ltd supports Bluetooth 2.0 and has digital signal processing (DSP) technology, featuring full-duplex transmission, noise suppression and echo cancellation.

Another maker that has adopted dual-echo, noise abatement technology is Xinwei Electronic Co. Ltd. Its UT-C926 Bluetooth car kit features an external microphone in a foldaway frame design for clear voice transmission. It has caller ID and can connect to two mobile phones at the same time. The unit features an inverse display for clipping on the sun visor. The UT-C926 supports Bluetooth 2.0 and is compatible with the Bluetooth 1.2 standard. Other functions include auto update, low voltage alarm, reject call and mute, volume control, and voice-activated dialing.

Xinwei can provide a new product within 45 days, relying on its technical partnerships with CSR and Broadcom.

	The PHC-9000 Bluetooth car kit from Hong Kong maker Caron can patch through incoming calls to the car radio speakers. Auto music mute and caller ID number announcement are supported.

There are about 20 suppliers of Bluetooth car kits in Hong Kong, offering units that could go either portable or require professional installation.

Bluetooth car kits from the region are available in dash-mount, sun visor-attached and car rearview versions. Top-of-the-line models feature text-to-speech (TTS), voice dialing, caller display/announcement and phonebook synchronization.

Caron Autosound Ltd specializes in the development and manufacture of wireless car handsfree kits. It has the PHC-9000 Bluetooth car kit, which supports synchronization with up to four phonebooks at 500 contacts per phonebook. It allows the user to listen to incoming calls on the car radio speakers. Auto music mute and caller ID number announcement are supported. The display shows the caller ID and supports English, German, Italian, Spanish and French languages. The device has embedded DSP, 40-call memory, volume control and firmware upgrade jack. Call transfer and call waiting are supported.

The company also has the BT-1800 Bluetooth car kit that features an internal DSP, backlit LCD for caller ID display and voice dialing (must be supported by a mobile phone). The sun visor-clipped device features 10 incoming call memory, last number redialing, volume control, call transfer, five-language menu and firmware upgrade jack. Headset and handsfree profiles are supported. A maximum of four devices can be paired with the Bluetooth 1.2 car kit. Power comes from a built-in rechargeable Li-polymer battery.

The BT-2800 is a portable, sun visor-attached Bluetooth car kit suitable for users who drive different vehicles. It includes a caller ID display and announcement functions, and supports up to 130hrs standby time or 10hrs talk time. It has a DSP and features echo cancellation, voice dialing, call transfer, microphone mute, 20-call memory, volume control and low battery indicator. It has a 10m operating range and allows upside-down display selection.

Caron offers two TTS versions. Buyers can choose between the version that ships with CSR’s latest modules and Caron’s in-house-developed TTS program. The company is set to release an iPhone-style Bluetooth car kit with multiple add-on functions in 2009.

Eston Technology Ltd has a Bluetooth car handsfree kit with a built-in microphone and loudspeaker. The BT-02 supports full-duplex communication with DSP and noise and echo cancellation. The 95x60x25mm device complies with Bluetooth 1.2 and is powered by a lithium battery. It has volume control and call prompt lights.

Eston also offers a Bluetooth car kit integrated into a rearview mirror. The BT01A is Bluetooth 1.2-compliant and includes a built-in microphone and loudspeaker, as well as an LED display panel with incoming call indicator. It supports full-duplex communication, noise and echo cancellation, voice dialing/redialing, and one-week standby time.

	The CK-390 Bluetooth handsfree car kit from Triamp of Taiwan has caller ID and music playback. The device supports an enhanced data rate featuring a 10m operating range at 3Mbps.

The latest products feature Bluetooth 2.0, FM transmitters, MP3 playback and fashionable cosmetic designs. Some companies are developing yet other wireless technologies, such as ultra wideband, to accommodate DVD and TV applications.

Most contacted manufacturers source Bluetooth chipsets from CSR and Broadcom. DSP chips come from multiple suppliers, including Oki, CSR and Fortemedia. Manufacturers source LCD panels from AUO or Innolux.

MTWO Technologies Corp.’s model BT-628Y Bluetooth car kit is integrated with a rearview mirror. The unit supports Bluetooth 2.0, including A2DP and AVRCP. It has an FM transmitter, LED caller ID display, and built-in microphone and speaker. The product has DSP-based noise cancellation and echo suppression technology. Other functions include voice dialing, last number redialing and storage of up to seven handset pairings.

Among MTWO’s future R&D plans is to add MP3 and MPEG-4 playback or wireless parking sensors in a newer version of the BT-628Y. The manufacturer has begun developing Bluetooth-enabled VoIP products as well.

Triamp Technology Ltd has music playback and caller ID display in its latest products. Model CK-390 is a Bluetooth handsfree car kit with a 128x64 LCD. The monitor shows the connection status, mobile phone battery capacity, signal reception strength, phonebook and caller ID. The car kit supports Bluetooth 2.0 Class 2—including A2DP, HS, HF, OPEX, OPP and AVRCP—and an enhanced data rate, featuring a 10m operating range at up to 3Mbps. The product has an FM transmitter and supports MP3 playback. Pairing up to four mobile phones is supported. Other features include a noise suppression and echo cancellation mechanism, call waiting and conference function, and voice dialing.

Triamp hopes to expand its product scope to include lower-cost Bluetooth car kits. The units will be without LCDs, which are estimated to reduce the cost by 30 percent. The company has also begun developing new GPS-enabled products to stay competitive. Already under the design phase is an optional cradle and adapter for 3G mobile phones. With the cradle, the motorist can use the GPS function embedded in the phone while also enjoying the Bluetooth handsfree function. Triamp said the unit is a viable replacement for GPS devices with a handsfree feature because it has a lower price point.

GPS company Holux Technology Inc. has introduced a GPS device featuring optional Bluetooth handsfree calling. The GPSmile55 4.3in car navigation system features auto backlight adjustment, split-screen interface, media player and optional TMC support. The operating system is Microsoft Windows CE Net 5.0 Core version. It has a Samsung S3C2440A 400MHZ CPU and 4hrs of battery life. The model features a resistive touchscreen panel. Memory can be expanded through a built-in SD card slot. Dimensions are 121.4x80.5x18-25mm and weight is about 190g.

	Xinwei of mainland China has the UT-C926 Bluetooth car kit, which features an external microphone in a foldaway frame design for clear voice transmission.

A Bluetooth car kit’s configuration, cosmetic design and functions directly determine its price.

Models with Bluetooth 2.0, caller ID, multiple connection function, inverted LCDs and auto update function in mainland China are priced from $28 to $35. Units with large-screen LCDs, noise reduction, separate FM earphones and FM transmitters are included within this FOB price range. Some kits with bright displays, noise and echo suppression, recording function and DSP technology are priced more than $60.

In Hong Kong, although average prices of Bluetooth car kits have not decreased, the greater variety of available models has seen an expanded price range. Entry-level models start at about $18, while high-end units can reach up to $45. Optional TTS function adds $1.50 to $2.50 to the unit price.

A basic Bluetooth car kit from a Taiwan maker is quoted from $15 to $20 FOB. Midrange and high-end products, such as rearview types or those with MP3 playback and FM transmitters, can be priced from $35 to $80, depending on the features. In-vehicle all-in-one GPS devices or all-in-one personal navigation devices that support Bluetooth handsfree calling are more than $120.