Appearance
The most significant thing about the BT250v to impress us was the weight, a mere 22 grams over the ear. The BT500 has, unbelievably, gone one better, tipping the scales at a featherweight 19 grams. Not only this, but the BT500 has visibly lost weight; it’s a sleek and solid affair that actually feels as good as it looks, something that Jabra has definitely improved on since our round-up earlier this year.
One of the main gripes about the BT500’s predecessor was the cradle that you had to use to charge the device, coupled with a lack of PC-based charging. Jabra have switched the formats with the BT500. It ships with a standard plug based charging solution as well as a USB cable, even if it is the shortest cable that we have ever seen.
Due to the fact that the charging contacts of the BT250v have been dropped, the edge of the BT500 is one piece of moulded rubber that allows you to control the connectivity function as well as the volume. Hidden underneath the rubber strip is where you will find the LED’s for indicating the device status, glowing softly to indicate the battery and call status.
Towards the microphone on the front of the device there is another button. This is for turning the headset on or off and also for muting calls.