Many thanks to Bryan Tan at WirelessGround.com for providing a review sample of the Southwing SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit for us to review!
If you're like me and spend a moderate percentage of your work week on the road, then good / safe communications while traveling is a must. I've had the pleasure of using the SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit for the past week, and hope the following review will help you decide if it is the right choice for you!
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Key Features - Full duplex or DSP
- Fully adjustable arm
- Push4™ favourite number button
- Backlit keypad
- Supports 12v and 24v
- Bluetooth V 2.0 compliant
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Let's face it, we all like to make our lives as simple as possible! To some, their vehicle is like a second home with 45% (or more) of their work week spent driving. In this age of technology, business and personal relations can still be conducted while on the road. Some newer vehicles can now have wireless technology built in. But the cost for this can be very high!
Most standard mobile and ppc phone devices now come with Bluetooth technology as a built in feature. With a growing number of places around the world making it illegal to talk on a hand held phone while driving, wireless technology is the way to go. If you don't have thousands of dollars to spend on the professional / built-in type, then why not spend a fraction of that cost for a device that will plug into the power adapter of your existing vehicle!
Adjustable arm for any position!
Aesthetics
At first glance, the SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit looks like something right out of an alien movie! With its long adjustable neck, and the slightly large head, it took some time for me to get used to driving with this thing looking at me. However, it was easy to swing the arm down and out of the way while not in use.
At times, I drive a van in addition to my own (very small) car. The van has multiple power accessory outlets, including a few on the passenger side of the console. This proved to be a good place to locate the SC310, as I could then curve the neck so that the controls sat neatly along the side of the console, while still easy to reach and in good distance for communication. This was not as simple in my car, as there is only one power adapter and it is located in the center console right behind the gear shift. Safely positioning the SC310 was a bit more difficult, due to its size!
I believe that there is a little room for improvement on the SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit. A slightly smaller head, as well as a slightly shorter neck, would provide the same flexibility while enabling it to be used safely in smaller vehicles.
Easy access buttons with top mounted speaker!
Functionality
As is the case with Bluetooth headsets, I've tried a fair number of car kits. Although overall the unit is slightly large, I did like the large size buttons. After a short time, it was easy to "remember" the buttons functions and use the device without even looking at it, which is a very good thing while driving.
Setup was a breeze, and completed in less then two minutes without issue. The SC310 has an extra large speaker located on the top of the head. The sound quality was better then most any other that I've tried, and while set on the higher volume range, I was able to hear the incoming call sound over my radio. This proved to be a very handy feature for me, as I like my music while driving!
The most difficult item to find is a communications device with good outgoing sound quality. Incoming sound is important, but to be clear and understood by the party on the other end is just as (if not more) important! In my van while plugged into the middle console, the SC310 was less then 20 inches from my face. When I first used it to call my wife, she did not know that I was wireless until I told her so. This was a good start! However, with the SC310 plugged into the accessory outlet on the side console, the sound quality for the other party was not as good. In the latter case, the SC310 is positioned slightly to my right side, and not directly inline with my voice as it was while plugged into the center console. The additional 12 inch distance and a non-direct voice path dramatically decreased the outgoing sound quality.
Additional features such as last number redial, favorite number program button and voice dial, made the SC310 a very handy device for me. An improvement that would make the SC310 the ultimate Bluetooth device for me, is the ability to voice dial without pressing a button first. Since powered by the vehicle, a "listen" feature would be great. Another good addition to this model would be the ability to program more then one favorite number. Maybe one button press dials the first favorite, two presses dials the second and so on!
Value
Unlike a Bluetooth Headset, the Southwing SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit is only used in the vehicle. It is difficult for me to justify the normal price of $99.95 for a device that I will only use while on the road. However, at the current summer sale price of $49.95, it is a good deal! With some additional improvements as I've suggested above, the normal price may not be a bad deal for some, as physical and functional quality are good.
Pro's 
Easy / fast setup.
Fair outgoing sound quality in direct voice path.
Good incoming sound quality.
Flexible design.
Large & easy to use controls.
Good physical construction.
Programmable button for favorite number.
Con's
Below average outgoing sound quality if not direct voice path.
Slightly large design.
Slightly high regular sale price.
4WinMobile Rating
90%
Conclusion
There are few Bluetooth car kits available on the market, so choices are limited. Three of my friends have car kits and all say that theirs is the best. I've tried all three myself, but wasn't sold on any! In the past few months, I've spent a considerable amount of time on the road. This will end soon, so justification of a $100 (or more) price tag for a Bluetooth car kit is a tough decision for me. However, the quality I see in the Southwing SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit is very tempting for me, and a good device if communications while on the road is important to you!
Southwing SC310 Bluetooth Car Kit (Review)
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