Jabra Freeway speakerphone

April 2011

Speak your mind with the Jabra Freeway speakerphone. The latest Bluetooth hands-free uses voice activation, and turns itself on and off automatically. We tried it out.

It fixes to the sun visor, and connected to our phone with a tap of the voice button, followed by our spoken command “pair new device”. You can’t turn down the loud instructions, but once it’s paired, the Jabra remembers your phone.

There are clearly labelled buttons for volume adjustment, voice dialling and activating the FM transmitter, plus a large key for answering and rejecting a call.

Sound quality is the best of any loudspeaker we’ve tested. There are three speakers hidden behind the fabric cover, which offer superb performance, with no distortion at full volume and plenty of bass.

When a call comes in, the unit announces the name of the caller (if it’s stored in your phonebook) or the number. To accept the call, say “answer”; to reject it, simply say “ignore”.

The FM transmitter streams audio from your phone to your car’s stereo, although quality could be better. Still, while the Freeway is pricey, at £100, it offers crystal-clear chat on the move.