Bluetooth Headsets for a Verizon Phone: Where to Get Them

Rumor has it that a new Verizon phone made by LG, the VX8610, will have a Bluetooth headset built in that charges from the phone between uses, but for right now you need to buy your own if you want the wireless freedom that a Bluetooth headset will give you with your Verizon phone. Chances are you've seen them all over, little flashing lights by people's ears as they talk to themselves. Here's where you can get them, and what you can expect to pay.

Your Verizon store, either company store or authorized retailer, is a good first stop. If you want to be able to call or stop in and get help from someone who knows the exact combination of phone and headset you have, that's a good bet. Did you know, though, that Wal-Mart has an extensive line of Bluetooth headsets for your Verizon phone also?

Bluetooth headsets are only a little more complicated than wired ones that you plug into the phone, but there's a lot going on in that little earpiece, and a bit in the phone as well. They form a digital radio link together (which can include other devices such as a speakerphone), which you establish by using a "profile" on your phone. Your phone has to have the Bluetooth technology built in, which many but not all phones do. The Bluetooth headset has a battery, either disposable or rechargeable, to power the link with the phone. It also has a switch for answering calls and other functions such as muting the microphone. With many phones, you will have additional options such as voice based dialing.

Chain stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, Radio Shack and others all have a good selection of Bluetooth headsets. You will even find them in convenience stores and pharmacies. They may not be the high end models, but these stores will usually carry popular and high-quality brands. Prices usually start about $20, not much more than a basic plug-in model in many cases.

There's a cool model you might not find everywhere that picks up the vibrations in the bones of your head, made by Aliph. This and other more advanced models, as long as various ergonomic designs might lead you to shop at accessory specialty stores who can guide you through the many choices, and demonstrate advanced options as well.

Tech-savvy shoppers often go online when they have made their selection and order from retailers such as abt.com and newegg.com, or using online price comparison engines to determine the best price from leading merchants.

"Verizon LG VX8610 Caught in the Wild with Built-in Bluetooth Headset", http://www.intomobile.com/2008/04/13/verizon-lg-vx8610-caught-in-the-wild-with-built-in-bluetooth-headset.html
"Bluetooth", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth