Review Apparently comprised of ex-Nokia hands, Novero is a company focused on phone accessories for users on the move. The matter-of-factly entitled, TheFirstOne is Novero’s designer Bluetooth headset heralded to ‘change the way we look at technology’ and is priced accordingly at £120.

Novero's TheFirstOne and indubitably not the last one

TheFirstOne is marketed as a fashion accessory and for good reason, it has an inconspicuous yet very elegant design with smooth edges and slightly curved surfaces. The top is matt white with chrome highlights and body with a very thin volume control on the side and a one-touch single multi-purpose button in the centre of the unit.

After years of mobile phone gadgets designed for men and by men TheFirstOne is a pretty much a girl thing. You can actually wear it instead of trying to hide it. For those after a more macho look Novero offers TheFirstOne with a black leather coating. There's also the Lexington, a different design altogether with its brushed steel finish. I always hated having to use a headset, but I must admit I was charmed by TheFirstOne almost at once.

It is discreet yet elegant and, best of all, it comes with an incredible range of accessories included in the price. Among them is a set of international adapters, an in-car charger, a set of rubber earpieces to fit any ear size and even a desk stand. The earpiece is comfortable and thanks to the range of sizes available, you’ll find a good fit for every earhole. Having quite small ears and I normally struggle with earphones, but TheFirstOne fitted snugly.

As with all fashion accessories, TheFirstOne is made to be seen – that’s why Novero provides a specially designed necklace and a shirt clip to show off the headset when not in use. They will also help to stop you losing it – so easily done with these small gadgets.

A car charger is among a bounty of accessories supplied

This German manufacturer, responsible for producing Bluetooth technology for Audi, Mercedes, Bentley, Volkswagen and BMW, not only created an attractive object but a fine piece of equipment that delivers high quality sound. The voice quality of the earpiece is clear, crisp and full and the same goes for the way your voice is heard through the headpiece microphone. The first time I asked a friend to call me with TheFirstOne I thought she had not yet connected the headpiece as her voice sounded so close and clear.

Part of the clarity of the communication is due to the noise cancellation technology featured in the dual-microphone arrangement. There’s a mic to capture and silence background noise and a second one to capture and enhance your voice. I have tried it with different levels of background noise situations and it almost always delivered good results. Occasionally a repetitive background noise would come through but, on the whole, I was pretty happy with the sound performance.

Also available in black leather

The multi-function button and volume switch are both well designed and cleverly positioned away from each other so that you can find the correct command without hesitation, both when the headset is being worn. TheFirstOne pairs easily and is compatible with all mobile phones or other Bluetooth devices and if your phone allows it, you can use it with voice recognition technology.

The quoted battery life is good with 4.5 hours of talk time and 4.2 days of standby time, but with sporadic day-to-day use it just seemed to work when required, going on for days before a charge.

Verdict

Novero's TheFirstOne makes a good impression both in terms of style and sonic performance, yet it is rather pricey. Even so, it's easy to set up, comfortable to wear and, while the lanyard and clip on accessories won't necessarily suit everyone, having both mains and car chargers along with a good battery life ensure that when you walk the walk, it will talk the talk. ®

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