Every now and then a product mashup comes along that just makes sense. On paper, the Evoplus Q9 fits that bill. This 2-in-1 gadget plugs into the cars 12V cigarette lighter port and provides two USB charging ports. One port charges at 1-amp and the other at 2.1-amps (5V). That alone is a useful product, but the Evoplus Q9 delivers more with a built-in Bluetooth headset. This Bluetooth 4.1 headset fits neatly into the tip of the charger where it lives, and charges, until needed.
*** $8 off coupon valid until 10/20/2016 UTMGCUP9 ***
The product packaging is quality. The front of the box is magnetically closed, and opens to reveal a peekaboo window. Inside you will find a protective foam casing, the charger, Bluetooth headset, four rubber ear pieces (3 sizes), and a manual which does a good job of explaining how to use the product. There are a few typos and grammatical errors in the manual. Nothing too egregious.
The Evoplus Q9 ($33) charger fit nicely in the cigarette lighter in my vehicles and didn’t move around. The charger is just under 4-inches long with the headset attached. Not exactly short, but you are getting two USB chargers and a Bluetooth headset/charger. Charge time for the headset is 1.5-hours.
There is only one button on the Evoplus Q9 which is used for phone call and audio controls. Answering calls is easy enough; touch the MFB once if you are wearing it, or simply remove it from the charger for auto-answering. Hanging up on calls is the same process in reverse. Another nice features is that when connected to your smartphone it displays the battery life next to the Bluetooth logo (see image below). Battery life, by the way, is 1.5-hours of talk time which isn’t very long.
With all of this goodness packed in to one product the big letdown is the microphone quality. The speaker on the Q9 is decent, but the mic.. oy vey! I placed several calls from different locations to different people. Almost every time, people on the other end of the call would complain about the sound quality. I would switch from the Q9 headset to speakerphone and they would practically cheer. In other words the sound quality is a deal killer for me.
What I liked:
- Clean integrated design
- Two USB ports, 1-amp and 2.1-amps
- When paired with the iPhone it displays the headset battery life on the phone
- Automatic call answering when removed from charger port
- MFB smart button for answering calls and controlling music
- Dual smartphone connectivity
What I don’t like:
- Battery life, talk time is just 1.5 hours
- Microphone quality needs improvement
