BlueAnt Releases Q1 Voice-Controlled Headset in Canada

BlueAnt Wireless today announced the availability of Q1, a voice controlled Bluetooth headset, to Canadians at a time when Ontario is preparing to join four other provinces in enacting hands-free driving legislation.

With BlueAnt’s “Simply Connect” voice control technology, users operate the Q1 with voice commands.  The Q1 uses advanced voice recognition software that allows users to control the headset and many phone functions. To answer a call, users simply say answer; to reject a call, they say ignore.

“BlueAnt is pleased to deliver to Canada the ultimate in wireless communication with the Q1,” said Taisen Maddern, executive chairman of BlueAnt Wireless, in a statement. “Our vision, and the reason BlueAnt has quickly become a market leader, is to offer tomorrow’s technology today. We focus on providing consumers with the ‘Simply Connect’ experience, allowing easy set up and seamless integration of this new device into their lives.”

According to Ryan Joe, a research analyst at Ovum, the market for solutions like the Q1 is only going to increase—both in Canada and the United States.

“The demand for hands-free technologies that enable users to interface with their handsets will only increase as more states impose restrictions on mobile phone use while driving,” Joe says. “Already, 15 states restrict handset use while operating a motor vehicle and that number will certainly rise in the near future.”
 
The Q1 will be sold online and by Canadian retailers, including Future Shop, Rogers Plus, Rogers Dealers, TELUS, Tbooth, and WirelessWave, in early October.