I wonder if there is a gerneral need in the community for a new variant of the Fairbuds XL that comes with a microphone boom and a dongle for compatibility with popular online meeting tools, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, etc.
For examples follow this ecosia search:
headphones for Teams - Ecosia - Images
I gues there is a wide market for my idea and it could be a door for Fairphone into companies.
- yes, I am interestet in an UC variant of the Fairphone XL Headphones
- no, I am happy listening to music with the headphones
2 Likes
There is a microphone already installed in the Fairbuds XL and what kind of dongle should be necessary for online meetings?
2 Likes
That is correct.
For business usecases the Fairbuds XL are not suitable.
A microphone closer to the mouth helps in noisy offices to filter out other voices and sounds.
The dongle helps redirecting feature buttons to software like Teams on Laptops.
My intention is to have just one headset for multiple usecases and the Fairbuds sadly did not provide this yet.
3 Likes
I still donāt get what kind of dongle you mean. Are you missing Bluetooth in your computer?
The laptop provides bt5.3, which is the newest as far as I know.
But still the full capabilities of my Jabra Evolve 2 65 is only provided with a dangle. And if I search for business headsets with MS Teams certification they come with a dongle. I guess the capabilities can not be provided via BT.
A cable including buttons to mute, adjust vol etcā¦!?
2 Likes
I think we are behind the cable age 
Then I neither understand what you mean 
hoewever maybe those needing it will understand
2 Likes
I understand what you mean. I only came to the forum to check if someone else has already asked about it.
I have the in ear headphones from fairphone and when I am at home where it is quiet, I can use them, but in the office the other people in the call can hear me as loud as my other colleagues in the same room.
I have another headphone with a drop able mic and with it I do not have the issue.
With the dongle teams recognizes whether the mic is up or down and mutes accordingly. I donāt have to press the mute button in teams. If this is also possible with Bluetooth, I donāt know.
1 Like
Can you show us an example what this dongle looks like and how it works technically? With all wired or Bluetooth headsets I worked so far, there never was a dongle included.
1 Like
Yep, you got it.
Some headphones have also buttos for accept incoming calls. That works on phones but not on softphones on PCs.
I just edited my description in the first post.
Just pictures of random headsets, some with cables, USB or jack, some with Bluetooth. But no hint about a dongle.
But anyway, I just plugged in the cable of my 15ā¬ Sennheiser Headset in my computer and will be in a Teams meeting for the next hour ;).
I am able to find multiple with dongles on the pictures in my search.
But if you are not in for my idea, feel free to click āno, I am happy listening to music with the headphonesā.
1 Like
Technical question:
Would the existing USB-C port on the Fairbuds XL allow to connect a microphone boom + dongle?
Thatās not the point. I donāt own a pair of Fairbuds XL anyway. But they are not just for listening to music.
And if you demand a dongle, which doesnāt seem to be necessary for a meeting tool, you could explain to the audience, what you mean.
I donāt have the Fairbuds XL but my company provides a Jabra headset that is UC certified.
Anyway, Iāve found this documentation for Microsoft Teams UC certification.
In a section it explains why a dongle is needed for the UC.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/devices/usb-devices
4 Likes
But they say:
A small portion of users may need to continue to use the USB dongle, such as when working in a high-density radio environment, if their PC Bluetooth is heavily used by multiple paired devices, or with certain PCs that have poor-performing Bluetooth radios.
So basically, any ānormalā BT connection should work. So maybe a third option could be added: Iām fine using the Fairbuds XL in meetings without a dongle .
Still you donāt get the points.
The audience in a meeting will get annoyed by the bad sound with background noise which the Fairbuds XL is not capable to cancel.
If you are in a quiet room, it is fine to use the Fairbuds. If you donāt mind the buttons are not working with Teams you are also fine.
There is a reason why manufacturer create headsets with a mircophone boom and better connection via a dongle, also on older devices.
We are not talking about a boom, that might be necessary, but about the ādongleā you are demanding. But that is according to the linked paper by Microsoft not necessary, only under some special circumstances.
Itās about sustainability, why creating, manufacturing and shipping an unnecessary dongle, which will lay in the drawer at 95% of the customers?