Does 2.1 finally add BT voice dailing?

[rdalcanto]

For those that have played with the Nexus.... Did google finally add hands-free, voice dialing over bluetooth headset, or can this super phone still not do the basics?

 

[3rd-Geer]

For those that have played with the Nexus.... Did google finally add hands-free, voice dialing over bluetooth headset, or can this super phone still not do the basics?

I haven't tested it yet with a bluetooth device. Obviously, every other thing on the phone can be handled by voice...including voice to text which is really helpful.

To use voice dialing, you can do it from the app called Car Home. You then select "Voice Search" and start talking.

I took a pic of it....it's posted below.

 

[rdalcanto]

That requires taking your phone out of your pocket. I want to push the button on my bluetooth headset and then voice dail without ever touching the phone. Please test for that and let us know....

 

[jimbo831]

I agree with rdalcanto. I still can't believe Android doesn't support this as every other BT enabled phone I've ever used would let me access the voice dialing by tapping my BT Multi-function button, even my old Moto RAZR V3. Google needs to get with the program on this one. People want to be able to use their BT headset to dial without touching the phone.

 

[3rd-Geer]

That requires taking your phone out of your pocket. I want to push the button on my bluetooth headset and then voice dail without ever touching the phone. Please test for that and let us know....

I would test it for you, but unfortunately I don't have a blue tooth device. I'll ask around to some buddies at work tomorrow to see if I can find one to test out.

 

[astrobill]

I, too, don't understand why neither Android nor WebOS (i.e., Palm Pre) don't have (adequate/any) voice dialing! Like the earlier poster, my four-year-old Motorola RAZR V3m had nearly foolproof, hands-free voice dialing. Neither Android phones nor the Palm Pre will be car-safe until they add reliable voice-controlled dialing!

 

[ikon]

I too would like to know if this feature works. My old razr had it, my iphone didn't and I don't think the new ones do either, and no other android phone does so far. What's the point of using a bt headset if you still have to unlock the phone, open the dialer, find your contact, and then hit dial? Or atleast enable the voice dialing portion thru the headset so you don't have to speak into the phone.

 

[awong]

Anyone discover if Bluetooth hands free dialing works with Android 2.1 on the Nexus?

 

[ikon]

Just got home and tried this out and it's not working for me. I was really hoping it would work. I've never used voice dialing on this bluetooth headset before, Plantronics Discovery 925, but I read the instructions and it gives me the confirmation beep but the phone doesn't do anything.

 

[jdk2]

Arrgghh

 

[awong]

ikon, even though it was bad news, thanks for trying it out ...

(scream of despair follows...)

 

[DFXmobile]

Just got home and tried this out and it's not working for me. I was really hoping it would work. I've never used voice dialing on this bluetooth headset before, Plantronics Discovery 925, but I read the instructions and it gives me the confirmation beep but the phone doesn't do anything.

At awong's suggestion, I am posting what we have learned. The issue has two parts:

1. - The current, built-in Android voice dialer (called "Voice Dialer") does not declare a VoiceCommandIntent. An app must declare a VoiceCommandIntent if it wants to be launched by the BT "voice activation" command. This was disabled on purpose by Google because their voice dialer was not hands-free and had poor recognition at the BT sampling rate.
2. - The Android BT stack has a code section where they say "only declare that we support voice activation if there is at least one app with VoiceCommandIntent." However, this has been disabled since Cupcake (perhaps as collateral damage when disabling the above), so it always says "hey BT headset, we don't support voice activation, so don't even tell us if the button is pressed." Only in the last month has this been re-enabled in Google's internal codebase. Once it makes it to an OTA update, then, at a minimum, apps such as our Voice Dialer HF will be able to launch via BT.

User jdvaha302 over on code.google.com has a Nexus One and ran some tests for us. He tried the BT "voice activation" button both with no changes (testing item 1 & 2 in parallel) and also tried loading TopVoiceControl, an app supplying VoiceCommandIntent (testing item 2). No go in both cases.

More detail on this issue here and here.

BTW, he did try our Voice Dialer HF on the Nexus One. It works great, apart from the fact that you've got to launch it from the touch screen (which kinda defeats the purpose until that OTA update hits).

Regards,
DFXmobile

 

[trekgraham]

Google this is a must in many states its illegal to use your phone while driving. Please get this resolved ASAP!!

 

[jodaboda]

This has been brought up with Android for a long time, and is, for many of us, a huge issue.

One alternative is to get a headset that stores contacts in it, and can respond to voice commands itself (Blue Ant has a couple). I read elsewhere on the forum that these work on Android.

 

[kwaping]

Thank you for starting this thread! I am not a current Android user and had taken for granted that the phone could do this (like my LG Dare does). This may be a deal breaker for me!

 

[siimot]

The Bluetooth is really crap
It wont connect to my handsfree kit when i get in the car, i have to manually connect so its pretty pointless, no other phone has this problem with my handsfree.

 

[astrobill]

The Bluetooth is really crap
It wont connect to my handsfree kit when i get in the car, i have to manually connect so its pretty pointless, no other phone has this problem with my handsfree.

Yeah...same with the Sprint HTC Hero. I went ahead and put the Bluetooth on/off toggle widget on the main home screen so I can at least turn it off and back on when I get in my car...forcing it the go out and look for the car unit and connect.

Heard they planned to improve the Bluetooth stack in 2.1? Disappointed to hear it apparently doesn't auto-connect Bluetooth very often or well.

Did they at least add OPP contact transfer as promised?

 

[androidtx]

The bluetooth implementation in android is terrible. I use a stereo headset/mic most the time, and I have a horrible time syncing it up, and getting the stereo headset part to connect. I always thought it was a G1/Cyanogenmod thing, but it is terrible on my N1 too. Very frustrating. I have found it is especially bad if the phone is charging, one time I could not get it to connect to stereo until I unplugged it from the charger.

 

[ADSNOVA]

I have been looking for hands free dialing to be legal in CA since the first day Droid hit the market. I have been lucky to avoid 3 or 4 "almost" accidents while dialing. I pray God's angles continue to copilot my travels. It is inexcusable that a "phone" from the phone company is such a terrible phone!!

 

[Mashood]

Why is it that we have to pay for something which is a basic necessity and should be included in the phone by default!

I downloaded several others from market place but they are too pathetic. These apps do not work at all. Its more of a pain-in-*** than a facility.

Anyone has any luck with any application that does not require internet and still gives decent voice calling feature?

Thanks in advance

 

[Teknologic]

I tought froyo came with BT voice dailing?

 

[FishDoctor]

I tought froyo came with BT voice dialing?

I have read that Froyo (Android 2.2) is supposed to implement bluetooth voice dialing. Here is some information:

http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-20012552-251.html

 

[lunatic59]

I tought froyo came with BT voice dailing?

It does indeed. An I much prefer it's implementation over WinMo. With WinMo, you have to confirm everything and many times if it couldn't distinguish between the yes or no, it dropped the call and you had to start all over again. With FroYo, when you tell it to "Dial (contact) at home" ... or "Call Bob Smith on cell" it does.

 

[Roze]

It does indeed. An I much prefer it's implementation over WinMo. With WinMo, you have to confirm everything and many times if it couldn't distinguish between the yes or no, it dropped the call and you had to start all over again. With FroYo, when you tell it to "Dial (contact) at home" ... or "Call Bob Smith on cell" it does.

Damn Android does not like my voice, tone and accent!!! It never recognizes anything I say 80% of the time XD First with voice search/input not understanding me...and now Bluetooth :/ I was sooo excited for bluetooth when Froyo came out too!