All of the current android OS versions are terrible in the bluetooth department. The audio is good but the control for music player and voice commands are inexcusably nonexistent. Shame on google/handset makers for not having remote voice command through bluetooth which has been a standard even on better dumbphones for quite a while. I actually consider it a violation of consumer safety issue. Even though I think it should not be allowed I bet a crafty lawyer could get a big judgement by establishing the number of devices that have made this a defacto standard feature among handsets that advertise Bluetooth capability and that Google was negligent in advertising bluetooth but not providing the defacto functionality therefore causing unnecessary accidents.

 

There is a long post on the Google Android developers website about this issue. It goes back over a year (to the original G1)! It's close to the top of the list of issues, but as far as I'm aware, still no word on a fix.

I was speaking with a pretty knowledgeable Verizon tech about it, and they do know it's an issue (at least some of them do). He seemed to hint that Verizon may be able to help with a fix if the Android developers don't get it, but that's pure speculation.

 

It's absolutely AMAZING that such a feature could be omitted from a modern phone, especially a smart phone. I never even through to ask or check for this feature before purchasing my Eris given all of my dumb phones from the past 6 years have had this feature. And with more and more places making it illegal to use the phone other than true "hands free" this is more critical than ever. I read that long post in the Android developers forum and it's disheartening that no one a Google responds. It sure give the impression they really don't give a flip. It's almost as pitiful as their so-called "Google Groups" that don't have a "group calendar" feature.... users post and post and post to their forums and they just ignore and ignore and ignore.

Do I understand properly from reading the forums that this is not even something that's expected in the 2.1 update?

 

No, it will not be in the official 2.1 update unless HTC has figured out someway to add it in to the Sense UI. I doubt that they have.

I think this is one of those things that they overlooked when originally building the Android OS. It is kind of like Apple leaving out cut/copy and paste on the iPhone. I guess they figured that nobody would use it.

Maybe one day.

 

I agree that it is an unfortunate oversight.

Well, the good news is that even hands-free is all that safe, so your health (and those of the drivers, passengers and pedestrians around you) is better off that you cannot make calls while you are driving.