A car speakerphone is basically a cell phone installed in a vehicle with a speaker loud enough to hear all over the car. These phones also have microphones that can pick up someone’s voice from a distance so that anybody in the car can speak and be heard by the person on the other end. This allows for several people to conference call within a vehicle at the same time, and the phones also usually allow for hands-free operation.
There are two main modes that separate different car speakerphone models. These two modes are known as half duplex and full duplex. In half-duplex phones, when one person is speaking, the person on the other end cannot he heard, and this can lead to difficulty in conversations. A full-duplex car speakerphone allows for both sides of the conversation to be audible at all times, and these are generally more desirable.
Most car speakerphone models can also be used as regular hand-held phones as well. This is important, because speakerphones don’t allow for private conversations. For most models, the speakerphone mode is turned on with a button, or the phone can be put in speakerphone mode with voice commands.
Some people think that a car speakerphone is much safer when driving than a regular cell phone. In theory, speaking into a car speakerphone could be less distracting to the driver, and it leaves both hands free so that the driver can easily operate the vehicle. The car speakerphone models with total hands-free operation are especially recommended for this purpose.
There are some experts that don’t think car speakerphone models are especially safe. Some studies have shown that cell phone use is dangerous because the conversation distracts people, not because the hands are being used. If that is the case, then car speakerphones wouldn’t be any safer than regular cell phones. Some people even think they’re worse because they might encourage people to use cell phones more often in their vehicles. Both sides generally dispute the issue, and more research will probably be needed to definitively prove which view is right.
The speakerphone is also popular for use outside of vehicles. Many businesses use speakerphones for conferencing with multiple employees at the same time. This kind of functionality is also a big part of videoconferencing technology. The ability to hold meetings with many people all over the world interacting at the same time has generally had a revolutionary impact on the business world. Car speakerphones are also sometimes popular in this context, because they allow multiple employees traveling together to interact with those in the office at the same time.
