Expert: DebiN - 4/1/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I recently purchased a Blackberry Curve 8520 for my son who has cerebral palsy but who can use all the features on the phone The problem is that whilst driving his electric wheelchair and for ease of accepting calls the preference is for automatic answer through his bluetooth ear piece. We have the earpiece working through bluetooth, the easy bit!, but cannot find how to get an automatic answer. Hope this make sense.  thanks

George (and Richard of course)

ANSWER: Hi George and Richard -

I'm not aware of a way for a BlackBerry to auto answer, not with a headset or without. It's not like a phone when if you open it, you can set it to auto-answer upon opening. With the BlackBerry, because it's already open, if you have a bluetooth headset connected, you have to press the button on the headset to answer the phone when it rings. There isn't any way around this, I'm sorry to say, regardless of the headset. Unless you can get a special program for the BlackBerry that would allow some type of voice answering that would trigger the end ring and answer the phone, I'm just not aware of any way to have the bluetooth auto-answer. Were you able to use a headset and have it auto-answer (wired) or anything else that would autoanswer? Thanks. DebiN

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Just a further thought, how does it work in a handsfree situation when driving with the use of a holster or car kit, can a setting be changed for in/out holster?

thanks

Answer
So, I just looked at my BlackBerry and under Settings, Options, Phone Options, General Options, there is a setting that says Auto Answer Calls!!!! (when out of holster) is the setting. Which basically means if you have the device in a holster, when you pull it out when the phone rings, it will auto-answer. You can also put the phone into the holster to auto-end the calls. But, if you think about this, it's the same as having to press a button - it won't help Richard if the device is in a holster and he pulls it out to answer. It's easier to just press the button on the headset (and less trouble, I'm sure).

In answer to your question, when you are in a car, you have to press a button on the steering wheel to answer (if it's integrated into the car) or with a car kit, same thing. No matter what you do, you have to do something (pull the phone out of the holster or press a button) to answer the call. There isn't anything that would allow a call to be answered without something on the user's part otherwise, all calls would be answered no matter what and you would never want that. If there was a voice answer, like "answer", that would be great, but currently, there is nothing like this.

I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN