I lost my Scala 500 late last week, & when I saw this "upgraded" model, I decide to jump on it. Unfortunately, it just isn't quite as good. I have a T-Mobile Dash with Microsoft's Voice Command software, and the Scala 500 had nearly flawless voice recognition, even in fairly noisy environments. This one is just the opposite. Not once did it properly recognize what I was asking for, regardless of how quiet the background was or how clearly I annunciated. In addition, it wasn't as comfortable as the 500 either (though certainly not uncomfortable either). Finally, it always felt like it was about to fall off my ear. On the plus side, it did have good in-call sound quality, but no better (and maybe even a bit worse) then the 500. Save your money and get the better, cheaper version.SCALA 500/Scala 500, Black