With all the Apple iPhone news, there’s been little written about the first accessory Apple itself released for the device - a $129 Bluetooth headset.

Let me give you a short review if you’re thinking about getting this for your iPhone… or, for that matter, any other mobile phone you may use. My hope is this News about the Apple iPhone will let you make a wise buying choice.

There’s a lot I like about the iPhone Bluetooth headset. It has a minimalist look, it is styled in black about the width of a pencil with an earpiece molded in at the top and a single, easy-to-operate switch that you push on to take calls or deactivate the headset.

And the sound quality is excellent. People talking to me have almost invariably remarked how clear and crisp I sound on it.

The problem with the iPhone headset I bought is its range. Apple advertises that it will work within a 30 foot radius of the iPhone, That is pretty much the standard range of most BlueTooth devices. But in my experience, instead of 30 feet, I get only about 3 feet. Seriously.

If I keep the iPhone in my pocket, and try to talk over the headset, there’s interference and breakup. I literally have to pick it up and hold it in my hand to get it to work. I have read in several other blogs around that this is not an unusual problem. Others have also complained about this. I plan to take this back to Apple and I hope that the issue is limited to just that one unit so I would suggest that if you get one, you try it out first.

Perhaps the neatest thing about this iPhone accessory is that it comes in a special cradle that charges both it and the iPhone. It also automatically pairs with the iPhone, meaning it’s instantly workable. And as a bonus, there’s even an audio jack in the back of the cradle that lets you hook the iPhone to an external speaker system.

Once charged, it lasts a long time, delivering up to 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 72 hours of standby time thanks to its built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

My bottom line assessment: It’s a tad overpriced but, assuming the range problem was just a glitch in the unit I bought, it’s a great accessory for the iPhone. Hope this Apple iPhone news helps.