Good or bad news, depending on your point of view: Owners of Bluetooth headsets in the U.S. are using them less frequently. 

Only 26 percent of Bluetooth headset owners use their devices every day, in 2008, 43 percent did. These findings were based on surveys with 625 automotive consumers in the US and Western Europe summarized in the Strategy Analytics Automotive Consumer Insights report “Bluetooth Headsets Still Reign, but Daily Usage in US Declines.”

The upside? Fewer people on the streets apparently carrying on animated conversations with the voices in their heads.

“The style and design of the Bluetooth headset remains a pain point for consumers,” commented Chris Schreiner, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics (News - Alert). “The number of Bluetooth headset owners satisfied with the style of their device dropped 27 percent since 2008.”

Kevin Nolan, Vice President of the Strategy Analytics User Experience Practice, said that while Bluetooth headset owners were generally satisfied with the ease of use of their headsets, "owners of professionally-installed hands-free car kits reported greater satisfaction with ease of use, as well as with sound quality and style.”