TechHive Pits BACtrack Mobile Against Other Smartphone Breathalyzers

TechHive ran a comparison test with BACtrack Mobile and a few competing smartphone breathalyzers currently on the market. The results were enlightening.

"Making the determination about how intoxicated you really are has gotten easier than walking a straight line—three models of smartphone breathalyzers released last year let you measure your BAC from your bar stool. While personal breathalyzers have been around for a while, these new models leverage the interest in measuring personal metrics by offering up the smooth features of a smartphone app."

First reactions: good on you for waiting the prescribed 15 minutes before testing yourself, team! That's the first big step toward getting a good, accurate reading.

Second: it was interesting to see a unconcerned third party react to what we believe is a big differentiator for BACtrack Mobile: the fact that it's wireless and Bluetooth-enabled. The testers had some issues connecting the other devices to their phones over cases. They also mentioned blowing into a contraption attached to your phone can be awkward. We're happy to report none of these issues hindered the usability of their use of BACtrack Mobile.   

As for their specific comments on BACtrack Mobile, here's what they had to say:

"...the Bluetooth-enabled BACtrack doesn’t need to physically connect to your phone in order to process BAC readings. It also has the benefit of BACtrack’s experience—the company has been making personal breathalyzers since 2001." They go on to say that it was "the easiest to handle," and while they experienced some confusion with the data settings in the app, BACtrack Mobile fared excellently in the competition.

"After spending several weeks with the devices, it seems most people largely preferred the wireless Bluetooth functionality of the BACtrack."

Read the full comparison test here: www.techhive.com/article/2449804/should-a-pocket-breathalyzer-be-your-drinking-buddy.html