How can I use my iPad with a Bluetooth headset or hands-free?

I'm looking to ditch my iPhone for my iPad. Apps I've tried are: Skype, Google Voice, Talkatone & Whisper. I've solved the incoming call problem, all that remains is the Bluetooth hurdle. When connected via my car's (Scion xB) bluetooth connection it pauses the music that is currently playing, but no audio from the call is received, nor is the car's microphone being used.

I'd love to hear your story on how you're using an iPad as a phone if you have one as well.


Solution 1:

See iPad: Using Bluetooth headsets and keyboards in Apple’s Knowledge Base:

Bluetooth car kit functionality is limited to audio output. Additional car kit features are not supported on iPad.

The article on supported Bluetooth profiles on iOS might also be of interest. As you can see, the first-generation iPad doesn’t support the Hands-Free Profile (HFP 1.5), but the iPad 2 and the third-generation iPad do, although the Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) still isn’t supported.

There’s also this thread on the support forums where a lot of people can’t seem to get a bluetooth headset working with their iPad. As user Dave Lucente says:

The iPad is not a phone, so it should not be a surprise that cell phone head sets will not work with it.