Orion Voice Reviews

Pros

Getting this platform into our office setup was pretty easy and using it as a communication system has been very simple. I really appreciate that it runs through a cell phone which is already something you keep close by so there's no need for bulky equipment or wires clipped all over your clothing. Having the earpiece stay with you at all times is also really convenient. It's user friendly overall and each update has made it even more manageable. The audio stays clear and reliable and it's also nice that there are color options to choose from.

Cons

Most of my complaints are fairly small but they're still worth mentioning. The biggest one is that it really doesn't perform well unless you're using an iPhone. We were told it would work equally well on both platforms but that was not our experience at all. It never worked properly with my Samsung or with the other non Apple phones in our office. To Orion's credit, they did help solve that by providing several iPhones and we gathered a few extra ones ourselves so after that things were fine. At this point, we mostly avoid hiring anyone who doesn't already use an Apple phone which is kind of funny but true. Another issue is the weight of the round device. It feels heavy when clipped to clothing especially if you still need it to stay accessible for communication. There were also a few times when the units simply stopped working although I believe Orion replaced most of those. The cords that connect to the earpieces are also too long and awkward. Some of the women in my office actually wrap the cords around their upper bodies just to keep them from hanging in the way. On top of that the earpieces themselves are large and bulky. They do come in different styles and sizes but I still couldn't find one that fit my ear properly. I ended up buying my own and that worked much better since the speaker sits just outside my ear, the cord is shorter and thinner and it has been much more comfortable for me.

Pros

Using this product has been going very well and it doesn't take long to get comfortable with it. Having just one button to press for communicating with each other is something we really appreciate. The admin interface is another big plus since it makes adding users and groups quick and manageable. The IoT features through IFTTT are also a really nice touch.

Cons

Every now and then, there are some hardware related problems. We've had to send a few devices back after they stopped working. To their credit, they replaced those units at no charge.

Pros

Right away, the product gives off a polished, attractive look. The sound quality is excellent and the customer service has been wonderful as well.

Cons

Something we've noticed is that the devices don't seem to last as long as we would ideally want.

Pros

The sound quality has been excellent and the location sharing feature works really well.

Cons

One limitation is that users can't stay connected to multiple channels at once. If you're in a channel or talking one on one, you won't receive messages or communications from the other channels.

Pros

Its really simple to use and I don't need to carry any extra hardware besides my phone.

Cons

The downside is that it drains my phone battery faster while I'm using it.

Pros

Even when the phone is locked or running in the background, group voice audio keeps playing which is really convenient.

Cons

Being able to mute one or several people in a group would be very useful.

Pros

This app has an appealing, attractive look to it.

Cons

Communication tends to lag and it does not work well on some phones. It also seems to function only when the app is open on the main screen, rather than when it is sleeping or running in the background.

Pros

Using the product has been convenient overall and it's pretty simple to work with. The map is generally accurate and has helped us spot employees who weren't where they were supposed to be on a broader level. On the lighter side, everyone had fun changing their profile pictures to different comic book characters. It's also useful being able to quickly tell who is available and who isn't.

Cons

My biggest concern is with the Terms and Conditions. The earlier version said data could be collected and shared with third parties. The current T&C now says recordings will only be accessed to meet business needs but that wording changed recently and they're also available 24/7 in the app. What really bothers me is the statement that any collected data will be processed "fairly and lawfully," which feels far too open to interpretation. Even though the new T&C no longer explicitly mentions sharing data with third parties, it also doesn't clearly rule it out. Another issue is that the app sometimes logs us out without us realizing it which can cause us to miss important contact. On Android, I still can't tell whether one to one calling is available and sometimes it looks like I've logged out when the app is actually still running when I try to sign back in.

Pros

Getting started with it is very easy and creating a group is simple. You can add as many people as you want which makes it really convenient for larger conversations.

Cons

A mute option is still missing. It would also be helpful to have the ability to remove people from the groups I create.

Pros

Whenever we had cell coverage, the communication came through crystal clear.

Cons

There really weren't any downsides for us. The only reason we stopped being a customer was because a state system was introduced for our radio communications. Once that happened, we no longer had a need for the service so it didn't make sense to keep paying for something we weren't using.

Pros

Our camp staff could use this software completely hands free while working with the kids which made a big difference during busy activities. It was simple to get started with and the communication came through clearly and reliably.

Cons

Every now and then, we had to make sure the app was fully updated and on some phones it needed to be downloaded again.

Pros

An excellent option for markets that need solutions where usage isn't especially heavy especially when guaranteed coverage is important and there's enough bandwidth available.

Cons

The data packets it generates can be too heavy for some highly congested environments.

Pros

It's much simpler to reach the right staff members and the extended range has been a big advantage.

Cons

This software has been excellent overall. My only complaint is that connectivity depends on the strength of the cellular service.

Pros

Using the push to talk combadges has been a fantastic way for our team to stay connected. I'm seriously thinking about rolling them out to all employees. In a stable Wi Fi environment, they perform really well and make communication quick and convenient.

Cons

Reliability does dip a bit when moving between networks or while driving especially when a phone latches onto an open Wi Fi network with a password portal and mistakenly treats it like a real internet connection instead of staying on LTE. Part of that may be outside their control but it still felt like more could have been done to address some of the glitches we ran into. I also offered our environment for testing to support but never got a response.