Bluetooth maker Jawbone has launched its first app for the iPhone on the iTunes App Store. The app, which is called Thoughts, allows users to send quick audio messages to individuals or groups without actually placing a phone call.

While Jawbone makes hands-free Bluetooth sets, the app doesn’t appear to be aimed at hands-free texting as much as it is an easier way to send voicemails. The company describes the application as combining “the speed of texting, the group collaboration of email, and the emotional quality of voice all in one.”

“We live in a world that is 100% mobile, 100% connected and unfortunately 150% distracted.  Reading and typing doesn’t work when you need your hands and eyes to navigate the physical world.  While there has been a tremendous amount of innovation in text-based messaging, all of it lacks the richness of voice,” explains Travis Bogard, vice president of product management and strategy at Jawbone, in a statement.

Thoughts features an email-like interface that allows users to hold multiple discussions at once, organizing conversations as users reply and allowing recipients to see who said what and when. Additionally, for situations when a user may prefer to read a message (in a restaurant or meeting), Thoughts can transcribe the audio message instantly into text.

Thoughts is available for free at the iTunes App Store.

Check out the video below for a look at what Jawbone is “thinking.”