The bad news is that the Mini+ pairs with HTC phones only, specifically the HTC One Mini, the Butterfly S, the Desire 200 and the Desire 500.
The HTC Mini+ should cost about $85 and will be available by the end of the year.
Samsung
The Samsung HM5000 Slim Stick Type Bluetooth Headset looks almost like a fat pen and clips onto a pocket like a pen does.
Like the Sony device, the Slim Stick can be paired with two devices at the same time. When a call comes in, it vibrates. You answer it by pressing a large button.
Because the HM5000 has only one big button, plus a volume-control rocker, there's a small learning curve to remember the button-pushing commands for putting calls on hold and picking them up again and other functions.
The handset automatically increases the volume of the speaker in a noisy place.
The HM5000 has been around for a couple of years, and it's possible to buy it for less than $60.
Alcatel
Alcatel deserves special mention because its upcoming OneTouch Hero smartphone comes with a full-featured Bluetooth handset with a full numeric keypad, rocker switch and screen. It looks like a high-end feature phone from 2003.
The company has demonstrated the product at European trade shows, and the device will be shipping only to China, Latin America and a smattering of European countries.
Fear not, phablet fans. Help is on the way in the form of tiny, phone-like devices that let you talk on the phone via that giant phablet -- without looking like a complete idiot.
This article, "Does Your Phone Need a Phone of Its Own?" was originally published on Computerworld.com.
Mike Elgan writes about technology and tech culture. You can contact Mike and learn more about him on Google+. You can also see more articles by Mike Elgan on Computerworld.com.