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Crazy Willcom WX03A phone accessory is also a phone

A miniature phone you attach to your phone? That's right, it's a crazy accessory, and it might not surprise you to learn it's Japanese.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

The Japanese aren't known for their sensible accessories, but this one takes the sashimi. It's known as a 'strap phone', and as that suggests, it's a mini mobile you can attach to anything you want -- even your phone -- and carry it as an accessory.

Or you could be sensible and hook it round your wrist, but where's the fun in that? The device is absolutely titchy -- 32x70x10.5mm, which is only slightly bigger than a mini packet of Orbit chewing gum. (You'll also see from the picture that they have more imaginative names for their sweets in Japan.)

Weighing just 33g, the Willcom WX03A is certainly light enough to dangle from your wrist without making one of your arms longer than the other.

Because of the diddy dimensions, specs are on the low side, with no Bluetooth, camera, memory card slot or email ability. But it does have infrared for exchanging contacts, micro-USB port, headphone socket, and the battery will last 300 hours on standby. It even has a tiny keypad, though it's not Qwerty. And you may need a toothpick to press the buttons accurately.

The translated Willcom page reveals it'll be out in December, though for Japan only. There's some quite good Engrish on there too, such as: "Annoying phone book registration can be done easily by infrared communication." Gotta love Google Translate.

It's not likely to compete with the iPhone 5, admittedly, but it's a cool idea nonetheless. And it makes the latest slew of mini handsets look positively Galaxy Note-esque by comparison.

Would you buy a tiny phone as a backup in case you lost your main handset? Or just as a showpiece for bragging rights? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.