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So Many Phone Add-ons, You’ll Need More Pockets

From left, the Splitterbot, which lets users plug two sets of headphones into a single phone; YUBZ, which attaches an old Bell-style headset to a mobile phone; and the MiLi Projector, which turns iPhone videos into TV-size projection.

THE problem with shopping for phone gadgeteers who have everything is obvious: they have everything. But there are a few categories of gifts suitable for even the most acquisitive fans: functional items that they don’t know about, that they may not realize they need or that are just too modest to make it onto the wish list. Then there are items that seem too extravagant for people to buy for themselves.

SPLITTERBOT If you have ever wished you could share a favorite song without playing it through your phone’s tiny, tinny speaker, the Splitterbot by ThinkGeek is an elegant — or at least cute — solution. This little robot figurine, two inches high, is attached to a keychain. Pop off its little head and a 3.5-millimeter jack is revealed. The jack plugs into a phone, and then two sets of headphones plug into the robot’s eyes. The robot ($8) supports output only, so don’t try to create a conference call through it; the person on the other end won’t hear you.

SMARTTALK Often people have two sets of earphones: one with a microphone for making phone calls, and a high-quality set for listening to music. Griffin’s SmartTalk ($20) adds a microphone to any set of headphones, so your high-fidelity phones can be converted to act as your everyday set for talking as well. You can chat without compromising sound quality.

JAWBONE ICON The $100 Jawbone Icon is the first Bluetooth earpiece to have its own apps. The Icon’s audio apps let you select a “personality” for the audio commands you hear through the earpiece, like “the bombshell,” “the rogue” or “the ace.”

When you start up the earpiece, the bombshell, for instance, says, in a suggestive but slightly robotic voice, “I’m on and ready to go.” Perhaps more useful are the “dial apps” that add function, like the “Send Text” app that lets you speak words that can be sent to someone in your contacts list or posted to Twitter.

It also will read back messages to you, and let you record messages to yourself. A Dial2Do account is required, which is $40 a year for the full suite of services. There are other apps as well, and more on the way.

NT3 THROAT MIC Throat microphones have several advantages over the standard headsets that come with most phones. They use the vibrations from the voice box, so a whisper can be heard as well as a shout, and they don’t pick up environmental noise, so you hear just the person speaking.

Finally, wearing a throat mike makes you look like a black ops tough guy — these mikes, developed for the military, are favored by soldiers, SWAT teams and, admittedly, paintball enthusiasts.

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D.I.Y. SPEAKERS The Rock-It by OrigAudio can turn any surface into a speaker. It’s not hi-fi, but experimentation can deliver good sound.

The Iasus NT3, which costs $80, is compatible with most phones using a 2.5- or 3.5-millimeter microphone jack, including the iPhone and many BlackBerry, Nokia, Motorola, LG and Samsung phones. The effectiveness of these headsets is unpredictable; they work well for some voices and not for others. If the microphone doesn’t work for any reason, the distributor, Headset Gadgets, says it offers a 30-day return policy.

ROCK-IT From a device about the size of a laptop charger comes a surprisingly large sound. The Rock-It by OrigAudio plugs into an audio source with a 3.5-millimeter jack and uses a mini-amplifier powered by two AAA batteries to pump sound to a vibrating stick-on contact.

Glue the contact to a desk, window, cardboard box or what have you, and the contact transfers vibrations to turn any surface into a speaker. The Rock-It, which costs $50, can pump out a unexpectedly lively sound. It’s not exactly hi-fi, but some experimentation can deliver surprising quality. In a test, a hardback book put out a good quality sound with a nice base thump.

YUBZ RETRO HANDSET Back in the old days people weren’t subjected to every phone call made near them; the microphone part of a phone handset was close to the mouth. YUBZ has brought back the old Bell-style handset with a modern twist: it connects to a mobile phone.

Available in various colors and designs, the handset comes with adapters to fit a large variety of phones. The company says that the handset reduces radiation that you would experience holding your mobile phone to your ear. The solid color handsets are $45, and the Artist series with illustrations retails for $56.

MILI PROJECTOR While it is neat to be able to watch a TV show or movie on your phone, that tiny screen is hard to share with others. The MiLi Projector from ThinkGeek ($350) turns iPhone videos into a TV-size projection. It won’t make you toss your 54-inch flat screen, but it does project a reasonably bright picture of good quality over a short distance.

A speaker is built in, and your iPhone recharges in the projector cradle. One downside is that it cannot project just any image from your screen; it must be a video bought through the iTunes Store. Sorry, no YouTube. However, a cable will enable you to attach a laptop projector. Then you can watch YouTube.

ZAGGSKINS You can forgo the same old plastic cover you’ve seen a million times for a phone skin customized with your own photo or design. Zagg, which uses a polyurethane developed to protect helicopter blades from being marred by debris, lets you apply your own image to its phone skin. Prices run $20 to $30 depending on the model of phone.

The skins won’t leave adhesive residue when removed, and there is a 45-day money-back guarantee, the company says. Not feeling creative? The company has hundreds of designs to choose from.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section F, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: So Many Phone Add-ons, You’ll Need More Pockets. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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