Hands-On: HTC Mini+

Who needs a phone extension to your super smartphone? Apparently, HTC thinks you will need one so they made the HTC Mini+ — a phone companion to the HTC One.

Announced way back in January 2013, it was marketed as a tiny phone extension to make calls, check calendar, notifications and send quick text messages.

So when we spotted one at Xiemending Night Market in Taiwan, we bought one for our HTC One M8. It costs around Php3,000 so we got it along with the DotView case and several more original HTC cases.

It turns out the HTC Mini+ isn’t just a glorified wireless extension to the HTC One. Aside from text messages, phone calls and notification, it can also serve as a remote control for your TV and the HTC Media Link HD.

You can also use it as a remote for slideshow presentations with built-in laser pointer and doubles as a TV remote control. You can control the camera of the HTC phone using the Mini+ which can prove useful to those who love taking selfies.

The unit is pretty thin and light and perfectly fits in your breast pocket. So, while your phone in inside your bag, you get notifications and answer or make calls using the Mini+. It pairs with the handset via Bluetooth or NFC and is compatible with the HTC One, One mini, HTC Butterfly S, HTC Desire 600 and HTC Desire 601. It charges via microUSB and lasts about a day to a day and a half.

So far, after using it for a couple of days, we find the Mini+ very useful and practical.