An earpiece unit is held adjacent to or within a cell phone. The earpiece includes a microphone and speaker and is wearable in a user's ear. The earpiece is docked within the housing of a cell phone and can be used in the docked position to operate the phone. A user can push on the back of the earpiece to eject the earpiece from the phone housing so that the earpiece can be easily inserted into the user's ear. The user can be provided with a "pause" control on the cell phone that indicates to the cell phone system that a call is going to be answered. Upon activation of the "pause" control, the cell phone system can pause its efforts to establish communications and/or temporarily reduce the intensity of transmissions. A message is sent to the caller notifying that the call is about to be answered.