The dream of the modular phone will never die

[Chris Smith]

We’ve seen modular phone concepts and actual modular devices for years, as there is some theoretical appeal for this type of product. It makes sense to build an eco-friendly device that has user-replaceable parts. That way, you’d be able to swap out old or broken modules for brand new hardware rather than ditching the entire device. You’d be able to upgrade the chips, the battery, and the camera every few years, and maybe even the screen. You’d also get access to more unusual modules that will deliver a specific type of functionality that isn’t otherwise found on traditional phones.

But time and time again, companies failed to make modular phones popular with buyers. Phonebloks was exciting for a bit. Google’s Project Ara wanted modular phones but then got out of it. LG’s G5 was a quirky modular phone. Maybe Motorola was the most successful at envisioning a limited modular phone — the company’s Moto Mods let it upgrade a 4G mid-range phone to 5G flagship status a few years ago, but the contraption looked just awful.

Despite that, another company thinks it can have a go at modular phones. Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has filed a patent for modular phone technology recently.

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The dream of the modular phone will never die originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 17 May 2021 at 22:06:28 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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