Modular smartphone
A modular smartphone is a smartphone that consists of different components (modules) that can be exchanged and improved independently of one another. The aim is to make repairs easier in order to reduce electronic waste, as the smartphone does not have to be completely replaced. For consumers there is also the possibility of adapting the hardware better to their own needs.
The first projects on modular smartphones are Phonebloks and Project Ara ; both projects have been discontinued. The first modular smartphone on the market was the Fairphone 2 .
Current projects
Fairphone
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Starting with its smartphone model Fairphone 2, the social enterprise is relying on a high degree of modularity to enable users to carry out repairs easily and thus reduce electronic waste. In addition, the service life can be extended through improved hardware by replacing individual modules. The Fairphone 2 could be equipped with a better camera by replacing a single module. When the module was released, new models were delivered from the factory with the improved camera.
Fairphone 2
The Fairphone 2 was divided into 7 modules, which can be changed with little effort. The display can be exchanged without any additional tools; the other modules only require a screwdriver. The phone was shipped from the end of 2015, making it the first modular smartphone on the market.
The individual modules are:
- an external housing
- a battery
- a core unit (with chipset, memory, modem, antennas, SIM & MicroSD card slot, and sensors)
- a screen
- a receiver module (with receiver, front camera, headphone connection)
- a camera module (with rear camera and flash). This could later be exchanged for an improved module.
- a loudspeaker module (with loudspeaker, vibration motor, main microphone and USB port)
Fairphone 3
The Fairphone 3 has seven modules that can be replaced with a standard Phillips screwdriver (included). The modules are available in the manufacturer's shop and cost between 20 and 90 euros.
- Back cover (no tools required)
- Battery (no tools required)
- Sub-module with USB socket, vibration motor and primary microphone
- speaker
- Top module (selfie camera, secondary microphone, sensors, headphone jack)
- Camera module
- Display module
With the Fairphone 3, attention was paid to increased device stability. In the Fairphone 2, the mechanism for tool-free display replacement was designed for a rare application (when the display breaks and has to be replaced), but was often used by some users to demonstrate the modularity of the smartphone. Frequent opening and closing resulted in loose contacts in some cases, which impaired functionality. The developers drew conclusions for the Fairphone from this experience: The Fairphone 3 uses more screws than the Fairphone 2. The display is also fixed with screws instead of brackets. For the same reason, the spring contacts of the previous model have been replaced by pressure contacts.
SHIFT6m
The SHIFT6m relies on maximum modularity in order to be able to carry out repairs quickly and inexpensively, to maximize the service life of the devices and thus to reduce electronic waste. The connections consist of connectors or screw connections. To avoid the risk of confusion, care was taken to ensure that only one type of screw was used ( Torx 3 of the same length). The screwdriver is included in the package. The SHIFT6m has over 13 modules that can be exchanged in seconds without additional tools.
SHIFT is currently the first manufacturer to offer a device deposit and enable device upgrades at any time and in any state of the device.
Unlike many other devices, the Shiftphone does not lose its warranty if it is opened. Users can also install their own operating systems such as Android with and without Google or Sailfish OS . This is actively supported by the company. In addition, SHIFT pursues the goal of using as many conflict-free raw materials as possible and operates its own production according to fair guidelines. After the Fairphone, the SHIFTPHONE is the second modular, largely fair smartphone on the market and the most modular model in the high-end device class.
The most important modules are:
- A-frame with screen unit
- B-frame with further modular technology components (individually exchangeable):
- battery
- Cameras (individually exchangeable)
- Core unit (with chipset, memory, modem and most of the sensors)
- Fingerprint sensor with LED light
- SIM & MicroSD card slot
- Antenna unit (with antennas for 4G, WIFI, Bluetooth and GPS)
- Switch unit
- Sub-PCB with GSM antenna and main microphone
- Speaker unit head
- Speaker unit telephony
- Back cover for securely closing the device
LG G5
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, LG presented the LG G5 phone , which can be expanded with modules through a flap on the bottom. The modules are changed using a small button on the side of the device, which opens a sliding mechanism. This also allows the battery to be pulled out of the metal housing. The phone also has two cameras, one of which is used for wide-angle shots. A loudspeaker module and a camera module were presented together with the telephone.
Phonebloks
The Phonebloks concept was published in September 2013 by Dutch designer Dave Hakkens in a YouTube video and reached over a million views within the first 24 hours. In the video, the smartphone consists of a motherboard (called the base ) onto which different components (called bloks ) are plugged, comparable to Lego bricks. So far there are no plans to actually implement the concept; However, a community was founded with the aim of motivating the industry to save electronic waste . Contrary to some confusion, Phonebloks does not belong directly to Project Ara, but supports it.
Project Ara
The project ara was at the beginning of Motorola , later of Google developed separately from phonebloks, and should have been originally implemented in the year, 2015. The smartphone consisted of an endoskeleton of different sizes (called an endo ) into which modules can be inserted at the side. In 2016, a realignment of the project was first announced at the Google I / O , during which major cuts were made in the modularizability. The project was discontinued later in the year.
PuzzlePhone
PuzzlePhone started with a YouTube video by Alejandro Santacreu Alfonso as an open standard and is currently being implemented by Circular Devices Oy. In the concept, there are three interchangeable parts that make up the device:
- a display including buttons and speakers
- a processor including the rest of the electronics
- a battery
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Phoneblok's main page. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on July 27, 2015 ; accessed on July 27, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ First official video from Phonebloks. Retrieved July 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Phonebloks: a smartphone block with an interesting modular system - AndroidPIT. Retrieved July 27, 2015 .
- ^ Official homepage of Fairphone. Retrieved November 16, 2015 .
- ↑ The Architecture of the Fairphone 2. Retrieved November 16, 2015 .
- ↑ Fairphone 3 teardown. September 11, 2019, accessed March 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Declaration on handling the SHIFT device deposit. Retrieved January 22, 2018 .
- ↑ SHIFT Report 2016 (German). Retrieved January 22, 2018 .
- ↑ LG G5 - The modular Android smartphone in the first hands on. STANDARD Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, accessed on February 23, 2016 .
- ↑ About-Page by Phonebloks. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on September 8, 2015 ; accessed on July 27, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ FAQ from Phonebloks. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on September 8, 2015 ; accessed on July 27, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d FAQ from Project Ara. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on August 28, 2015 ; accessed on July 27, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Ingo Pakalski: Google confirms the end of the modular smartphone. In: golem.de. September 5, 2016, accessed September 5, 2016 .
- ↑ a b First video introducing Puzzle Phone. Retrieved July 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Main page of Puzzle Phone. Retrieved July 27, 2015 .
