Modular Phones vs. Normal Phones

[HyperTechno]

I'm so impressed with many modular phone concepts including GOOGLE ARA and some other main concepts like
"Puzzle Phone"(http://www.puzzlephone.com/),
"ZTE Eco Mobius"(http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/8/5289998/zte-shows-off-eco-mobius-modular-smartphone-concept) and
"Phone Blocks"(https://phonebloks.com/en

There are many more modular phone concepts but the above ones seem to be the most practical.

I invite all of you to discuss about these modular phones , how practical they are, the advantages and disadvantages , what kind of changes will these make in human lives
and how they fare comparatively to the normal phones ...

Thank You.

 

[andrewkirk]

I like the idea of a phone for which it is possible to just buy and replace a faulty part rather than replacing the whole phone when a part develops a fault. Of course, one can do this by taking it to a repair shop but the overhead cost of involving a technician is usually enough to make that transaction economically unattractive. I like the idea because it reduces the enormous waste that is involved in the whole e-gadget industry, which is especially important when we consider the atrocious human cost of the production of key ingredients like coltan.

I would be surprised if such a product could be made in a way that was practical and economically viable for the producer. But if it is, I will be the first to applaud them.

 

[HyperTechno]

I like the idea of a phone for which it is possible to just buy and replace a faulty part rather than replacing the whole phone when a part develops a fault. Of course, one can do this by taking it to a repair shop but the overhead cost of involving a technician is usually enough to make that transaction economically unattractive. I like the idea because it reduces the enormous waste that is involved in the whole e-gadget industry, which is especially important when we consider the atrocious human cost of the production of key ingredients like coltan.

I would be surprised if such a product could be made in a way that was practical and economically viable for the producer. But if it is, I will be the first to applaud them.

Agreed.
The main existing problems that make the modular concepts unpractical is,
- As the phone comes in separate modules, each module must have it's own circuit parts such as microcontrollers in order to make
them interactive which makes the modules bigger,heavier and thicker. ( and the phone too)
- A modular phone will be less efficient and less powerful than a regular smartphone with the same hardware.
- If a company makes a modular phone , that particular company would get lower profits relatively to a
regular phone manufacturer, which makes the OEM s less interested on the concept...
But still this is something that we should care of.....