Phonebloks is the modular phone you custom build with blocks

The more I think about it, the more I think that the modular phone concept might be a bit over-reaching. Or just being made overly complex, in their plan to break out every little option. It would be far better to just make a few modules - processor/memory, camera, battery, radio... Then you get the version of the block that you want (LTE vs GSM radio, for example). Switch carriers? Just pick up a $30 radio block, swap it in, and you are good to go. Verizon and AT&T will HATE that idea, because it gives consumers too much choice and reduces their profit margins, but I don't care! :)

Honestly, I think the concept would work better as a whole with tablets... A block tablet setup, you pick the processor, memory, battery, screen, radio options... Edge connector for docks and keyboard modules, which could themselves be block based. It's a constant upgrader's dream setup! Might be a bit bulky, but it'd be easier to streamline block profiles when dealing with the much larger surface area available in tablets.
 
You are right. They will not allow this, everything must be controlled, and so the phone owners completely too, not only some aspect, and those who will not be controlled in the future (which is almost now) will be suspicious:" Why are you not controlled, are You hiding something". Open Source Community in the future will be enemies of the state. Any state.
 
I think this will be really Nice!
Specialy the ability to make your own customization for your needs!
I think it will be some problems during/before the work but I hope it will go the way!
Good luck!
 
No, you are wrong. Selling $500 for $650 yields $150 in profit rather than $20 for a block. So the companies are better off selling phones than blocks. If something goes wrong with your phone companies would rather sell you a brand new phone, rather than a block which may fix the problem. And the 2 year contract you are talking about comes from phone service providers, not manufactories. The manufactories already made their money from service providers so they dont care about the upgrade limitations and the phone providers making money off the subscriptions.
 
I agree. Going camping? Lose the wifi, HD screen, etc, etc, and increase your battery size and switch to a lower power processor, maybe a massive camera. Buisness meetings all day? Lose the speakers and mics, large storage, camera, and massive battery; instead rely on easy power access, bluetooth head piece, and a massive screen with stylus. I envision a pile of modules I buy piece-mail and swap out as my daily needs dictate.

I haven't seen any comments on some other points (still reading comments), but I'm thinking this gets around several legal laws too such as RF radiation limits (want a 1+watt signal?). Or how about a remote battery pack like some of my head-lamps have? How about a hip-mounted/wired signal booster/battery? All of a sudden we aren't limited to what a handful of engineer's "think" we need.

20 years ago building your own PC was daunting to most people, now 8 year olds do it.
 
I'll have one. I could have a solar panel so I can leave it in the sun to help charge the battery
 
And motorola is now working with phonebloks

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/1...an-open-modular-smartphone-hardware-platform/
 
The fact of the matter is, people are more comfortable buying $20 items as apposed to $650 items, therefore all you would need is 8 people to buy a block and you have made more than 1 person buying a handset.
 
I think this whole thing hinges on an incorrect premise:
"What about all of the other components in your dated smartphone that are still perfectly fine and current?"

Think about it, when you replace your phone, which components are still "fine and current"? None! Every 2-3 years I get a new phone. It always has:
- A much higher resolution screen
- A different size (for a while I kept going smaller, now I'm going bigger)
- Much faster processor
- More responsive touch mechanism (today's capacitive overlays are a world better than old resistive ones)
- Better cameras, front and back
- Memory, battery... heck, everything!

I don't want anything from my old phone to move to my new one! And I don't think that most people really do, either.
This article starts out with a cool lego graphic, then quickly falls apart by relying on a flawed premise.
 
This is kinda how I imagine Phones from Mass Effect would be like, But in the real world? Technology isn't there yet, this is possible, but god damn I can see it being expensive or not being a particularly fast phone.

In say 400 years time though? I can see it being possible to modify phones in this manner, But they probably won't look like this anymore xD

400 years you say lol that is laughable, this could be done here and now with the tech we have now with relative ease. the layout of his setup is less efficent but a more customizable version then the google modular phone in the works.
 
I agree. Going camping? Lose the wifi, HD screen, etc, etc, and increase your battery size and switch to a lower power processor, maybe a massive camera. Buisness meetings all day? Lose the speakers and mics, large storage, camera, and massive battery; instead rely on easy power access, bluetooth head piece, and a massive screen with stylus. I envision a pile of modules I buy piece-mail and swap out as my daily needs dictate.

I haven't seen any comments on some other points (still reading comments), but I'm thinking this gets around several legal laws too such as RF radiation limits (want a 1+watt signal?). Or how about a remote battery pack like some of my head-lamps have? How about a hip-mounted/wired signal booster/battery? All of a sudden we aren't limited to what a handful of engineer's "think" we need.

20 years ago building your own PC was daunting to most people, now 8 year olds do it.

indeed 20 years ago I was learning how to use a pc so I could teach my mom lol. hmmm I was 9 then lol :D at 12 I rebuilt mine so pc's where easy then their simple now (building terms anyways) and that phoneblocks and the google modular phone I saw both my 6 year old could put together, shes been on a tablet since she was 2 and has her own pc allready that she can use efectivly already.

The future is now tech is here and your kids can use it as good as you if not better if given half a chance
 
^I certainly hope kids will be able to use tech better than I can when they are my age. Most of my generation (high schoolers) cant use tech outside of social media to save their life.
 
400 years you say lol that is laughable, this could be done here and now with the tech we have now with relative ease. the layout of his setup is less efficent but a more customizable version then the google modular phone in the works.

Maybe not 400 years but definitely not today, All I've ever heard people say to me is "We can do this today, With today's technology". No we can't we're not even remotely close to the imaginative tech in mass effect, But 400 years? Na, probably 200 odd though for omni tools and the like.
 
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