While much-vaunted modular smartphone projects from any company including most notably, Project Ara from Google, are yet to see the light of day, there seems to be no dearth of people who believe they can get a modular smartphone project off the ground, given an opportunity. An all-new modular smartphone project is now about to be launched on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo by a startup which claims to have conceptualized a new modular smartphone called the PuzzlePhone. Based out of Finland, the company behind the smartphone was reportedly founded by Mr. Alejandro Santacreu, who was annoyed with Apple for charging 160 Euros to repair his iPhone even though spares available on eBay cost pennies.
Coming to the phone itself, the device will come with three replaceable modular parts. Firstly, there’s the brain, which will consist of the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage and cameras. Then, there’s the Spine, which is the structure itself and will house the display. The company says it will make core spine elements available in different sizes and materials. Lastly, there’s the heart, which will have the battery ensconced within. The USP of the modular smartphone however, is the promise of sustainability according to the company’s website, which states, “Sustainability in the mobile phone business: it’s no longer a clich©. PuzzlePhone aspires to make modern communication and sustainability no longer a contradiction in terms. We are leaders in re-shoring. Although we manufacture in Finland, PuzzlePhone’s sustainable business ecosystem may be cut and pasted anywhere in the rest of the world”.
The new crowdfunding aspirant is already getting a lot of attention in the online tech media, even though other similar projects aimed at bringing commercially viable modular smartphones to the masses have thus far failed to materialize. That’s not because of lack of trying though, as various startups and technology enthusiasts have given it a go from time to time over the past couple of years, ever since Dave Hakkens’ Phoneblocks concept hit YouTube back in 2013. Coming to PuzzlePhone’s crowdfunding ambitions, the campaign will start on the third of November on Indiegogo, according to the company, and the phones will start shipping to initial investors in September 2016, should everything go according to plan. As for the pricing, while the device will be priced at €299 ($330) on Indiegogo, it will go up to €599 ($661) once the campaign gets over.