Would you buy this modular, LEGO-like smartphone?
Check your cupboards and drawers – as a loyal Tech Digest reader we’re guessing you’ll uncover at least one or two unloved gadgets or phones. Perhaps the device in question was relegated to the cupboard because of a fault, or an upgrade when one of the lesser gadget’s components was no longer up to scratch.
But what if you didn’t have to swap out the whole gadget or smartphone just because one or two components have passed their sell by date? That’s the idea behind the Phoneblok smartphone concept.
It’s based on a modular design, where each component can be added or removed, and works a little bit like LEGO. A base circuit board (with peg-like cutouts) connects each component, with little cubes containing, for instance, the battery or processor, clipping in and all working seamlessly together. Should a faster processor become available, you then simply purchase that part, and swap out the older cube.
It’s looking specifically at a smartphone design at the moment, but there’s no reason this concept couldn’t be applied to other gadgets, such as tablets or laptops, too.
It’s a novel idea, and certainly an ecologically and economically friendly approach to gadget design. Still very much in the concept stage, check out the video above for more info.
