Phonebloks -compartmentally upgradable phone

kona786 said:
This idea is so over simplified it hurts. It's soo much more complicated than this.

Will never catch on.

Phones can't be this modular - everything is so tightly integrated to save space and make it battery efficient.
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Of course its over simplified, they are trying to sell the idea to the public to create a massive backing before approaching the big companies, public dont need to know specifics.

Attitudes like this are the problem, i just hope there is someone out there in the big companies that think the opposite, "i like this idea how can we make this work", instead of "not interested, too much bother."


Innovation and change is the way forward, if you stagnate you die, technology is a fast paced market every company if looking for the new edge.
 
steve45 said:
Of course its over simplified, they are trying to sell the idea to the public to create a massive backing before approaching the big companies, public dont need to know specifics.
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The public don't care for any of this.

They want a shiny new phone come upgrade time and that's it.

IMO - its a completely schoolboy idea.
 
Biffa said:
Imagine dropping it and it just flies apart like dropping a star wars lego X-wing :eek:
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Sounds like any chinese oem then ;)
Attitudes like this are the problem, i just hope there is someone out there in the big companies that think the opposite, "i like this idea how can we make this work", instead of "not interested, too much bother."


Innovation and change is the way forward, if you stagnate you die, technology is a fast paced market every company if looking for the new edge.
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So lets take the big company approach, gate 0/1, feasibility study (we will assume in this case that there is demand) Is this technically possible and if so - does it bring in more customers or cash then the current model?

While I admire your drive Steve, no company honestly does things because the public get hyped up on an impossible to build (or maintain) device.
 
Im sure ikt could be made to work. But i doubt big business would get iinbolved.
They would need to run it more like the 3d printing businees.

Tthey would beed to get like minded indivudals to work out how to futureproof communications between moduals and how the OS wuld work with drivers comunicatiosn etc. which would be a very hard task, but doable.
Once thats achieved kickstarter would probably be the best corse of action, offering a low end and high end of each modual. As its open, once its kickstarters finished and assume for this second they make $3-5million and thus a customer base and prove there is demand. Anyone can bringmodules to the market using the open standards that where worked out, say someone wnats to go to who ever supplies nokia with theire 41mp camera sensor, they could get a chinese comppany to build it into a module then do there own kickstarter or if they have enugh money, just do small production runs.

But this is why i cant see it working, not be uase the demand isnt there, but itll be very hard enggineering it for forward compatability, then who keeps working on and updating the OS, not jjust for new divers, but new features. OSs are always evolving, plenty of opensurce OSs and software so it is possible. But it would need huge funding from somehwere to get it to the point where they could even start a KS campaign or sell it byy other means.
 
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the big phone manufactures would not want this to take off, they want to sell new phones and this would hurt their business
 
the problem with this is, by the time you had upgraded each "block", each components tech would have taken a substantial shift that it wouldn't be feasible to make a 2nd upgrade meaning you would be no better off/worse off than just buying an individual unit. This is how the PC becomes unless you are extreme. The future of cheap mobiles is currently buying a cheap mid-range phone such as the Nokia Lumia 520 for £100 and hanging on for a few years.
 
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I think in terms of innovation this is brilliant.

However, in terms of an economic model for a business it just won't work. Samsung/Nokia/Apple won't let it work, and who would invest in it? Who would own the "base"? What about IP issues, and what's to stop competitors offering similar but different products? What is in it for those that invest? What do they get out of it? If people don't upgrade their phones, they'll have to make the blocks expensive so that they can make a profit when people add bits to their phone.

It's a great idea, but I just don't think it would work unfortunately.
 
This screams 1st year product design student.

We have and idea....... we need people to make it work cos that's as far as we got.
 
I like the concept, but it is flawed by todays technology. Most chips (SOC's) have a multitude of different things built in. Bluetooth/wifi/memory etc..

The things they should be using as 'Bloks' are Cameras/Storage/Better DAC's/Battery/Screen/mini projector/speakers.

Also, why not have different shells (cases) you can purchase that you fit everything into rather than having each component having it's own case...
Each component can slot into the main board, then you attach the case to it (screw it on perhaps) and you've just saved on bulkiness and the possibility of it all flying to pieces as soon as it's dropped. It also adds the avenue of custom cases.
 
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