Finland based Circular Devices has been working on a modular smartphone called Puzzelphone. The Android based device prototype was unveiled in September and the company has plans to launch the smartphone in the market by mid-2015.
Circular Devices has been working on the PuzzlePhone platform since 2013 and uses a hardware design that's completely open. Currently its software is based on Android OS, but plans to support other mobile Linux, including Ubuntu Mobile, Tizen and Firefox OS in the future. The company plans to launch the device at a mid-range price by summer 2015.
Puzzlephone comes with three upgradeable, replaceable parts. "The “brain” of the phone contains the processor and camera modules while the “heart” of the product is comprised of its battery and secondary electronics. The LCD display and speakers are part of the phone’s “spine,” the company says.
Its designers state that having replaceable parts means that a user can replace a cracked or broken screen without throwing away a battery or camera that still work well. This could extend the smartphone's life to approximately a decade, instead of just 2-3 years.
Google's Ara modular smartphone has dozens of swappable pieces and offers more flexibility. Google had revealed that the Project Ara modular smartphone will be launched in early 2015 and has confirmed that it will be grey in color and will cost $50. The internet giant has also announced a series of developer conferences in January 2015 where it will also demo the latest Ara prototype.
Source: Puzzlephone