Re:Google shelves plan for phone with interchangeable parts
by rsync on Friday September 02, 2016 @12:58PM
(#12414430)
Some background ... I have been very, very interested in a modular phone platform for many years now - mainly due to my desire to isolate computing modules from baseband modules and have hard switches for things like GPS/microphone/wifi/etc. For me the goal was control and security, not gimmicks like projector modules, etc.
In fact, I went so far as to contact several small electronics designers and fabricators and drew up some initial plans. rsync.net and (pre-release) 0x.co kept me busy, so I didn't get much further than that.
But in answer to your point:
"To make something modular you need to wrap each piece in its own case, add bulky connectors, etc. Both weight and volume are at an extreme premium in mobile devices."
No, not really ... the design direction I was going in was a to have one or two or three plastic cases, depending on how large (how many modules) you wanted your phone to be and then the modules themselves were bare daughterboards that had connectors such that you could assemble them like a grid.
So in that fashion, each module would not need its own packaging and case - you simply started with a plastic package (case) that was large enough for whatever "grid" you wanted to assemble.
And, of course, you could add a second (or third, or fourth) battery module.
In fact, I went so far as to contact several small electronics designers and fabricators and drew up some initial plans. rsync.net and (pre-release) 0x.co kept me busy, so I didn't get much further than that.
But in answer to your point:
"To make something modular you need to wrap each piece in its own case, add bulky connectors, etc. Both weight and volume are at an extreme premium in mobile devices."
No, not really ... the design direction I was going in was a to have one or two or three plastic cases, depending on how large (how many modules) you wanted your phone to be and then the modules themselves were bare daughterboards that had connectors such that you could assemble them like a grid.
So in that fashion, each module would not need its own packaging and case - you simply started with a plastic package (case) that was large enough for whatever "grid" you wanted to assemble.
And, of course, you could add a second (or third, or fourth) battery module.