Users don't need modular phones.

In 2016, a mobile phone company named HMD was established in Finland. At that time, the market landscape of Android and iOS was already firmly established, and both Nokia and Microsoft Mobile had essentially exited the market. HMD's core asset and competitiveness lies in the usage rights of the Nokia brand, leveraging Nokia's decades of reputation to sell Android phones produced by HMD.

However, starting in 2024, HMD accelerated its steps away from Nokia, gradually removing Nokia elements from its official social media accounts and deepening HMD's own brand symbol. On the new phones produced by HMD, "HMD" has replaced the classic "NOKIA".

Recently, a new phone under HMD was revealed. This product, named "HMD Fusion," has reignited the concept of modular phones. HMD phones have always relied on nostalgia as their main strategy, using the Nokia brand shell in the past few years to attract users. Now, after gradually decoupling from Nokia, they have embarked on unconventional attempts, including recreating Lumia-style models and launching modular phone products. Of course, in Lei's opinion, HMD Fusion is significantly different from previous modular phones and is still an attempt at a unconventional product route.

The concept is impressive, but unfortunately the configuration can't keep up.

Recently, overseas blogger HMD_MEME'S revealed the detailed specifications of HMD Fusion: Qualcomm QCM6490 chip, 6.6-inch 120Hz LCD screen, 100-megapixel rear dual camera, 8+256GB storage, 4800mAh battery, 30W fast charging, and power button fingerprint. In terms of specifications, HMD Fusion is just an ordinary entry-level product with nothing particularly outstanding. As for the QCM6490 chip, it can almost be seen as a minor modification of the Snapdragon 778G, with average performance.

(Source: HMD_MEME'S)

If it were just such specifications, HMD Fusion wouldn't make much of a splash in the market and would hardly attract the attention of ordinary users. The most impressive concept of HMD Fusion is, of course, "modularity." Specifically, HMD Fusion has six Pogo Pin metal contacts reserved on the back of the phone. Through these contacts, the phone can connect to expandable accessories such as phone cases, handles, camera kits, and more.

Seeing this, we can probably understand how misleading HMD Fusion's modular concept is. Setting up metal contacts on a device that can exchange data externally is not a particularly rare practice in smart devices, but few brands advertise it as "modular." For example, iPad Pro and iPad Air are equipped with metal contact interfaces for installing and connecting Apple's own Magic Keyboard and other accessories. The Xiaomi Pad 6 series also has Pogo Pin contacts for convenient connection of physical keyboards.

(Source: Leitech photography)

In addition, according to the developer documentation provided by HMD, we learn that the data transmission specification of HMD Fusion's Pogo Pin is USB 2.0. This means that the accessories it can support are relatively limited, making it unlikely to be equipped with an external graphics dock like a laptop to enhance gaming performance. For ordinary users, purchasing such a product would hardly extend the product's lifespan compared to a regular phone, especially since its core components like the chip are somewhat outdated and may not meet demands after a while.

Generally speaking, our understanding of modular phones refers to products that can replace core components, such as camera modules and storage modules, allowing users to have greater choice and freedom. However, HMD Fusion is clearly not such a product. The Pogo Pin it possesses can enhance expandability to a certain extent and may allow the use of more playable accessories. Nevertheless, calling HMD Fusion a modular phone is somewhat far-fetched.

Going against the trend, rapidly fading away

In Lei's opinion, modular phones are essentially a continuation of the PC DIY concept on the mobile side. For desktop computers, no one deliberately proposes the concept of modularity because mainstream desktops are always highly customizable, with components such as power supply, memory, hard drive, graphics card, and display being extremely easy to replace. But extending this model to mobile phones is not so easy.

The concept of modular phones can be traced back to the era of feature phones, but it only became a clear concept and project in the era of smartphones. Motorola and Google's Project Ara project is the most typical representative. Project Ara achieved a high degree of modularity in smartphones, with components such as the battery, camera module, processor, memory, and storage all set up as replaceable modules. Multiple designed slots were set up on the main frame of the phone body. The basic idea of Project Ara is undoubtedly highly similar to desktop computers, both aiming to significantly increase hardware freedom to meet users' individual needs.

(Source: Wikipedia)

However, Project Ara quickly failed, with its original plan to go on sale in 2017 being shelved, and it was officially abandoned by Google in September 2016. In addition to Project Ara, other companies that have attempted modular phones include LG, ZTE, Xiaomi, and more. But without exception, their attempts either died in the womb or ended in failure.

Lei believes that the concept of modular phones is essentially contrary to the mainstream trend of smartphone development, making it basically impossible to succeed. The evolution trend of phones represented by the iPhone is highly integrated, from non-removable battery designs to eliminating the headphone jack and even the SIM card slot. Apple has always insisted on a highly integrated phone product. For manufacturers, phone integration allows them to have absolute control over the phone and maximize commercial interests. As an extreme example, the premium for large storage versions of the iPhone is very severe, bringing excessive profits to Apple. However, if phone flash memory were designed to be replaceable like a PC, it would inevitably harm the interests of manufacturers.

(Source: Leitech)

Of course, from a product perspective, high intensification and integration help enhance the overall experience of phones. After all, compared to PCs, phones, as mobile devices, have extremely valuable internal space. Battery capacity and volume, camera module thickness, screen material, and more need to be designed and arranged under the same systematic consideration. When modular phones prioritize freedom, they inevitably have to make sacrifices in terms of body weight, volume, and reliability.

Moreover, the user base of smartphones is extremely large, and the vast majority are not geeks or enthusiasts. They have very low demand for phone modularity and prefer highly mature and usable products. In fact, in the PC market, most casual users prefer to buy laptops or desktop computers, and those who like DIY are often a minority who have mastered a lot of computer hardware knowledge. The popularity of smartphones is much higher than that of PCs, so it makes sense that they do not follow a modular route.

In addition, the promotion of modular phones also requires a key condition, which is the support of third-party brands. The manufacturer behind modular phones needs to build a complete ecosystem, allowing third-party brands to join and produce various modular accessories, just like developers develop apps for app stores. Otherwise, the only modular components available for phones would be a few official ones, and even as a niche category, modular phones would lose their survival space.

From the final results, no manufacturer that has attempted modular phone projects has been able to achieve this. Modular phones, which have chosen to go against the trend, have quickly met with complete failure.

Modularity doesn't work, but enhancing phone expandability is not wrong

Returning to the HMD Fusion product, it is certainly not the modular phone we envision. However, compared to conventional phones, it does have stronger expandability. The presence of metal contacts on the back of the phone allows HMD Fusion to match a more diverse range of accessories with a more stable connection method, thereby enhancing functionality and improving the experience. In fact, although the modular route doesn't work, the increasingly integrated smartphones are also gradually enhancing their expandability.

First, the capabilities of phone data interfaces are constantly evolving. With the introduction of Type-C on the entire iPhone 15 series last year, smartphones have finally achieved a unified data interface. For users, the core functions of the phone's C port are two: charging and data transmission. And the data transmission function, in addition to the most basic file copying and writing, also includes more complex scenarios such as audio and video output.

Therefore, although the shape of the phone's data port Type-C has not changed in the past decade, its internal specifications have quietly evolved. For example, the standard supported by flagship phones' C ports has gradually upgraded from USB 2.0 to USB 3.1, significantly improving read and write speeds. Phones like the iPhone 15 Pro even support storing recorded video files on external hard drives, which is tantamount to indirectly enabling external storage. Some phones' C ports have video output capabilities, allowing phone screen mirroring to be displayed on monitors, and even bringing functions like "PC mode."

Second, with the rapid development of technologies such as local area networks and Bluetooth, wireless connection has gradually become an important means for smart devices like phones to achieve expandability. For example, wireless earbuds represented by TWS have long occupied the niche of wired earphones. And peripherals such as keyboards and handles that can be used with phones can also be realized wirelessly, without the need for data ports or metal contacts. Functions like multi-screen collaboration and wireless screen mirroring achieved through WiFi technology have broken down the physical barriers between devices.

(Source: Apple)

Looking back at the evolution of mobile phone products in 2024, we can see that the concept of modular phones is ultimately just a castle in the air created by a small group of geeks based on idealistic ideas. It faces many difficulties in implementation and ultimately can only end in failure. However, on existing mainstream smartphones, based on data interfaces and wireless technologies, there is still room for continuous upgrades in phone expandability. For most ordinary users, this may be the best solution.

As for brands like HMD trying to restart the concept of modular phones, it is more out of commercial interest considerations. After all, the head effect in the current smartphone market is already very apparent, and Others brands can only take unconventional approaches to attract attention and stand out. Therefore, the modular phones, minimalistic phones, and so-called pure AI phones we have seen in recent years are ultimately more hype than substance.

Source: Leitech