Modular phones are dead, but modular mobile functions live forever.

Recently, Qianxun Positioning has released a new device that enables every mobile phone and even every smart device to have independent satellite communication capabilities.

Image source: Qianxun Positioning

In short, Qianxun Positioning has released a "two-way Beidou satellite communication terminal": a small, power bank-sized independent satellite communication terminal that has the ability to connect independently to Beidou satellites. In addition to connecting to satellites, this communication terminal can also connect to smartphones via Bluetooth. Users only need to edit SMS messages in the mobile app to send them via satellite through the communication terminal and can also receive messages in reverse.

Or put more bluntly, this is an external satellite communication module connected via Bluetooth.

999 yuan, any mobile phone can have satellite communication

The satellite terminal launched by Qianxun Positioning is already available for sale on e-commerce platforms, priced at 999 yuan, including three years of fees (1500 SMS messages). From a cost-benefit perspective, the solution of an independent satellite terminal is obviously far superior to "buying a satellite communication phone." In the review of Huawei Mate 60 Pro last year, Lei Technology mentioned:

If you have a normal smartphone, there's no need to buy one that can connect directly to satellites for these rare scenarios. Even if you really have a lot of outdoor work scenarios, a dedicated satellite phone would be a better choice. Satellite communication in China is a "cherry on top" function, and there's no need to specifically buy a satellite communication phone for this purpose.

Image source: Qianxun Positioning

In August 2023, Huawei launched the Mate 60 Pro smartphone, sparking a wave of direct satellite connectivity for mass-market smartphones. Soon, brands like Xiaomi quickly followed suit, and direct satellite connectivity became a must-have feature for flagship phones at the time. However, perhaps because China's network infrastructure is too advanced, satellite communication, which was originally intended for emergency use, was rarely used in most cases.

Although users rarely use it, the cost increase brought about by the satellite communication module to the phone has indeed substantially raised the price of flagship phones. Some phone brands even bundle the satellite communication function with the "Super Cup" series, causing consumer resistance.

Image source: Lei Technology

On one hand, there is meaningless cost inflation, and on the other hand, there are disgruntled consumers. The brand's choice is self-evident - many flagship phones in 2024 have abandoned satellite communication solutions, with only a few brands still adhering to them.

I thought satellite communication would fade away from the smartphone category, but now Qianxun Positioning's product offers users a new choice.

In terms of both mobile phones and product form, there is no intention of "replacing smartphones." Instead, it is more like a "DLC" that can provide additional extended functionality for mobile phones. In daily life, it does not add extra burden to the phone. But when you really need to go deep into the wilderness, bringing it won't affect the normal use of your smartphone - many people don't know that when using satellite direct connectivity for calls, the phone must always be aligned with the satellite; but sending text messages with Qianxun Positioning's terminal is no different from opening WeChat to send messages.

I boldly estimate here that in the future, merchants will likely offer rental services for such satellite terminals, fully improving the utilization rate of this niche product.

Image source: Qianxun Positioning

From another perspective, the emergence of Qianxun Positioning's satellite terminal also reveals the "premium" behind the satellite communication function of smartphones in the past. Excluding package fees, the purchase cost of Qianxun Positioning is approximately 800 yuan. Integrating it into a phone could potentially add a premium of nearly 500 yuan. This 500 yuan could be used to upgrade the battery, screen, storage, or camera, or to add a satellite module to the phone. When faced with this choice, how would consumers choose?

Giving the choice to the user, the spiritual continuation of modular phones?

Although I don't have plans to use satellite communication in the short term and won't venture into remote mountains with no signal, from the perspective of the mobile phone industry, I really appreciate Qianxun Positioning's approach of stripping non-essential functions from smartphones. To some extent, Qianxun Positioning's approach can be considered a spiritual continuation of modular phones.

Modular phones are essentially the continuation of the PC DIY concept on mobile devices. For desktop computers, no one deliberately introduces the concept of modularization because mainstream desktops are always highly customizable, with components such as power supplies, memory, hard drives, graphics cards, and monitors that can be easily replaced.

The concept of modular phones is somewhat similar to DIY PCs, but its purpose is not to create a "high-performance" PC, but to keep the phone streamlined for daily use and allow it to cope with different scenarios at different times in an "expanded" form.

Image source: Moto

In the past, many phone brands have launched modular phone products, such as the LG G5 and Moto Z. Unlike Google Ara's fragmented concept phone, the G5 and Moto Z can only install one expansion module at a time. This "one module at a time" approach is not only more in line with the development of mobile phone technology but also more in line with consumer usage habits. Unfortunately, this "hardwired" module is highly tied to the phone design and cannot be used on other phones.

However, Qianxun Positioning's "wireless module" offers phone brands another modular approach: the wireless connection design allows the module to be used with different phones rather than becoming a dedicated accessory for a specific phone. In my opinion, this is the future characteristic of "modular phones."

Modular phones are dead, but modular mobile functions live forever

Looking back at the history of mobile phone development, many brands have left their mark in the direction of modular phones. For example, Sony released the QX1 modular camera in 2014, pioneering the concept of "wireless modules":

QX1 is essentially a mirrorless camera without a screen or lens. After installing an EF lens, users can wirelessly control QX1 to take photos with their phones. Meanwhile, QX1 also has a phone clip on the back that can be attached to the phone, allowing it to "round off" the ability to use professional camera lenses.

Limited by wireless transmission technology at the time, the experience of QX1 was not good. The overly ahead-of-its-time product concept and the ultra-high price of $399 also led to minimal sales of QX1. But from the perspective of the modular industry, QX1 can indeed be considered an "industry pioneer."

Of course, some may argue that "external accessories" cannot be considered "modular." After all, under this concept, Bluetooth headphones, game controllers, cooling back clips, and even power banks can all be considered generalized "modular accessories." But in my opinion, Bluetooth headphones, power banks, and other accessories precisely prove that "modularization" is not just a wild imagination.

The increasingly diverse mobile phone accessory market has broadened the usage of mobile phones, and accessories such as Bluetooth headphones, game controllers, cooling back clips, and power banks have proven the feasibility of modular phones with real-world examples. If these accessories were not available, phone brands would have to integrate earbuds, controllers, cooling fans, and 20,000 mAh batteries into the phones themselves, turning our phones into literal bricks.

It is precisely because the mobile phone industry be stripped these "non-core" functions from phones and encapsulates them as separate products, allowing users who need them to use them when needed, that phones have developed to where they are today. Stripping away non-core functions and letting users who need them choose themselves, isn't this the ultimate goal of "modularization" that I just mentioned? Since functions like listening to music and long battery life can be achieved through "external modules," the concept of using external modules for satellite communication can work just as well.

Looking to the future, a broad sense of mobile phone modularization may open up a new technological ecosystem. With the diversification and personalization of user needs, an open modular platform may spawn new industrial chains, encouraging more innovative enterprises to participate in competition and bringing more choices to users.

From a user perspective, modular design also gives them greater autonomy and a sense of participation. Users are no longer passively accepting preset functional configurations from manufacturers but can actively choose and customize their own devices. This can redefine the relationship between consumers and manufacturers, promoting a more open and interactive market environment.

Image source: Moto

In summary, modular phones in a broad sense represent a user-centric design approach that emphasizes functional flexibility and scalability. It provides a new direction for industry development and brings more autonomy to users.

In the future, perhaps we won't have to discuss whether to spend 5,000 yuan on a "Super Cup" phone anymore, because as long as you want, even satellite communication can be achieved by simply buying a module and connecting it anytime, anywhere, just like buying Bluetooth headphones. By then, who would buy a "top-of-the-line" phone specifically for one or two functions?

Technological advancements will always lead to more choices and better experiences. Of course, our wallets will also be a bit lighter.

Source: Lei Technology