What’s HMD Fusion’s offer all about?
HMD’s new smartphone claims to offer an “easy” way to change a broken display—a common mobile phone damage—and repairs in India and abroad. While it may not bring modularity to other aspects—such as the ability to change or upgrade performance elements—its other key pitch is a swappable back panel that could let users choose various functions depending on what they would prefer. The company currently has two options available—one with an LED light ring for creators, and another with an integrated gaming controller. However, its success will depend on purpose-built third-party accessories.
What do modular phones do differently?
The idea of a modular phone isn’t new, and is intended to give consumers the kind of flexibility that self-configurable desktop personal computers give. Previous modular phones have attempted to make various elements easily replaceable—in some experiments, the processor itself. The idea is to let users custom-configure a device based on preferences, without completely discarding an old device. Many have looked at modular phones as a way to reduce e-waste volumes, too, while others have suggested that modularity may bring phones even closer to standalone cameras with interchangeable optics.
Are there other mainstream modular phones?
One of the earliest was Phonebloks in 2013, which worked like PCs. Google’s Project Ara was the biggest, pitching a fully customizable $50 phone, before failing in 2016. That year, LG sold its G5 with swappable components. The following year saw Motorola’s Z2, followed by Android founder Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone 1. None was successful by volume.
So, why did modular phones fail?
Smartphones are made at scale in order to optimize costs. With modularity, each component increases the cost as they need to be individually stocked based on demand. The success of modular phones depends on the kind of support for components and accessories that they get from the third-party market—none of the attempts has received extensive support. Modularity also failed to add to the smartphone usage experience and, coupled with the high cost, never made it to mainstream markets at scale.
Can ‘right to repair’ make them successful?
India has been evaluating a framework for the right to affordable repair in electronics. With brands looking to tie users down, most gadgets have little to no self-repairability—and often need to be entirely replaced. India does not yet have a right to repair law, but its viability is being explored by the consumer affairs ministry. A greater degree of modularity, including self-repair kits, could thus be standardized if multiple nations manage to establish laws. Brands may push back, since this may hurt patents.
