Phonebloks : A Modular + Customizable Smartphone

Usually, a phone only lasts a couple of years before it breaks or becomes obsolete. although it’s often just one part that made it in-operable, we throw everything away because it’s almost impossible to repair or upgrade.

in response to this, designer dave hakkens has developed the ‘phonebloks‘ concept. Connected to a base which locks everything together into a solid mobile device, the entire customization system is made of detachable ‘bloks’. if one breaks, users can easily replace it; if it’s getting old just upgrade. as a way to facilitate the modular system, a ‘blokstore’ has been set up to for easily acquiring new parts for the platform. the concept is like an app store for hardware. members can buy bloks, read reviews and sell old parts. you can also buy a pre-assembled phone or assemble it yourself by selecting the brands you want to support – the choice is yours. to learn more about the project see here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDAw7vW7H0c&feature=c4-overview&list=UUqA-SppbeUi5ou0isB27mgg

video courtesy dave hakkens

the entire customizable system is made of detachable bloks

the parts are connected to a base which locks everything together into a solid phone