Modular phones are having another moment and this time Tecno is jumping in with a surprisingly fun idea. The company introduced a new modular concept based on a super-thin smartphone.
Instead of packing everything into a heavy phone, Tecno wants you to start with a slim phone and only snap on modules when you need certain features. Think camera add-ons, battery boosts, and even future AI modules.
We’ve been down this road before
If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before. Google’s Project Ara promised the ultimate customizable phone. The goal was to allow users to quickly replace hardware components. It sounded amazing, but the technology was complicated and the phone was never released.
Later, Motorola and LG attempted to develop their own modular phones, but neither was commercially successful. Lately, Fairphone and Nothing have tried the concept, but their phones aren’t truly modular. The former focuses more on upgradability, while the latter only released a few external mods.
How Tecno’s modular phone is different
Tecno’s concept of modularity seems to be a fusion of Project Ara and Moto Mods. The star of the show is an ultra-slim smartphone at just 4.5mm. For comparison: the iPhone Air is 5.6 mm thick.
With a phone this thin, the battery is the biggest problem. To address this issue, Tecno has promised a slim 4.5mm external battery that can double the smartphone’s battery life.
In addition to the battery module, Tecno plans to release nine other magnetic modules focusing on photography, off-grid communication, games and more.
These modules are attached via a magnetic snap system with integrated pogo pins, which is also suitable for power and high-speed data transfer. The magnet system features a zone grid layout that allows for immediate and secure attachment of the modules.
Can Tecno do it?
It’s not the first time Tecno has experimented with bold concept phones. The company launched a super-slim tri-foldable device last year along with its version of AI glasses. However, modular phones are difficult to get right.
Not only do you need great modules, but you also need a long-term ecosystem with a consistent mounting system so that accessories don’t become obsolete with every new smartphone version. This is where most modular ideas fail, and now the real question is whether Tecno can avoid the same fate.
