#teamphonebloks

[phonebloks]

LG G5, the expandable modular smartphone

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcellona, LG presented their next-gen smartphone called G5 that introduces two modular add-ons. 

The G5 has an accessory slot at the bottom, which allows users to remove the battery and to swap in different modules. 

The first module is called  “LG Cam Plus” and includes a 1,200mAh battery and buttons for diverse camera functions such as zoom and shutter release.

A second module is called “LG Hi-Fi Plus”, a digital to analog converter (DAC) that offers the best sound quality among smartphones. It is a partnership with audio maker Bang & Olufsen. 

Full phone specifications:

Dimensions: 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm Weight: 159 g Display: IPS LCD 5.3 inches, 1440 x 2560 pixels (~554 ppi pixel density) OS: Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Quad-core GPU: Adreno 530 Memory: Internal 32 GB + MicroSd slot, 4 GB RAM Camera: Primary 16 MP (f/1.8) + 8 MP (f/2.4, wide-angle camera), Secondary 8 MP

LG will launch its G5 flagship smartphone in April.

[phonebloks]

One Education Infinity, a modular laptop for children and schools, has arrived on Indiegogo

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

One Education, OLPC’s partner non-profit in Australia, presented some months ago a modular laptop/tablet, called Infinity. 

It is a tough device made specifically for kids, with modular components and multiple operating systems. 

This product is divided in 2 main parts, the tablet (Infinity Hub) with the screen module and the keyboard/base station. The modules are inserted into big boxes behind the screen, concealed under a silicon cover. Each component, connected via USB-C, has a different color. 

The orange module is the Core (with CPU, RAM, storage and WiFi), the blue one is the battery and the violet includes two cameras, one for the front and one for the rear. 

The organization just launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise $50,000. The first configuration has these technical specifications:

The Infinity, currently, runs Android but the company is working on Linux OS / Windows 10 based Core Modules. This tablet will come with a selection of educational apps pre-installed, created specifically for this device.

The Infinity backers can order this device for $249, estimated delivery date is September 2016.

[phonebloks]

PuzzlePhone has arrived on Indiegogo

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

PuzzlePhone is a modular smartphone, made in Finland, build to last. This phone is developed by a Finnish start-up, called Circular Devices. 

PuzzlePhone is made out of three essential modules, the Heart, the Spine, and the Brain, that can be upgraded, for maximum longevity and performance.

 If you break your screen, you can easily replace the Spine. If your battery dies, a new Heart will make your phone run like new. Want to increase performance and storage, a quick switch of the Brain will give you the upgrade you need. PuzzlePhone team has finally launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, seeking to raise $250,000 in 42 days. 

The company, on Indiegogo, has unveiled the PuzzlePhone technical specifications:

Display: 5” Full HD (1920 x 1080) Front camera: 5 Megapixels Rear camera: 12 Megapixels + LED Flash Battery: 2.800 mAh SoC: ARM 64 bits, 8 cores RAM memory: 3 GB Storage Memory: 16/32/64 GB Connectivity: 2G/3G/4G/LTE Cat4/6, USB 3.0/2.0 Type-C, NFC + Bluetooth 4.2 , WiFI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS Size: 69 mm X 137 mm X 8.9 mm Weight: 170 g

The first 250 PuzzlePhone backers can order the 16GB version for $333, with price rising to $444 for 32GB of storage (retail price $667) and $777 for the Limited Edition with 64 GB of internal memory. 

The PuzzlePhone's earliest estimated delivery date is September 2016.

[phonebloks]

News from PuzzlePhone

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

PuzzlePhone is a modular smartphone developed by a Finnish start-up, called Circular Devices, founded by Spanish engineer Alejandro Santacreu. 

For those who don’t remember, this phone is made out of 3 major parts: the Brain, the Heart and the Spine. 

The Brain contains critical electronics: the CPU, GPU, RAM, memory, and cameras. The Spine is the main structure with an high­-res display. Core spine elements will be available in a variety of sizes and materials. The Heart contains the battery. It will be the enabler of secondary electronics and features chosen by the user. 

On the new PuzzlePhone website, Circular Devices has unveiled new images of the final version of the phone.

The company also announced the launch of a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, on next November the 3rd 2015. 

The cheapest version will cost €299 , for the first 250 units. The regular price on Indiegogo will be €449 or €499, depending on storage configuration and the retail price will be €599. PuzzlePhone will also launch a limited edition version for €699. The product will be delivered in Q3/Q4 2016. 

Circular devices is also working on a development platform, called Open Standard. “Companies and brands joining the PuzzlePhone Open Standard will be provided with a ready­-made standard and a one stop shop for R&D, testing, certification, manufacturing, and logistics”  they explained. 

The company is also working with new partners as Vulcan Vision. Their ubiQVue technology allows the viewing of any moving object, such as an athlete, from any desired viewpoint. ubiQVue and PuzzlePhone enables you to float around the athlete, viewing the performance from all angles. PuzzlePhone includes an almost ready action camera running Android, and provides an easy-­to-­customize solution that matches Vulcan Vision requirements. 

Circular Device also works with iFixit to develop a smartphone easy to repair and with Fraunhofer IZM, in R&D, “to ensure best practices in sustainable design, guaranteeing robust, reliable electronic systems” they said. 

“PuzzlePhone invites consumers to join us in making their voices heard, making a statement about sustainable priorities, as well as sending a message to the industry that PuzzlePhone is the paradigm shift from ‘take, make, waste’ to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle,” the company wrote in the press release. “We are the androids you are looking for!”

[phonebloks]

The third Ara module prototype developed by Hearts

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

On Twitter, Joseph Kim, the founder of Hearts, has shown the 3.1 version of an interesting mHealth Project Ara module. 

It's a glucose meter, a very useful tiny module, made for a 1X2 slot. 

This module is equipped with a display to show its operation modes. 

It also has it's own battery. “It could be useful for emergency situation when Ara phone is out of battery or off. It should be working on any situation because this module is a medical device. It will work as standalone and Ara module” , explained Joseph Kim.

[phonebloks]

RePhone kit: an open source modular phone

By Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

A company called Seeed has recently on Kickstarter launched  an interesting modular phone. 

RePhone will let you create your own phone in minutes with several modules, an accessible software and a customizable phone case. 

This open source modular phone kit is also a set of tools and components that allows everyone to add cellular communication to different objects. For example to have a conversation/link with your pets, toys, motorcycle, robots or drones through RePhone’s GSM and 3G functions. 

In particular, Seeed has developed a RePhone Core Module and a RePhone kit Create. 

RePhone GSM + BLE module is a little SOC with GSM/GPRS and Bluetooth connection with a 2G nano SIM card. 

RePhone Kit Create includes a RePhone Core Module GSM + BLE, an audio module, a 1.54'' touchscreen, a 520 mAh battery and two precut Kraft Paper to assemble a phone case. This DIY platform lets you create your personal case using a lot of materials, for example wood, plastic, leather, etc. 

The company has also developed other modules with NFC, GPS, 3G connection, a camera and basic sensors (3-Axis Accelerometer, a Temperature Sensor and a Light Sensor ). 

RePhone is compatible with the Arduino (IDE) platform, with the Pebble smartwatch and with IFTTT (If This, Then That) technology. 

The dev team has created rich libraries hooking into Lua and Javascript, with detailed example to help entry-level programmers.They also provide an SDK, based on Eclipse IDE, for C/C++ developers to work with high level applications. There are also simply software to download into the RePhone to make it work. 

The Rephone Core will be sold for 12/19 dollars and the entire kit for 39/59 dollars, with first deliveries scheduled for this month.

[phonebloks]

XPX Life 7 modular tablet

By Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

Click ARM One is not the only modular tablet presented until now. Last year the Chinese company XPX showed a modular tablet with a 7-inch screen, called LIFE 7. 

This device reminds us of the design of Project Ara with several interchangeable modules. The starting configuration of LIFE 7 includes an IPS screen (1024 x 600) and a quad core SOC, clocked at 1.5 GHz, with 1 GB of Ram and 8 GB of internal storage. 

The tablet is based on Android 4.4 and also allows you to update the camera (0.3-2.0 MPX), the modem (2G, 3G, 4G) and the battery (2100 mAh).

In addition to this economic device, XPX also, at the recent Las Vegas CTIA Super Mobility 2015, showed  a new modular phone platform. 

All the electronics of a normal smartphone has been split into blocks to be assembled in a customizable case. The customers can choose different displays, memory modules and various types of camera. These electronic components enable you to buy a low-spec modular phone with Android 4.4.2. The different parts are not enclosed in a plastic case so the assembly of the various components is not particularly simple, it requires appropriate skills and qualified personnel, authorized by XPX.

[phonebloks]

A new Ara module prototype developed by Hearts

By Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

On Twitter, Joseph Kim, the founder of Hearts, has shown a new mHealth Project Ara module.

Project Ara’s low cost and its modular architecture can provide an ideal platform for mobile Health.

Hearts has developed the second prototype of a glucose meter, a 1X2 module with a tiny display.

At the second Ara developer conference, Joseph Kim had already shown the first prototype (2x2 module) of an open source medical module for Project Ara.