Companies like Fairphone, which champions eco-friendly smartphones, have incorporated modularity into their designs. This approach allows users to easily upgrade components like cameras or replace damaged screens without requiring professional assistance. While not the extreme customization that Project Ara envisioned, it’s a step in the right direction, challenging the throwaway mentality that prevails in the tech world.
Another shining example of modularity can be found in Framework laptops. These modular machines provide a basic laptop frame with the flexibility to customize and swap various components, from keyboards to GPUs and ports. They cater to the desire for customizable laptops while empowering users to perform repairs through plug-and-play module swaps.
Framework laptops may not suit everyone, but they have certainly captured the attention of tech enthusiasts. They set a precedent that other tech companies could and should follow, and it’s a direction that could be applied to smartphones. At the very least, let us have the option to swap out batteries in our phones.
