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This article was published on September 11, 2013

    Phonebloks Lego-like modular smartphone wants to make disposable devices a thing of the past

    Phonebloks Lego-like modular smartphone wants to make disposable devices a thing of the past Image by: Oli Scarff
    Ben Woods
    Story by

    Ben Woods

    Ben Woods
    Story by

    Ben Woods

    Europe Editor

    Ben is a technology journalist with a specialism in mobile devices and a geeky love of mobile spectrum issues. Ben used to be a professional Ben is a technology journalist with a specialism in mobile devices and a geeky love of mobile spectrum issues. Ben used to be a professional online poker player. You can contact him via Twitter or on Google+.

    PhonebloksPhonebloks by Dutch designer Dave Hakkens is a concept that could see the days of having to throw away non-working phones long behind us, if he receives enough support and can work out the technical challenges.

    The idea is to make smartphones modular so that if one part of it breaks, say the audio jack (which is a fairly common occurrence), it can simply be swapped out for a new part, and therefore negates the need to get a whole new phone and cuts down on waste.

    While a smart idea, the reality of Phonebloks could pose a challenge. The Lego-like approach allows for flexibility and individual user preferences but relies on manufacturers building standardised parts to fit on the Phonebloks base.

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    Nonetheless, we hope it gets there someday.

    ➤ Phonebloks

    Featured Image Credit – Getty Images