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PuzzlePhone might be the modular smartphone you've been waiting for
We’ve been hearing a lot about modular smartphones throughout the past two years or so, and we’re certainly getting close to seeing them make their way into consumers’ hands. If you don’t want to wait to get your hands on a delayed Project Ara handset next year, there may be another viable option for you. The PuzzlePhone has just launched on Indiegogo, and it’s well on its way to reaching its $250K goal.
How is the PuzzlePhone different from Project Ara or the Fairphone 2? For starters, it’s made up of three main parts: the Spine (display, frame and speakers), the Brain (processor and camera module) and the Heart (battery and secondary electronics). You’ll be able to replace all of these different modules without having to throw out the rest of the device. It’s worth noting that each module will need to be secured with screws, though, so this isn’t as arduous of an undertaking as Google’s easily-swappable modules.
The PuzzlePhone will come with a 5.0-inch Full HD display, an unnamed 64-bit octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of on-board storage (depending on the model), and a 2800mAh battery. It will also come with a 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, will be made of eco-friendly materials and will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow. There are two different models of the PuzzlePhone, each with different storage options and materials. You can get your hands on the 16GB “1st Edition” PuzzlePhone for $333, or 32GB model for $444. There is also a $777 Limited Edition model that will get you 64GB of storage and a nice copper trim.
PuzzlePhone has launched a flex funding campaign on Indiegogo, which means the company will get all of the money raised, even if it doesn’t reach its goal. The company has so far racked up a sizable $42K out of its $250K goal in just one day, with 41 days left. These devices aren’t expected to ship until September of 2016 at the earliest. Now, flexible funding campaigns are normally a good way to tell legitimate projects from vaporware, but that’s probably not the case here. PuzzlePhone says it chose flex funding because Indiegogo only pays through PayPal with fixed funding campaigns. The company has already raised plenty of money for R&D as well, so there’s probably not anything to worry about.
If you’re interested, head to the link below to learn more about the PuzzlePhone.