phonebloks

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Seminar Report Phonebloks ABSTRACT Phonebloks is an innovative idea created by David Hakkens from Netherlands that uses modular technology in order to build a cellular device that will be longer lasting in the hopes of sustaining our technological dependency without producing excessive amounts of waste. A Phonebloks is an open source project for customers around the world to develop the sustainable and adaptable technology devices that they need. A Phoneblok comprised of two terms “Phone” and “Blok”. A Blok is the base. A phone is the combined parts of the machinery required by a customer. So, a phonebloks is the new generation mobile phone which can be modified to its full extent. Concept of phonebloks works similar to desktop available in the market i.e., for instance if we are having low memory on our phone we can simple upgrade the specific component that holds the memory of the device, if we want heavy graphics then we can replace an unused component with a graphic card and if we need more computation power then there is no need to replace entire phone we can straightforward replace the processor component. In a nutshell, a Phoneblok is modular, much flexible, provides much functionality and has the fullest advantage of its features to the user. Page 1

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Page 1: Phonebloks

Seminar Report Phonebloks

ABSTRACT

Phonebloks is an innovative idea created by David Hakkens from Netherlands

that uses modular technology in order to build a cellular device that will be

longer lasting in the hopes of sustaining our technological dependency without

producing excessive amounts of waste. A Phonebloks is an open source project

for customers around the world to develop the sustainable and adaptable

technology devices that they need.

A Phoneblok comprised of two terms “Phone” and “Blok”. A Blok is the

base. A phone is the combined parts of the machinery required by a customer. So,

a phonebloks is the new generation mobile phone which can be modified to its full

extent.

Concept of phonebloks works similar to desktop available in the market

i.e., for instance if we are having low memory on our phone we can simple

upgrade the specific component that holds the memory of the device, if we want

heavy graphics then we can replace an unused component with a graphic card

and if we need more computation power then there is no need to replace entire

phone we can straightforward replace the processor component.

In a nutshell, a Phoneblok is modular, much flexible, provides much

functionality and has the fullest advantage of its features to the user. Multiple

companies work on single product unlike single company working on multiple

products and hence deliver the purest product to the customer.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgement 3

Abstract 4

Contents 5

Chapter- 1. Introduction 6

1.1 Definition 6

1.2 Concept of Phonebloks 7

1.3 History 7

Chapter- 2.Need for Phonebloks 8

2.1 How Phonebloks Are Better 8

2.2 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats 8

Chapter- 3.Phonebloks 10

3.1 Purpose Of Phonebloks 11

3.2 Modular Technology 11

3.3 How Modular Technology Is Used In Phonebloks 12

3.4 Reasons For Replacing The Bloks 13

3.5 Components In Phonebloks 14

Chapter- 4.Current Research Work 16

Chapter- 5. Advantages and Disadvantages 19

5.1 Advantages 19

5.2 Disadvantages 20

5.3 Current Setup 21

Chapter-7.Conclusion 22

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References 22

CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

Phoneblok is a new generation Smartphone. A Phone is nothing but a phone comprising of

blocks. Today electronic waste is increasing day to day due to many reasons like the device

may be slow, damaged or a new device into the market. By considering this damage to the

world, the concept of Phonebloks was given by a Netherland’s innovator David Hakkens. It is a

new generation Smartphone mobile phone which can be modified to its full extent.

1.1 Definition

“Phonebloks” – the name comprises of two words. They are “Phone” and “Block”. A Phone is

normal mobile phone that is used to communicate with others using wireless communication

and a Blok is a component which can be used for a specific purpose. The Blocks are normally

used for display, audio, RAM, memory, CPU and on. A Phonebloks is new generation

Smartphone that uses modular technology which is more flexibility and can be up to date with

the latest technology. The unused blocks can be replaced with the useful resources. Instead, the

phone will be made of multiple parts that can be exchanged and substituted independently

instead of as a whole device. By attaching individual third-party components (called "Bloks")

to a main board, a user would create a personalized Smartphone. These blocks can be replaced

at will if they break or the user wishes to upgrade.

Phonebloks is a revolutionary device employing a smart base that is compatible with

detachable blocks. Allowing the user to easily upgrade hardware and attach those components

that suite their lifestyle and changing daily needs. The company will launch a free collaborative

innovation platform for consumers and developers to engage in creating new blocks this is the

first smart phone company that openly involves consumers in both hardware and software

development.

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In the similar way phonebloks aims to turn your phone into a complete different phone

which will always be latest. You can upgrade your phone with any latest or high capacity part

anytime and anywhere. Like the appstore that is available online i.e., over the internet to

download software in our Smartphone, A Blokstore will be available where one can upgrade

his old Blok with the new. All the blocks are available in most desired shape and structure. The

blocks can be manufactured by any manufacturer that means these blocks are not manufacturer

specific.

1.2 Concept of Phonebloks

Phonebloks would consist of a main board onto which Bloks could be snapped on by the user

like Lego bricks. Each Blok is responsible for a unique function of the phone, much as

a desktop computer has a distinct sound card, graphics card, processor, monitor, and power

supply. As a result, instead of replacing the entire phone when it becomes obsolete or broken,

one could simply replace the defective or performance-limiting part. If the consumer wanted a

better camera, for example, he or she could swap their small generic camera Blok for a larger

zoom camera from a manufacturer such as Nikon or Canon instead of buying a phone with a

better camera. In theory, this would lead to fewer people throwing away their phones and

contributing to the ever-increasing problem of electronic waste. Smartphones based on the

Phonebloks system would be sold part by part, as well as in starter sets. When assembled, the

phone would have a screen covering the entirety of the front, volume buttons and headphone

jacks along the outer edge, and Bloks clicked into the back, forming a rectangular block shape.

1.3 History

David Hakkens from Netherlands has created one of the most revolutionary concepts of the

21st century, known as Phonebloks.  His idea is that we can reduce a huge amount of electronic

waste by simply upgrading individual components, or “Bloks” of our phones, rather than

discarding the entire phone if something breaks or becomes obsolete.  This in turn will reduce

electronic waste, conserve natural resources, and protect consumers at the same time.  He has

made the Phonebloks concept open-source, so any group such as PhoneBloks.org (that’s us)

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can take the idea to the next level, and produce a working, viable Phonebloks phone. A user

would create a personalized Smartphone. These Bloks can be replaced at will if they break or

the user wishes to upgrade.

CHAPTER-2

NEED FOR PHONEBLOKS

As the electronic market changes every day, it has increased a lot of e-waste. For a single

upgrade, we need to change the whole phone. Precise shape and structure leads to

inconvenience to some customers. Mobile needs to be flexible. It must only have the

customer’s required features. For all the above needs David Hakkens has given the solution

with his innovative idea Phonebloks.

2.1 How phonebloks are better

A Phonebloks is better compared to the Smartphones available in the market because

It is green.

A Modular Smartphone.

Customization to its fitness.

Mobile flexibility.

It can be up-to-date.

Easy to upgrade individual components.

Open source platform.

2.2 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

2.2.1 Strengths

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Customizable - The Phoneblok platform allows the consumer to customize a

Smartphones to suit the highly specific demands of their lifestyle

Strong partners - Strategic partnership with Motorola and Google in modular phone

technology

Green and sustainable product - The open modular platform has the ability to upgrade

with biodegradable Bloks that can reduce e-waste.

2.2.2 Weaknesses

Software compatibility - Necessity to develop cross-functional software that is

compatible to modular hardware components

2.2.3 Opportunities

Always up-to-date technology - Bloks are easily customizable and upgradable.

Friendly to new and upcoming technology - Modular pieces allow integration between

the phone and modular technology devices, allowing hardware to be shared between

devices

Points of difference to Apple and Samsung - Phonebloks is a white box, not only in

regard to software but also hardware; flexible, sustainable, cheaper, innovative, and

customer driven

Open-source - Open-source technology allows for a unique continuous customer

interaction in product development

Blok store and global delivery system - Online access to purchase and exchange Bloks

in the online store.

2.2.4 Threats

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Design attractiveness - Customers are holding all the power in regard to design and

therefore this could be an issue whether its physical appearance is appealing to the

majority of customers.

Threat of substitutes - The current smart devices offerings on the market are substitutes

to the modular.

CHAPTER-3

PHONEBLOKS

Phonebloks uses modular technology in order to build a cellular device that will be longer

lasting in the hopes of sustaining our technological dependency without producing excessive

amounts of waste. Instead, the phone will be made of multiple parts that can be exchanged and

substituted independently instead of as a whole device. Consumers will be able to customize

their device and support different brands depending on what they are looking for in a phone.

Phonebloks aims to turn your phone into a complete different phone which will always

be latest. You can upgrade your phone with any latest or high capacity part anytime and

anywhere. Like the appstore that is available online i.e., over the internet to download software

in our Smartphone, A Blokstore will be available where one can upgrade his old Blok with the

new. All the blocks are available in most desired shape and structure. The blocks can be

manufactured by any manufacturer that means these blocks are not manufacturer specific.

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3.1 Phonebloks

3.6 Purpose of Phonebloks

3.1.1 Stop the Waste

Electronic waste is a growing problem for a world in which the daily dependency and

fascination with electronics is demanding and constant technological progress. When outdated

or broken electronic products (such as phones, computers, VHS players, etc.) are thrown away,

the waste is considered "e-waste". As more products are produced and distributed, more

products are thrown away.

3.1.2 Customizable Mobile Phone

The main purpose of the phonebloks is get upgraded from the block level of a mobile

phone instead of replacing to a new mobile phone. An online Blok Store will be made available

where customers can build their own phone, exchange and review Bloks with other customers,

and purchase accessories. In order to appeal to all budgets, three distinct models appealing to

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multiple income segments will be made available during the selection process. Afterwards, the

customer will be able to make adjustments to his base-product to modify it according to his/her

specific needs. Afterwards, the total price will be displayed and the purchasing/shipping

process will be conducted.

3.2 Modular Technology

Modular design in phonebloks hardware is the same as modular design in other things

(e.g. cars, fridges, even furniture). The idea is to build Phonebloks with easily replaceable parts

that use standardized interfaces. This technique allows you to upgrade certain aspects of the

computer easily without having to buy another computer altogether.

A computer is actually one of the best examples of modular design - typical modules

are power supply units, processors, main boards, graphics cards, hard drives, optical drives, etc.

All of these parts should be easily interchangeable as long as you use parts that support the

same standard interface as the part you replaced.

3.3 How Modular Technology is used in Phonebloks

Modular technology is used to get done with a new mobile phone “Phonebloks”. In

Phonebloks, every hardware component called Blok. The Bloks usually are screen, wifi,

memory, RAM, camera etc. Every Blok consists of four pins which are in connection with

other Bloks by using base as intermediate to transmit signals. All the Bloks are put together

with the help of two screws at the bottom of the mobile phone. The Bloks can be upgraded with

the help of Blokstore available in desired shapes.

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3.3.1 Bloks used in Phonebloks

3.3.2 Screws used to put Bloks together

3.4 Reasons for replacing the Bloks

The Bloks in this Smartphones are replaced because of following reasons, if

Bloks are damaged.

Any upgrade is required.

Broken Bloks.

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Unused components.

If every is stored is online then there is no need of any internal memory and we require more

battery backup.

3.4.1 Upgrading of Battery

If you are interested in taking photograph then you can upgrade to a better camera without

replacing the entire device.

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3.4.2 Upgrading to better camera

3.5 Components in Phonebloks

The main components of Phonebloks are

Base

Blok

3.5.1 Base

The base is like spinal card in human being. It is responsible for connecting one Blok to

all the remaining Bloks. All the Bloks are injected into the base with the help of the pins

present in each Blok. The Blok is connected to the Base and the Base connects to everything

over the Base.

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3.5.1.2 The Base

3.5.2 Bloks

Bloks are the hardware required to make entire phone. These are placed over the Base

to communicate with all other hardware with the help of Base.

3.5.2.2 Bloks

CHAPTER-4

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CURRENT RESEARCH WORK

Motorola late Monday unveiled Project Ara, a hardware platform that would allow

consumers to build their own Smartphones by snapping modular parts into a frame. The

Libertyville, Ill.-based Company, owned by Google Inc., has been working on Project Ara for

more than a year and is opening the design process to the public.

Project Ara marks Motorola's most ambitious effort yet in customizable mobile devices,

a vision it introduced with this summer's launch of the Moto X. That Smartphone lets

consumers choose from an array of colors for the device's back plate and external hardware

accents.

With Project Ara, the ability to customize the phone extends into the display, keyboard,

camera, battery and processor. A shutterbug might opt for a high-definition display and a

camera with lots of megapixels, while a frequent business traveler might choose a battery with

extended life. A modular design also means a Smartphone owner who wants to upgrade or

replace a single part - a sluggish processor or a cracked screen, for example - could do so

without buying a new device.

Motorola's goal is "to give you the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks,

where and what it's made of, how much it costs, and how long you'll keep it," the company's

Advanced Technology and Projects group said in a blog post. Motorola declined to comment

beyond the post.

Project Ara's modular phones appear far from hitting store shelves; the initiative has to

overcome a number of engineering and design challenges before becoming reality.

Motorola is pushing forward by partnering with Phonebloks, a modular mobile phone

concept created by Netherlands-based designer Dave Hakkens. He posted a YouTube video last

month explaining his idea and generated significant online buzz, with the video garnering

nearly 17 million views.

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As Hakkens explained in a follow-up video on the Phonebloks website, he talked with a

number of companies and discovered that Motorola was already working on a similar concept.

The two groups joined forces, though Hakkens said Phonebloks will stay independently funded.

Motorola said in its blog post that it will tap the Phonebloks community for feedback.

The company also has hired Dscout, a Chicago technology firm, to manage an ongoing

consumer research program.

Volunteers who sign up online to be "research scouts" will be asked to complete a series

of tasks, such as answering questions and snapping photos. Responses are submitted through a

mobile application.

Tens of thousands of participants have already signed up - about twice the number of

volunteers that typically complete projects with Dscout, said Chief Executive Michael

Winnick. The Ara program is expected to run for about a year, and Dscout volunteers might get

first crack at early prototypes of the modular phone.

Dscout has worked with Motorola before, but the Ara project stands out in its "level of

ambition and scale," said Winnick, adding that it also is "very rare for a large organization to be

out there and open" about new product development.

Chris Jansen, a Chicagoan who works in information security and saw the Phonebloks

YouTube video, signed up to be a research scout for Ara. He was drawn to "designing a phone

in an entirely new way based on community feedback, especially because it takes the idea of

'you can upgrade what's important to you' out of the control of the carriers."

The Ara project also attracted Alex Pedenko, co-founder of Chicago-based startup

Swingbyte. He used to build his own PCs and is intrigued by the potential to customize a

mobile phone with components such as an air-quality sensor or barometer.

"It opens the door for third-party accessories that people haven't even thought of right

now," said Pedenko, whose company makes a gadget that clips onto a golf club and collects

data on a player's swing.

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Technology companies have experimented with modular mobile devices in the past.

Handspring, the maker of the Palm Pilot personal digital assistant, offered modules such as an

MP3 player or GPS unit that plugged into the gadget like a video game cartridge.

Project Ara envisions components fitting into a frame called the endoskeleton, Motorola

said in its blog post.

The concept faces hurdles in consumer adoption and engineering. For starters, the

ability to choose a battery or processor might appeal only to a narrow technical crowd.

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CHAPTER-5

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

5.1 ADVANTAGES:

Customer Empowerment –

o Phonebloks allows the consumer to interact and give feedback on the mobile

phone they want through our integrated online customer platform

Customizable -

o online platform allows the consumer to customize a Smartphone to suit the highly

o Specific demands of their lifestyle

Flexibility in price –

o The modularity of the product allows it to compete in the lower- and higher-priced

o Smartphone segments

Strong partners –

o Strategic partnership with Motorola and Google in modular phone technology

Innovative Product –

o Creative collaboration between Smartphones producers and customers

o continuity of unlimited creative input

Green and sustainable product –

o The open modular platform has the ability to upgrade with biodegradable ,

o Bloks that can reduce e-waste

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5.2 DISADVANTAGES

Partner-reliant business model–

o Product development is reliant on current partners and probability to

attract

o new ones

Software compatibility –

o Necessity to develop cross-functional software that is compatible to

modular

o hardware components

Low brand awareness –

o Many smart phone users are not aware of Phonebloks and its benefits

due to little

o advertising

Financial and legal stability –

o Reliant on crowd-funding and Motorola as well as intellectual property

o protection hurdles with existing patents

Economies of scale and scope –

o Phonebloks is a start-up company starting in a highly competitive

industry

o which gives the company the disadvantage of economies of scale and -

scope

5.3 CURRENT SETUP

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Speed : Intel Quad Core 4

Battery : 2000mAh

Storage : 8GB

Network : 4G

Camera : 12MP Canon HD

Audio : Bose 4.0

Weight : 130 Gram

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CHAPTER-6

CONCLUSION

Phonebloks is a good way to prevent e-waste. It provides much functionality in a

compact manner. Phonebloks are much flexible as compared to the legacy phones

has the fullest advantage of its features to the user. Multiple companies work on

single product unlike single company working on multiple products and hence

deliver the purest product to the customer. Multiple companies work on single

product unlike single company.

REFERENCES

o McNicoll, Arion. "Phonebloks: The Smartphone for the rest of your

life". CNN.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.

o Oswald, Ed. "Modu looks to make cell phones 'modular'". betanews. Retrieved

10 November 2013.

o US application 20110230178, Jones; Gregory G.; (Seattle, WA) ; Hanson;

Lisa M.; (Issaquah, WA) ; Kleist; Thomas; (Redbourn, GB); Hanson; Lisa M

& Kleist; Thomas, "MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE HAVING

MULTIPLE, INTERCHANGEABLE SECOND DEVICES", published 2011-

09-22, issued, assigned to Microsoft Corporation

o Hakkens, David. "Phonebloks: A Phone Worth Keeping (Idea)". Retrieved 10

November 2013.

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