Recently you may have seen the Phonebloks idea, which basically involved a lego-style phone that you connected together and replaced depending on what you wanted or what had broken. Repairing phones, even though they cost as much as your TV, usually means a direct swap of your handset and there’s no quick way of replacing a broken part. The Phoneblocks system, which you can see below, is definitely interesting but many questioned how usable or stylish the resulting phone would be.
Well, step forward Motorola, who appear to have been working on a similar idea already. Their “Project Ara” seems to be pretty much the same idea, with sections like the battery and camera simply sliding onto the main chasis. It also means that hardware keyboards could be added or – crucially for most breakages – a new screen. Not only does it add a huge dollop of customization for the customer, but it also means that you can swap that busted screen easily and quickly without having to spend hours dismantling your phone.
Motorola looks to be working with Phoneblocks and their developers on this, plus Google are said to be assisting too, so this project could really have legs. Not only that, but these mock-ups look a whole lot more easier-on-the-eye than before and could silence the critics who denounced the original Phonebloks idea..
Source – Motorola Blog