SMARTPHONES WITH

DETACHABLE AND UPGRADABLE

MODULES

INTRODUCTION

We are currently in a generation full of electronic devices by which upgrades rapidly. We

are more like the generation bound to the technologies and social media. We cant let our guard
down when it comes to the new trends in different social networking sites. When we buy a
device today, by next few months we can see it again at the market with new specifications
added and with the same price. Its a waste of money buying again phones with upgraded
features to just cope up with the trends of the society. It will also be a great technology waste.
Why waste your money buying new smartphones every single time it upgrades its
features when we can actually create a smartphone where its parts can be replaced and upgraded
depending on your style and necessity?
With the upgradable smartphones we can upgrade a certain part of the phone without
buying or replacing the whole phone. Upgrading a certain part cant affect other parts. We can
also customize the parts depending on our needs. This idea is similar to a system unit of a
computer where we can upgrade each part with new features without buying a new chassis.
This smartphone which in theory will let users swap in different components
on the fly instead of replacing the whole phone when it's time to upgrade.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Connect the
different blocks
of the user's
choice into the
base of the
smartphone.

Install the
drivers needed
to operate the
blocks that are
connected to
the
smartphone

You can
customize your
phone by
replacing a
block with an
upgraded
block.

To operate this smartphone the user should first connect all the blocks that he needs in the
main base of the smartphone. This base acts as the motherboard of the phone by which all
components or blocks are connected. The blocks have pins to secure it to the base and it also acts
as a transmitter to the different blocks of the smartphone.
The user should install the proper drivers that are necessary to operate the blocks that had
been connected to the base.
The user can customize the smartphone depending on his needs. He can add a larger
block for a certain hardware to have a good operation. The user can also detach the block if he
didn't need its functions anymore.

THEOREICAL FRAMEWORK

The

smartphones

with

upgradable

and

detachable

components

consists of a main board onto which blocks could be snapped on by the user like
Lego bricks. Each block is responsible for a unique function of the phone, much like
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 wants a camera that suits his or her needs better, he or she
could for example swap their small generic camera block 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 Phoneblocks 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 overall.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Are you one of the technology geeks who love to replace their phones every
single time theres a new release of the same device with upgraded features? When you come to
think of it, it would be a great waste of money to buy those devices every time theres a new
version of it. The way people currently buy electronics is inherently wasteful. As soon
as a new device comes out, the old one is tossed in the garbage or put on the shelf
to collect dust. And thats when the problem would rise.
How could we minimize the technology waste in our environment? How
can we have a phone where we could keep the good parts and replace the bad
ones? How can we upgrade a certain part of the phone without buying a new one?
The upgradable smartphones would be the best answer to these questions.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Rapid advancement in mobile is often attributed to the natural disruption by which

emerging industries innovate quickly. Electronic equipment and gadgets are the fastest growing waste
stream in many countries. For many,electronics are part of modern life cell phones, laptops, TVs and a
growing number of gadgets. Every year we buy new, updated equipment to support our needs and wishes
in 2012, global sales of new equipment included 238.5 million televisions, 444.4 million computers and
tablets, and 1.75 billion mobile phones. All of these electronics become obsolete or unwanted, often
within 1- 3 years of purchase. This global mountain of waste is expected to continue growing 8% per
year, indefinitely.
With the innovation of upgradable smartphones, it could at least minimize the technology waste.
By creating a phone with detachable components that can be upgraded individually, you didn't have to
buy a new smartphone anymore. This is also convenient because you can easily detach any component or
feature of the phone by replacing it with an upgraded one. That is if you want to have a camera with and
HD interface then you can just replace the block of camera that is in your upgradable smartphone and
attach a block with an HD interface camera.
With this we can maximize the use of our phones by just upgrading it every time there's a new
interface or innovation. Also with that convenience we can always keeep on track with the latest trends of
our society.
With the upgradable smartphones, it didn't just help minimize the problems regarding with
technology waste but also it also make our life much convenient.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study connects not just with the study of Electronics but also with the
study of Information Technology. This smartphone is using signals to transmit the
information to the different parts of the phone. It is also connected to
communications. This is just like the normal smartphone where you can make a call
or text and surf the internet. It also relates with the knowledge of computer
hardwares because the concept of the detachable and upgradable blocks of
components in this smartphones is similar from a system unit of a computer. It is
where the base is the motherboard and the hardware devices are the blocks.
This study includes all smartphone users who always have a hard time
changing their phones to just cope up with the new trend and also the technology
geeks. This also focus on the specifications of components that are essential in a
smartphone. The components that are upgradable are the camera, processor,
screen, bluetooth wifi, and the chipset.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

FOREIGN STUDIES
In a spare, drab office park in Sunnyvale, California, a bunch of two-by-fours
and foam-board have been nailed together into a makeshift model of a shipping
container. Inside, a bare, unlit Edison bulb hangs from a wire, over some simple IKEA
furniture and a table with Lego blocks on it. The blocks are stand-ins for modules
that might someday go into the Project Ara phone, which in theory will let users
swap in different components on the fly instead of replacing the whole phone when
it's time to upgrade.

The model is there because the people behind Project Ara are currently trying to think
through potential retail experiences that would help people configure their phones. Not included
inside the model are the non-invasive biometric monitoring tablets that measure galvanic skin
response as a trigger to present the simplified configurator experience the team is looking into.
Such technical jargon is par for the course inside Google's Advanced Technologies and Products
(ATAP) group, which is in charge of Project Ara. As near as I can tell (without an engineering
degree, at least), the only person in the room who needs such terms explained is me.
At ATAP, simple things like Lego blocks represent ridiculously complex ideas. This tiny
group of engineers and designers has given itself the task of creating a phone with several
unproven, next-generation technologies. They intend to make a phone cheap enough to be
accessible to 5 billion people. To do so, they need to create an ecosystem of hardware
manufacturers robust enough that it could literally challenge giant incumbents like Foxconn and
even Samsung. The head of Project Ara, Paul Eremenko, says he is planning "the most custom
mass-market product ever created by mankind" without a trace of irony in his voice.

LOCAL STUDIES

The Philippines is now considered as the fastest-growing market for smartphones in

Southeast Asia, with a staggering 326% increase in SMARTPHONE SALES over the last 12
months.
The growth in the country was significantly higher than the 78% growth posted in
Southeast Asias seven major markets, namely the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,
Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Feature phones still reign as the more prevalent mobile phone type used by consumers in
the regions EMERGING MARKETS, GfK digital technology account director Gerard Tan said
in a statement. However, smartphones adoption is escalating at a rapid pace.
In July this year, GfK reported that one of four Filipinos own a smartphone, driven by the
increasing affordability of smartphone devices across the country. A separate GfK report revealed
that Filipino consumers bought five times as many smartphones in the first five months of this
year compared to a year ago, bringing SMARTPHONE SALES to almost 1.7 million units as of
May this year.
With major manufacturers announcing their intentions to launch low-end smartphones
priced below $100, smartphones will be within the reach of an even larger pool of consumers and
the market is expected to grow even faster when these models are made widely available, Tan
said.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The Smartphone with detachable and upgradable components is

broken into different blocks. Instead of having a fixed specification, you can tailormake your own phone using blocks individual modules such as cameras,
processors and batteries to suit your needs. These are the blocks for wifi,
bluetooth, camera, screen, gyroscope, battery, audio jack, processor, antenna and
memory. Each block can be upgraded for different purposes and for the
convenience of the users. All these blocks connects to the base and the base
connects everything together. Electrical signals are transferred through the pins of
the blocks. And two small screws lock everything in place.
So if for instance your phone is getting a little bit slow, you can just
upgrade the block for the speed. Or if something breaks, you can easily replace it
with a new one. There could be different speeds of processor depending on whether
you need more grunt, different capacity batteries for the daily commuter or
weekend hiker the choice is nearly limitless. The camera modules for example,
could include a basic 5-megapixel block, a mid-range 10-megapixel block with a
better lens and maybe a professional-grade 20-megapixel block with an optical
zoom lens for the keen amateur photographer.You can also update it with the latest
versions of operating systems.

Participants of the Study

This study would includes the phone experts and technicians. It also includes
the technology geeks and those who are smartphone users. This would also involve
the software developers and the application makers.
These smartphones are build in a no certain platform but different big
companies work together to create the best phone in the world. To settle this
platform, we need to get the right companies and the right people involved. They
will only get started if there's a lot of interest in the phone worth keeping.

Research Instrument
These smartphones are built using modules inserted into metal endoskeletal
frames known as "endos". The frame will be the only component in this phone. It
acts as the switch to the on-device network linking all the modules together. There
will be two frame sizes available at first: "mini", a frame about the size of a Nokia
3310 and "medium", about the size of a LG Nexus 5. In the future, a "large" frame
about the size of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be available. Frames have slots on
the front for the display and other modules. On the back are additional slots for
modules.
Modules can provide common smartphone features, such as cameras and
speakers, but can also provide more specialized features, such as medical devices,
receipt printers, laser pointers, pico projectors, night vision sensors, or game
controller buttons. Each slot on the frame will accept any module of the correct size.
The front slots are of various heights and take up the whole width of the frame. The
rear slots come in standard sizes of 1x1, 1x2 and 2x2. Modules can be hot-swapped

without turning the phone off. The frame also includes a small backup battery so the
main battery can be swapped. Modules are secured with electropermanent
magnets. The enclosures of the modules are 3D-printed, so customers can design
their own individual enclosures and replace them as they wish.
Modules will be available both at an official Google store and at third-party
stores. It will only accept official modules by default, but users can change a
software setting to enable unofficial modules. This is similar to how Android handles
app installations.

Data Analysis
The smartphone with detachable and upgradable modules would work
because of many reasons. It allows people to tinker with their phone. People
jailbreak, root and hack their phones already and the PC community is absolutely
awash with people combining various bits of hardware and building their own PCs.
Why would they not want to customize their phones hardware in the same way? If
its physically possible, then it could well be the next big thing to enter the
smartphone arena and could revolutionize it more than capacitive touch screens
and swipe gestures, driving sales and licensing for the blocks.
This could also be a fail idea because of these few reasons. The ability to
retrofit bloks and for the whole idea to work could make the resulting phone too
bulky the obsession with thinner and lighter smartphones shows no signs of
abating. On a small level the concept could work, but introducing it to compete

directly with the likes of the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4 could well prove
extremely difficult with network providers. The chances that a big player such as
Samsung would adopt the idea also seem remote.
Blocks are the key; just like app stores, if there are too few apps then the
platform is usually doomed. Getting a big enough block store to make it attractive
to consumers and mobile networks would be key, as would continually updating it
with upgrades. This could be very tricky, as would getting an actual a

Data Gathering Procedure

The smartphone with detachable and upgradable modules is almost the same
as the ordinary smartphone. It is just like the Windows, Apple and Android phones.
So the data about this project will be mostly be gotten from the data of the currently
trending smartphones. The swapping of the modules in and out of this smartphone
is the same as the concept of the computer's systerm unit.
We also need to know the pros and cons of this idea by comparing this
electronic device to the device that is available on the market today.