Google's work-in-progress Project Ara has been joined by the PuzzlePhone modular smartphone, which has landed on the Indiegogo crowdfunding site, to raise money needed to build and ship its handset. Although Google's phone will include interchangeable parts, PuzzlePhone is made up of three modules that include category-grouped components.
The Brain of the build-it-yourself phone includes three main electronic components (CPU, GPU, and 3 gigabytes of RAM) and 16GB of internal memory storage.
The PuzzlePhone's creators are Finland-based. They explained that the device's owners will likely want to upgrade this module.
Next, the Spine includes the modular smartphone's display, speakers, and microphone. Finally, the Heart is the phone's battery and secondary technology.
The 5-inch display has a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels. It also includes a 12-megapixel primary camera, and secondary front camera.
PuzzlePhone's manufacturers have shared that the hardware will last for years. It is also built with Earth-friendly materials.
The phone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow
One drawback of the PuzzlePhone compared to Project Ara is when the former installs a new module it keeps many components. However, some of them still function.
Indiegogo pledgers of $100 get a version with 32GB of internal storage, while chipping in $777 can get a 64GB version, according to PhoneArena. The first PuzzlePhone units are scheduled to ship September 2016.
One year is a long time to wait for the new modular smartphones. However, it is a more concrete product than Project Ara, and buyers also know the exact price point of the product, according to Engadget.
Here is a first-look at the PuzzlePhone modular smartphone: