1. EricArden's Avatar
    Would really like to see TCL do "modular upgrades" to hardware for the key2.

    Instead of offering whole new phones I'd like to see them just offer the upgrades. Example, they offer a new mother board.
    Or a new camera.
    Or a new keyboard.
    Or new screen.

    All within the same key2 form factor.
    It would be cost effective and a huge selling point.
    chetmanley likes this.
    08-22-19 08:02 PM
  2. Bla1ze's Avatar
    It would be cost effective and a huge selling point.
    The growing list of failed modular phones disagrees.
    hamilgs and Laura Knotek like this.
    08-22-19 08:31 PM
  3. EricArden's Avatar
    name one
    08-22-19 11:09 PM
  4. conite's Avatar
    name one
    Fariphone 2, LG G5, Moto Z.
    GusBandicoot and hamilgs like this.
    08-22-19 11:47 PM
  5. mikeath's Avatar
    Google's Project Ara...
    08-23-19 02:54 AM
  6. Bla1ze's Avatar
    Phonebloks, Essential, Red Hydrogen.
    08-23-19 10:44 AM
  7. the_boon's Avatar
    If said modular designs had had an Apple or Samsung logo on the back... who knows how it could have turned out
    08-23-19 10:54 AM
  8. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    If said modular designs had had an Apple or Samsung logo on the back... who knows how it could have turned out
    Check out the official Apple replacement prices for Batteries and Screens. Now add 50% markup for limited production run of upgraded components that would fit old devices. If they are going to make new components to fit old designs there is going to be a markup. Or more as there is a clear premium between AMOLED and LCD.

    And being the Apple and Samsung tend to use good components to begin with... not as much of a desire to do an upgrade to begin with. I doubt there would be much of a market.

    You have a three year old phone, are you going to be several hundred into "upgrading it".
    Laura Knotek likes this.
    08-23-19 11:11 AM
  9. thurask's Avatar
    If said modular designs had had an Apple or Samsung logo on the back... who knows how it could have turned out
    It would be tough to reconcile with Apple's desire to solder everything shut.
    SeeBeeEss likes this.
    08-23-19 11:19 AM
  10. the_boon's Avatar
    It would be tough to reconcile with Apple's desire to solder everything shut.
    That philosophy still reinforces my shock at how they've been so successful.

    The only answer I have to that is that consumers couldn't care less about device longevity and repairability. They just want the newest shiniest Apple thing and they want it now, and at almost any cost.
    08-23-19 11:35 AM
  11. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    That philosophy still reinforces my shock at how they've been so successful.

    The only answer I have to that is that consumers couldn't care less about device longevity and repairability. They just want the newest shiniest Apple thing and they want it now, and at almost any cost.
    My wife had an iPhone 6... no problems at all with it. Only reason she upgraded with Verizon had the IPhone 7 for FREE with an upgrade from an iPhone 6 or 6S. She had to pay sales tax and an activation fee. She has had her 7 for three years with no problems.

    I think I reset her iPhone 6 one time for here because it wouldn't reboot. Her battery still lasts here all day... She might upgrade soon as one of my daughters needs to upgrade and they are thinking about doing a BOGO deal (just have to mess around with Google Voice to do it).
    08-23-19 11:54 AM
  12. the_boon's Avatar
    My wife had an iPhone 6... no problems at all with it. Only reason she upgraded with Verizon had the IPhone 7 for FREE with an upgrade from an iPhone 6 or 6S. She had to pay sales tax and an activation fee. She has had her 7 for three years with no problems.

    I think I reset her iPhone 6 one time for here because it wouldn't reboot. Her battery still lasts here all day... She might upgrade soon as one of my daughters needs to upgrade and they are thinking about doing a BOGO deal (just have to mess around with Google Voice to do it).
    The iPhone 6 battery life (due to its size) was a problem in of itself.
    08-23-19 12:20 PM
  13. chetmanley's Avatar
    Would really like to see TCL do "modular upgrades" to hardware for the key2.

    Instead of offering whole new phones I'd like to see them just offer the upgrades. Example, they offer a new mother board.
    Or a new camera.
    Or a new keyboard.
    Or new screen.

    All within the same key2 form factor.
    It would be cost effective and a huge selling point.
    I think this is a good idea. Unlike the other devices mentioned (essential, moto etc), this idea involves replacing internal components, not clipping on extra parts.

    I agree this could be a cost effective way of keeping our phone's hardware up to date, especially since we've got longer periods between new phone releases now.

    A new camera module with an accompanying software update would be considerably less expensive than releasing a whole new device, plus there would be less electronic waste.

    Our phones are already very modular, most of these parts are easily replaced. Just a matter of having new parts available to replace them with and the software to support them.
    08-24-19 11:25 AM
  14. EricArden's Avatar
    modular phones like the moto z is a poor concept of what I envision a modular phone to be.
    Having a phone with massive toy-like attachments (while technically modular) it's extremely stupid. The form factor is ruined and you basically have a massive game boy in your pocket.

    I'm talking about TCL making an upgraded processor and/or camera that fits the key2 frame. It would be upto the buyer to take apart the key2 themselves and install it. It wouldn't be a snap-on Lego monstrosity.
    08-25-19 06:58 PM
  15. conite's Avatar
    modular phones like the moto z is a poor concept of what I envision a modular phone to be.
    Having a phone with massive toy-like attachments (while technically modular) it's extremely stupid. The form factor is ruined and you basically have a massive game boy in your pocket.

    I'm talking about TCL making an upgraded processor and/or camera that fits the key2 frame. It would be upto the buyer to take apart the key2 themselves and install it. It wouldn't be a snap-on Lego monstrosity.
    Everything is jumbled up and packed in tight. To make it fully modular, it would be huge and heavy.

    Besides, OEMs would rather you buy a whole new phone rather than cannibalise their own sales by selling you parts.
    08-25-19 07:07 PM
  16. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    In addition, there can be significant changes from generation to generation, making it impossible, or just impractical, to be able to have backwards compatibility.
    Laura Knotek likes this.
    08-25-19 09:45 PM
  17. thurask's Avatar
    More parts for them to forget to glue?
    the_boon likes this.
    08-26-19 04:50 AM
  18. the_boon's Avatar
    modular phones like the moto z is a poor concept of what I envision a modular phone to be.
    Having a phone with massive toy-like attachments (while technically modular) it's extremely stupid. The form factor is ruined and you basically have a massive game boy in your pocket.

    I'm talking about TCL making an upgraded processor and/or camera that fits the key2 frame. It would be upto the buyer to take apart the key2 themselves and install it. It wouldn't be a snap-on Lego monstrosity.
    Moto's effort with modular design still deserves a hell of a lot more praise than virtually all the other OEM's who bring us nothing but the same tired slab design with no innovation, just basic incremental updates.
    08-26-19 10:18 AM
  19. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    Moto's effort with modular design still deserves a hell of a lot more praise than virtually all the other OEM's who bring us nothing but the same tired slab design with no innovation, just basic incremental updates.
    "Here we are almost three years after Moto's Mod platform launched, and Motorola has yet to offer any truly innovative Mods. In fact, Motorola's slavish commitment to modularity means that its phones have been stuck in 2016. At a time when smartphone design is getting downright boring (how many flat, glass slabs have we seen?), Motorola has managed to make modular smartphones even more yawn-inducing than phones that come in one piece." - AndroidPolice

    There were some plans for some great Mods... one that would add four SIMS to a phone, another that would measure advance health stats..... But in the end Moto showed why it isn't a great idea.

    1) It locks you to one phone manufacture - who isn't really doing much with the Moto Platform. How many new Moto Mod phone have there been?

    2) Any investment into accessories is lock to that platform. If they end it or you decide you need another product, those accessories are junk.

    3) PRICE - An Alexa Add-on speaker for $150? Projector for $200. Hasselblad Camera for $200 (rated terrible). Or one of the overpriced power banks. Or maybe you wanted a $350 5G Mod - that's already outdated?

    The idea sounds great, but practically it's just not a viable product.
    08-26-19 10:47 AM
  20. the_boon's Avatar
    "Here we are almost three years after Moto's Mod platform launched, and Motorola has yet to offer any truly innovative Mods. In fact, Motorola's slavish commitment to modularity means that its phones have been stuck in 2016. At a time when smartphone design is getting downright boring (how many flat, glass slabs have we seen?), Motorola has managed to make modular smartphones even more yawn-inducing than phones that come in one piece." - AndroidPolice

    There were some plans for some great Mods... one that would add four SIMS to a phone, another that would measure advance health stats..... But in the end Moto showed why it isn't a great idea.

    1) It locks you to one phone manufacture - who isn't really doing much with the Moto Platform. How many new Moto Mod phone have there been?

    2) Any investment into accessories is lock to that platform. If they end it or you decide you need another product, those accessories are junk.

    3) PRICE - An Alexa Add-on speaker for $150? Projector for $200. Hasselblad Camera for $200 (rated terrible). Or one of the overpriced power banks. Or maybe you wanted a $350 5G Mod - that's already outdated?

    The idea sounds great, but practically it's just not a viable product.
    I don't agree with their statement that a modular smartphone could possibly be more yawn-inducing than the run-of-the-mill slabs that flood the market.

    As for me, the only mod I was truly excited for was the Livermorium keyboard mod, but we know how that turned out ...

    Maybe another company would make a better modular ecosystem than Moto, who knows.
    08-26-19 12:54 PM
  21. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    I don't agree with their statement that a modular smartphone could possibly be more yawn-inducing than the run-of-the-mill slabs that flood the market.

    As for me, the only mod I was truly excited for was the Livermorium keyboard mod, but we know how that turned out ...

    Maybe another company would make a better modular ecosystem than Moto, who knows.
    Maybe....

    Just like maybe another big OEM will make another PKB phone...
    08-26-19 01:06 PM
  22. the_boon's Avatar
    Maybe....

    Just like maybe another big OEM will make another PKB phone...
    I won't hold my breath!
    08-26-19 01:19 PM
  23. EricArden's Avatar
    In addition, there can be significant changes from generation to generation, making it impossible, or just impractical, to be able to have backwards compatibility.
    There really aren't that many changes. The biggest changes now a days are all software. Physically, not a whole lot has changed. Arguably the biggest change was going from USB-2 to USB-C.

    I'm not saying you could extend the life of a phone indefinitely, but if your goal as a company is to extend the life of a product that is 2x as long as your competitors, you're always behind in specs as is, and your still trying to attract new customers....

    You can certainly offer "upgrades" that fit that model. Heck, we've already seen this happen a few times. Remember when the KEYone got a beefed up version just months after launch?

    BlackBerry phones do often get little tweeks to them as the age but are still the most relevant model. Keytwo got color changes.
    Heck even the keytwo uses the same exact screen as the KEYone. Right there saving them money....modular if u will.
    08-26-19 01:59 PM
  24. Bla1ze's Avatar
    There really aren't that many changes. The biggest changes now a days are all software.
    Until 5G hits in a real capacity. 5G will light a little bit of fire under the processor / modem changes.
    08-26-19 02:23 PM
  25. EricArden's Avatar
    I'm skeptical that 5G is even going to take off any time soon. The infrastructure still isn't there and there is an admit part of the population that's against 5G for safety reasons.

    I view 5G is like the hydrogen cars that never happened.
    08-26-19 08:39 PM
26 12

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