Google’s Project Ara promises to make your mobile modular, but what if you don’t want to replace your phone? Check out this modular smartphone case instead.
It’s called nexpaq, and it lets you customise, enhance and add features to your smartphone by slotting in new modules to the case. At the moment, there are 12 modules available. Battery Power gives you 90 per cent more juice, so your phone’s battery will last almost twice as long as usual. Amplified Speaker makes your phone louder, while Super LED Flashlight helps you see in the dark. SD Card Reader gives you more storage, and Temperature and Humidity measures how hot something is, so can help diagnose if you have a temperature, say.
Hotkeys lets you set up shortcuts so you can go to the calendar, say, at the touch of a button. USB Flash lets you swap files with people, and Air Quality analyses the air around you. Breathalyser tells you if you’re safe to drive, Laser is a laser pointer, and Backup is a tiny, portable 64GB hard drive. Dummy fills any empty slots you have.
And that’s your lot.
Read more: HTC One M9 designer talks craftsmanship, modular phones and evolving “an icon”
It works with iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S5. But it will come to more phones in the future – let the firm know which you use, and it could be next.
It’s nearing its $50,000 funding goal, and if successful, will ship in January next year (though some betas will go out in November).
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.