The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Google's Project Ara isn't the only hope for phones with replaceable and upgradeable parts. Finland's Circular Devices is developing an alternative concept called the Puzzlephone, which breaks the handset down into three constituent elements. The phone's Spine provides the LCD, speakers and basic structure, its Heart contains the battery and secondary electronics, and its Brain has the processor and camera modules.

http://www.wired.com/wp-content/uplo...uzzlephone.jpg

Phonebloks Puzzlephone
It's a simpler take on the modular device idea that stirred a lot of interest and support last year with Dave Hakkens' Phonebloks project, which gave rise to Project Ara. Smartphones are useful because they integrate a lot of functionality and hardware into one compact package, but that also leads to a lot of waste when any one part breaks down or needs to be upgraded. Should devices like the Puzzlephone or Ara ever take off, users would be able to swap out an aging processor or battery without sacrificing a perfectly good display and set of speakers.

https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nY-...zlephone.0.jpg

Formally founded in September of this year and based in Espoo, the home of Nokia, the company behind the Puzzlephone has been working on the project since 2013 and is approaching the stage where it can produce working prototypes. Circular Devices plans to release the first Puzzlephone at a mid-range price in the second half of 2015, provided it can secure the funding and support to make it a reality. Focusing on setting open source standards, the company would use a forked version of Google's Android OS to start with, but will look to support other alternatives while defining a consistent hardware spec for third-party phone manufacturers. It's a very ambitious project that aims to make the mobile industry more sustainable over the long term. Whether it pans out successfully will depend on our appetite for modularity and upgradeability in our devices over more superficial factors like thinness.

Phonebloks Puzzlephone

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

could be good if there's running maemo, and modular 'n900-ish' hardware... hwkb ftw *just saying*

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Are you ready?

https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a9&oe=568BFB72

puzzlephone

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Hey Foxkia!
Glad you didn't leave.
:)
Lego-phones are really a grand idea...
if they can make it work right it means potentially the end of the ecological landfill and recycle center toxification nightmare that is what we have now with disposable phones (perhaps not disposable parts butttttt..it is a start...)
Wish them the best.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Puzzlephone campaign starts on Indiegogo on November the 3rd 2015

Info: http://www.puzzlephone.com/blog-read

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Cool. I'm in. I'm sure I will get it before the jolla tablet. Also the campaign looks far better than Jolla. Will I get a puzzlephone? We will see...

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Given how many projects like Ara Google has cancelled with little notice or explanation, I think Puzzlephone might actually be more apt to see the light of day than Ara. Google has ADHD.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

What OS use the puzzlephone?

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Project Ara was delayed, not canceled.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Android so far in all their screenshots.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Yes, you're right. My post was poorly worded. I meant that Google had abruptly cancelled interesting projects that were somewhat similar to Ara, such as Google Glass.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

It looks to me Puzzlephone is mechanically a lot simpler than Ara, hence probably it will be cheaper to manufacture and might have less connection problems etc.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

The IGG campaign is go. No Sailfish, the specs are not impressive. Judging by the just 1 render from the front it looks quite a bit like the Jolla phone and the size is similar.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

i just backed on IG.com ..i want to bet on it...the heart part will have space for i2c modules (if i have not misunderstood), and other modules. It will be entirely produced in europe, so it is an added value for me. 299 euro is not that much,

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

they said for now they will sell it with android, but maybe in the future if it will be requested and if they will have more resources, it would be possible to find alternatives

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

I was hoping the OS could also be replaced like a puzzle-piece ;) Unfortunately I can't stand Android and hope for a positive Fairphone/Sailfish future.

I wished PuzzlePhone would explain further the estimated value of the different pieces (or % of whole product). Looks like a well designed device though and I wish them good luck with the campaign :)

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

I don't quite understand their campaign. The target is very low but it looks like they've got a fair way to go to get a final product. Presumably they've got other funding rather than just the campaign and its just for PR but if so it's a year out.

The design itself looks OK but for a modular phone they've not split out the costs of each module and combining the battery with other secondary electronics might make for an expensive battery if that's all you wanted to replace.

Choosing Android is a no brainer really. They need something with mass appeal that works and Sailfish is neither. I hope they have the sense to muck about with Android as little as possible so customers aren't waiting on them for customisation they don't need.

Good luck to them. I don't need another phone just now but maybe in a year.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

sure, they got funds also from UE..some sort of investiment..

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

I had high hopes, but the Indiegogo campaign or lack thereof is very disappointing.

They have some relatively specific specs listed, but zero details of the actual components. For phones or electronic devices this is bad, but particularly so for a supposedly modular, upgradeable device. I'm sure this is on purpose, as they believe the reaction would not be positive if people knew what they were intending to use.

Zero information or specifics about future upgrade paths. No mention of when or if there'll be third party modules ... just some pie in the sky design concepts which look unlikely to be realised any time soon.

Worst of all, they claim to have designed a sustainable, modular, upgradeable device ... and yet they not only don't have a removable battery, they don't even have a replaceable battery! This is beyond appalling. The (3) / 'Heart' module clearly has a lot more than just the battery in terms of electronics, given its size relative to the reasonably small 2800mAh capacity. People wanting a spare battery or to replace a faulty one have to buy another set of packaging and electronics as well as the battery. How is this not incredibly wasteful? Also they say nothing at all about how repairable or replaceable the LCD is ... I assume it isn't, at all, and you're expected to replace the entire assembly and frame of the phone - again a huge waste and no doubt far more expensive than in many traditional phones. Scratched camera lens? Oh, bad luck, you have to replace the SoC, RAM, solid state memory and main circuitry of the device, plus packaging. Sounds great.

I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole. I expect they were hoping for 10x that $250k figure. IMO they'll be extremely lucky to hit $500k. $350k is probably a realistic figure. I'd seriously question if they'll be around in 18 months time.

P.S. I love the section where they detail the years of experience and projects the team they've assembled have worked on ... all very impressive ... except for the notable absence of any experience relating to phones.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

I'm surprised that you've not asked these questions to them directly - IndieGoGo allows that type of interaction once signed in.

I think we'd all benefit from those types of questions, bluefoot.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

It's patently obvious they want to avoid any discussion of or answering any questions about certain topics. This combined with their design decisions and general direction of the project mean my interest in it is as a potential buyer or consumer is less than zero at this point. If you feel like you need answers from the horse's mouth, by all means link them to my post.

Even their Twitter is pretty much dead silent today. I'm sure they realised they had problems prior to yesterday, but they probably now know that any chance of success, given the total lack of interest shown in the first 24 hours is just a dream. I expect, inwardly, they've already given up.

P.S. You can't comment on their page unless you're a contributor. Some campaigns allow non-contributors to comment. They don't.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

i ask to alejandro from indiegogo what CPU and other components it will use. otherwise i will ask for a refund before campaign ends

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Er, what? If I'm reading it right, all the components you need for a smartphone are in sections 1 (brain) and 2 (spine) -- the processors, the radios, the screen, _everything_. Section 3 (heart) contains the battery, plus "secondary electronics". I would assume this means that section three is a sort of combination battery plus TOH, allowing users to design their own hardware and plug it into section 3.

As such, I don't see why you couldn't have a section 3 that is all battery and nothing else (since you really don't need any electronics in section 3). Or, why couldn't you design a _modular_ section three, composed of a replaceable battery inside of a housing that fits into that slot?

And again, why couldn't you purchase a modular section 1, where separate components could be replaced separately? (I would imagine such a section one would be a lot more expensive than an all-in-one package, but I don't see why it couldn't be made...)

Anyway, I believe the value behind the puzzlephone is not "here, you've now got three parts that you can join or remove yourself", but rather "here, you've now got three parts that, if you want, any one of which could be individually replaced with something completely different without throwing away the other two". It's the customization, not the efficiency, that should be the selling point here.

But yeah, until they have more than just the default "brain", "spine", and "heart" available, that value probably won't be obvious...

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

for first backers they will give a free heart module (battery + secondary electronic) for free. now, for the next limited hours, they are giving postage for free.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Or just buy Fairphone 2, where afaik you can change parts quite easily and spare parts are promised for some years. Too me it seems more modular than puzzle phone.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Yeah, and a Fairphone 2 running Sailfish sounds like an interesting proposition. But I'm still personally of the mind that mobile computing and cellphones should no longer mix. :) Better to stick to a dumb cellphone and a smart non-cellular mobile device (laptop or tablet)...

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

update! they add microsd support in brain module for free.

PS: stay tuned for next week ;)

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Puzzlephone just announced in Slush that their phone will have Sailfish!

Edit:
Its community edition, I wonder what does it mean precisely.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

http://www.puzzlephone.com/blog-read...s-integration/

Some more info

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

that's what i meant for stay tuned for next week =)

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

So we've also had a change of CTO at Jolla?

LinkedIn still has Stefano Mosconi as CTO

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stezz

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

PuzzlePhone announces SLUSH White Edition & Jolla support 4 community SailfishOS integration http://kcy.me/28y99

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTnr1mnUEAASWBp.jpg

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

I haven't updated my LinkedIn page for over a year! ;)

(Though C*Os should.)

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Puzzlephone blog entry states Harri Hakulinen as Jolla's CTO.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

From that page:

I can only assume this paragraph would read better if I were high right right now. "The real meat is flesh."

Also, "invaluable" is "more than valuable," right?

All that aside, I'd plunk my money down right now if it existed. My money or the Puzzlephone, you ask? Not sure which I mean, really. And also if I didn't feel a little gun-shy from the jPad (sorry, Jolla Tablet) campaign.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

As I was commenting here he dropped the CTO title from his twitter profile (where he's much more active than LinkedIn) since already quite some time. I first noticed it around the time when Dillon left Jolla.

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

however even if i usually prefer white phones to black ones,i find in this case that black one is more beautiful and elegant,while white one seems cheaper/chinaphone

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

Seems to be this way. His Twitter account description says the same:

May be, i get the puzzlephone before the tablet. Puzzlephone should come in September, tablet has no delivery date. ;-)

Re: The Puzzlephone is a modular cellphone designed in Nokia's hometown
 

what version did you choose,guys?