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Chinese smartphone sales have dropped dramatically this year. Mostly as smartphones have reached a point where upgrading cost vs return is no longer worth it fo

Chinese smartphone sales have dropped dramatically this year. Mostly as smartphones have reached a point where upgrading cost vs return is no longer worth it for many. I really wanted Googles modular phone to be a successful but it died very quickly even before release otherwise that would have been a great way to upgrade parts without disposing old phones and creating waste.

Vinnl 9y ago
If you think that's a shame, do check out Fairphone [0]. It's not completely modular, but it's trivial to replace the battery, screen and camera's without tools. See also their spare parts shop [1], all of which you can replace by yourself. [0] https://www.fairphone.com https://www.fairphone.com [1] https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts/?ref=header https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts/?ref=header
- pizza234 9y ago
  The Fairphone is a great idea, however, the software support plan, which is crucial for a long-term device, is vague [⁰]. I wonder if there is a realistic plan for such devices; I'm not sure a subscription plan would work - would non-technically minded people pay? [⁰] https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/205504175-What-is-the-plan-for-software-updates-on-the-Fairphone-2- https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/205504175-Wh...
  - Vinnl 9y ago
    Coincidentally they just made some announcements on that [0]. > Right now, we’re hard at work to get Android 7.1 “Nougat” into the hands of existing and new Fairphone 2 users this summer. Unfortunately: > Now, you may be wondering, “why not Android 8, ‘Oreo’?”. Android 8 and 9 are entirely new levels of complexity from Android 7, far more different than 7 was to 6. Therefore, attempting the upgrade to 7 was the best option. [0] https://www.fairphone.com/en/2018/05/08/keeping-your-phone-longer-refreshed/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/2018/05/08/keeping-your-phone-l...
syd_ 9y ago
Do you think Google bought it only to kill it (the modular phone startup)?
- xbmcuser 8y ago
  Ah no google is not into selling phones as much as getting people to use its services. I don't think they bought it for nefarious reasons but simply ended it as they were unlikely to get traction for it. All the phone manufacturers and telco would have have opposed it anyway as it would have destroyed trillion dollars of their market cap.

Vinnl 9y ago

If you think that's a shame, do check out Fairphone [0]. It's not completely modular, but it's trivial to replace the battery, screen and camera's without tools. See also their spare parts shop [1], all of which you can replace by yourself. [0] https://www.fairphone.com https://www.fairphone.com [1] https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts/?ref=header https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts/?ref=header

pizza234 9y ago
The Fairphone is a great idea, however, the software support plan, which is crucial for a long-term device, is vague [⁰]. I wonder if there is a realistic plan for such devices; I'm not sure a subscription plan would work - would non-technically minded people pay? [⁰] https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/205504175-What-is-the-plan-for-software-updates-on-the-Fairphone-2- https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/205504175-Wh...
- Vinnl 9y ago
  Coincidentally they just made some announcements on that [0]. > Right now, we’re hard at work to get Android 7.1 “Nougat” into the hands of existing and new Fairphone 2 users this summer. Unfortunately: > Now, you may be wondering, “why not Android 8, ‘Oreo’?”. Android 8 and 9 are entirely new levels of complexity from Android 7, far more different than 7 was to 6. Therefore, attempting the upgrade to 7 was the best option. [0] https://www.fairphone.com/en/2018/05/08/keeping-your-phone-longer-refreshed/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/2018/05/08/keeping-your-phone-l...

syd_ 9y ago

Do you think Google bought it only to kill it (the modular phone startup)?

xbmcuser 8y ago
Ah no google is not into selling phones as much as getting people to use its services. I don't think they bought it for nefarious reasons but simply ended it as they were unlikely to get traction for it. All the phone manufacturers and telco would have have opposed it anyway as it would have destroyed trillion dollars of their market cap.