Hands-on with modu: it's real and plenty fantastic

Modu lives! We had opportunity to check out one of Mobile World Congress' most unique offerings today, and we were impressed to say the least. This handset could completely change the way people use handsets giving them a really simple way to actually use your set for music, in-car, or on the go. Hit up Engadget Mobile for a huge gallery showing off some of what modu can do.

[Nathan @ Feb 12th 2008 12:46PM]

That's such a fantastic concept, no more buying a new phone with all the internals every year, just slap my modu into a new shell that fits my needs. I could have different shells for different activities, etc etc.

I give it two thumbs up.

[Gremlin @ Feb 12th 2008 12:53PM]

What the...? Why would I want to buy this? When I buy a new phone, I want it to be new. New face, new hardware, new technology.

... Lame.

[Gremlin @ Feb 12th 2008 12:56PM]

I mean, what advantage does this have over transferring you SIM card from phone to phone?

[Chad @ Feb 12th 2008 4:05PM]

My guess, cost and "marketability". What if I was a carrier and didn't want to subsidize phones for customers anymore? Enter Modu, a generiphone but with chameleon skins that not only change the color of the device but it's functionality as well. Now imagine millions of teenagers spending their parents money to make sure they have the latest trend. The skins cost about the same as a subsidized phone but the profit margin is much nicer since the cost of the core of the phone is no longer a factor.

[oakie @ Feb 12th 2008 1:57PM]

we already have this ability... it's called a SIM card. with the Modu, you get stuck with core technology that will become outdated; no matter what kind of shells they create for it, the internals arent upgradeable.

[James @ Feb 12th 2008 2:24PM]

This is a little more than the sim card.

This would be like carting around the sim card, your micro / mini sd (all your tracks). All your preferences (silent on at 8am off at 5pm), all your network settings, and and any other OS specific information (themes, etc.) and from phone to phone.

If you stick to one smartphone OS (winmo, s60, etc.) you can just backup this info and then go through reinstalling all of that when you get a new device. But, there are some OSes that don't offer everything you want (no sliding qwerty for S60, no small bar for UIQ) so this offers you a chance to find a shell that works for you at that moment but then easily swap it out for something that works later without setting it ALL back up.

If the manufacturing of shells is cheap (as stated), and 3rd party companies can keep costs down (HTC looking at you) this is an easy way to have a smartphone during the day and slim phone at night with comparable capabilities without dropping over 700 on both!

[Ypoknons @ Feb 12th 2008 12:56PM]

Being able to switch between a slim phone for travel and parties and a keyboard phone would rock, hard. But then, if the shells can't match the functionality of market phones, I'll probably still stick to a normal phone.

It does face the challenge of reducing profits - shells are probably less profitable than phones. It'll need industry support.

[Tim @ Feb 12th 2008 1:19PM]

Purely novelty.

People may flock to it now, but when they are tired of their current shell they will move on to a standard whatever is popular at the time handset, not a new shell as planned.

Part of this industry is the excitement of change. Keeping one piece of hardware for 4 years (sign up and upgrade w/ 2yr conract, typical of large carriers) will not be an attractive option down the road.

In my opinion, it is the answer to a question very few people asked.

But I like the theory behind the idea, and wish modu the best of luck proving me wrong. The game is afoot.

[Ypoknons @ Feb 12th 2008 1:20PM]

It'll push innovation into niches that wouldn't survive as an independent phone but might work as a jacket, such as a large car entertainment / aGPS device.

It's also a bit cheaper, especially if you just need to change aesthetics. People do talk about switching phones to match your suit.

It'll also keep more media and personal information. The SIM card is used far less for contacts in the smartphone world.

[Markus @ Feb 12th 2008 1:44PM]

Modu can go to hell for all i care!!

I'm sorry Modu, that was uncalled for. Please forgive my ignorant and rude outburst...

Now piss off!

[Jon Shipman @ Feb 12th 2008 2:05PM]

Hey it looks like Juno's opening credits would like Modu

[Richard Lai @ Feb 12th 2008 2:05PM]

On the day after Valentine's Day:

"Look, I know it sounds ridiculous, Jenni, but my dog swallowed the phone. Honest!"

[senorbelly @ Feb 12th 2008 2:42PM]

Hm, this is a tough one.

What if the core module itself undergoes an upgrade?

[Zeek @ Feb 12th 2008 3:58PM]

Why dat big fone eat dat small fone?

[rob.dominguez @ Feb 25th 2008 10:42AM]

unless this thing is waay more rugged than existing phones, I see no reason to go with this concept.

[Nathan @ Feb 12th 2008 6:37PM]

Gimmick.

I can see two issues straight away.

Phones get scratched and damaged in daily use.

People want new and better things.

[Brian @ Feb 12th 2008 6:46PM]

Me likey.

Sadly, I would never buy it. The only cellphones I'll be buying are slim WinMo phones.

[Nathan @ Feb 12th 2008 6:59PM]

Gimmick.

I can see two issues straight away.

Phones get scratched and damaged in daily use.

People want new and better things.

[nevyn @ Feb 13th 2008 3:18PM]

Think of it this way instead: How likely is it that a car radio maker would put a GSM 3G receiver in their new set just to let you stream internet radio?

Okay, so how about this one: Is it likely that a car radio maker could add Modu support and get Internet radio support that way?

This sounds awesome to me. Oh, idea: expose full network support through the dock connector of the iPhone! That'd at least give me Soma FM in my car, which is all I'm asking for ;)

[Seovice @ Feb 18th 2008 12:35PM]

With modu time to market of new devices gets cut down to about 6 months, that means we get the best features available much quicker thanks to modu!
No more waiting 2 years from significant improvements to be available.

Secondly buying new capabilities will be much less expensive than it is today.
modu is offering something no other mobile company offered at mobile world congress!

[Mikey @ Feb 15th 2008 4:46AM]

I hate spending $300 every 2 months on a phone because I don't like the look/feel/fact that it is so huge that it doesn't fit in my pocket/is so small that I accidentally toss it down an escalator trying to pull out my wallet/doesn't have a keyboard/has too small of a keyboard/has too large of a keyboard/got horribly scuffed up/has a crack on the screen protector/the DAMN KEYS WORE OFF.

Ok, what I'm saying here is I'm rough on phones. I have gone through TWELVE PHONES since may of 2006, and only one was because I wanted a hardware upgrade. I would KILL to have this. Also, I am so fed up with having to upgrade my media every time I upgrade my computer/stereo... c'mon, from tapes, to CD, to CF, to MD, to flash drives, to SD, mini SD, MICRO SD.... I want a little frickin bar that I can put in device du jour and carry with me regularly. If I want to listen to music in the bedroom, I pop it in the stereo. Want to listen to the same music on the way to work, pop it in the head unit in my Jeep. At work? MP3 player. Straightforward! No more losing frigging flash drives every two weeks! GOOD IDEA! THANK YOU MODU FOR REDUCING MY STRESS.

[oilfriedghost @ Feb 25th 2008 10:57AM]

Nice concept despite looking like just a wrapper to your SIM card. I agree that the core components will be the main issue during upgrades. It will be interesting to see how Modu will address CPU speed since "Jackets" will only address expandability and not processing power.