PuzzlePhone wants you to fund its modular smartphone

If you're enamored with modular smartphones but aren't convinced that Project Ara will pan out, you can now pour your money into an alternative. PuzzlePhone has launched a crowdfunding campaign to get its namesake upgradable handset into your hands. Plunk down at least $333 and you'll get a complete Android phone divided into a Spine (the 5-inch LCD, frame and speakers), Brain (processor and camera) and Heart (battery and secondary tech), all of which you can replace without having to toss out the rest of the device.

All of the models in the funding drive carry an unnamed eight-core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 5-inch 1080p display, a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front shooter. Your pledge mostly determines both the internal storage and the level of fancy trim you get. That base $333 nets you a 16GB device with black plastic decorations. You'll want to contribute $444 if you want 32GB and metal detailing, while a limited-run $777 model gives you both 64GB of space and a spiffy copper hue. PuzzlePhone isn't expected to ship until September 2016 at the earliest, but look at it this way: you're already getting a more concrete product roadmap than Project Ara, and you'll know exactly how much you'll pay.