Tecno has combined a popular trend of the past – modular phones – with a trend that is popular now – ultra-slim phones – to create the Tecno Modular Phone. It is a concept built on the company’s modular magnetic interconnection technology and is being demonstrated at MWC as a platform for future innovations.
The basic idea is this – current smartphones lock you into a particular set of hardware features. To get new hardware you will have to replace the entire phone. This concept system lets you add and swap components on a day-to-day and even minute-to-minute basis depending on your requirement.
At the heart of this system are two Tecno modular phones – the Atom Edition is silver and red, while the Moda Edition is a geekier dark gray and gold model.
techno modular phone atom edition
The thickness of the phone is only 4.9 mm, which is one millimeter less than the Tecno Spark Slim. There’s a matte finish glass on the back and a precision-engineered rectangular magnetic array to hold add-on modules in place.
Unlike MagSafe, Tecno’s system uses a physical connection (pogo pin) for efficient power delivery that runs cooler than wireless charging. It makes better use of power bank-like modules, which doubles the usable battery life and is only 4.5mm thick. The 4.9mm phone and 4.5mm power bank is still a pretty slim setup.
techno modular phone moda edition
Interestingly, Tecno decided to use wireless data connections – the phone can do Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and even mmWave, depending on the needs of the add-on module. The power bank or gaming controller doesn’t need to send a lot of data, so Bluetooth will suffice.
Then there are modules like action cameras and telephoto lenses, which need to send live previews to the phone, so they require high-speed, low-latency connections. Such modules could use Wi-Fi or mmWave – Tecno is keeping the specifications under wraps for now.
Although it wasn’t mentioned explicitly, you can see that the Atom version only has one set of power connectors, while the Moda has two. Some modules are so large that they cover the entire back, meaning you can only use one of them. But future products using this system may offer more or less customization options depending on the user’s needs.
The modular magnetic interconnection technology is currently just a prototype to demonstrate hardware capabilities. If it eventually reaches the production stage and gains momentum, Tecno could open it up to other companies to add to the ecosystem.
