Thoughts on the acclaimed modular accessories from Lenovo. Breakthrough or road to nowhere?
The media cannonade of materials, reviews, all sorts of examples of the user experience of new smartphones of the Moto Z line in conjunction with Moto Mods has subsided a little, the start of sales of new products in Russia is approaching .. It's time to cool head down what these modular accessories offer us in the bottom line. One of the materials talked about the emergence and development of the idea of modularity in smartphones, which at this stage of its evolution moved away from the original concept towards accessories and additional 'gadgets'. And the once noisy ProjectAra, apparently, ordered to live long. And here we have a kind of variation of the once seemed real and innovative idea, but is the game worth the candle? Trying to figure it out.
Technical implementation
Speaking of additional accessories in the devices of the current model year, one cannot fail to mention with a pomp the G5 presented at MWC LG with a set of modular accessories. For Lenovo, this device probably served as an example of how not to do it: the system for connecting accessories, in my opinion, does not stand up to criticism, it is long and problematic. In the Z-series, everything is clear with this, quick connection and disconnection of accessories using the connectors and the position of the lens in relation to the body help the accessories stay firmly in place.
Ease of use and replacement of accessories can be added to the plus, the proposed features well complement the standard parameters of the device. Of course, not all accessories have a positive effect on the aesthetic characteristics of a smartphone, which cannot be done for the sake of additional features.
Additional modules for Motorola Moto Z
Differentiation
Here it is, one of the main reasons for the emergence and development of the discussed direction. None of the modern device manufacturers will give up this way of making their product stand out in the market. Not only was the design of the Z line received by many with hostility (read – noticed), but also the system of accessories, such marketing steps can keep the mentioned products heard for a long time. Is it positive? More likely yes than no, the user sees the changes and is able to evaluate them, which cannot be said about the cosmetic updates of some flagships from year to year. Someone may be repulsed by the design, someone will not be able to understand the need for modular accessories, but the goal will be achieved – at least they will be able to recognize the phone externally.
Moto Mods Development Kit
According to the engineers, the modular system in Moto Z smartphones is capable of more and innovations await us in this direction. More recently, a program has been launched where proactive developers can purchase a kit to develop their own accessories. The aforementioned kit includes a reference module, a kind of mini-computer based on a microprocessor for Mods, its own battery, ports for debugging and data transfer, DisplayPort connector. For testing modules, a board with contacts is provided, as well as an adapter board for Raspberry Pi modules, to which you can connect any of the available modules and write firmware for it.
The SDK offers access to four specialized cards, respectively responsible for sound, display, battery and sensors, such as a thermometer. It looks very promising, but it would be advisable to launch the SDK in parallel with the announcement of smartphones, which took place about three months ago.
Variety of options
Despite the announced program for third-party developers, at the moment there are not many types of accessories: covers-covers, an external battery, a projector, a wireless speaker and a photographic module. It seems nothing superfluous, but on the other hand, I would like to see more original solutions. For example? It is difficult to say from the user's point of view, probably an accessory that combines a game controller for a smartphone with an external battery could be a good solution, so that the design does not disappoint. In the video about the aforementioned SDK, during a brainstorming session, the developers came up with a module with a walkie-talkie and GPS transmission function for travelers left in the wilderness with poor cellular coverage, as well as a kind of digital hub for all content generated from a smartphone. What else? One of the resources mentioned the idea of a modular full-size E-ink display, but so far only this version on the cover has reached mass production, I would like a bigger screen.
As a platform for experimentation, Moto Mods look pretty good, seemingly correct and comprehensive approach. The cost of entering the program cannot be called high, it remains to somehow motivate a larger number of developers to be included in the development program. I am very impressed by the desire of those responsible for the development of the direction to keep their finger on the pulse of innovations, but as always it was not without a fly in the ointment.
Adequacy of price positioning
- Back covers – $ 20-25
- Battery cover – $ 60-90
- Wireless speaker module – $ 80
- Portable projector – $ 300
The main negative point that commentators in the materials and reviewers refer to in their articles is the price of the modules. Here it is difficult to disagree, the cost of the modules is quite high. For the three hundred dollars spent on the Hasselblad photo module, you can, if you wish, buy a good smartphone from strong middlings. Of course, die-hard fans will tell you that three hundred dollars cannot be attributed to the ability to have optics from Hasselblad, the company whose cheapest camera starts at $ 14,500. But even with a phone for the nominal 800-900 dollars, such things in my head also do not fit. “Focus on the premium segment,” readers would argue. It goes without saying, but users who are not with such broad financial capabilities, most likely, will not take a look at such a device. Photo opportunities, of course, are expanding, however, few will be ready to take such a step for such images.
Instead of output
What's ahead for Mods? Experiments are always good, but I think that you should not get too carried away with them, but it is better to slightly expand the vector of activity and achieve the location of a wider stratum of users. Yes, Moto may be more focused on the premium segment, but this approach can be wrong. Delaunay in the work of Moto Z, praised by some authors, paired with TrueZoom, the results of which supposedly surpass the pictures with iPhone 7 and Huawei P9 Plus, and not in protection against falls, just for our consumer for now we need another Moto, simple, understandable and accessible, the one to which they managed to get used to during the victorious march of the company across our market in the 'pre-smartphone' era. At that time, the devices were half a step-step faster than their time, they worked reliably and literally 'sunk into the soul'. I personally know several people who are Moto fans who complain that the phones are 'not the same', 'the prices are unaffordable', and so on in the same spirit.
Let's see if Lenovo can lead Moto Mods to success, the idea is cool, everything is implemented at a good level, the price is very embarrassing and the lack of a greater variety of accessory options is somewhat upsetting. We are waiting for the official Russian announcement.