Will your next phone be as customisable as Lego blocks?
Also read: Doctor Anywhere founder Lim Mai Wun on creating a blueprint for a sustainable tech-enabled healthcare company HMD Fusion: modularity made simple
Above HMD Fusion's modular accesories include Outfit cases with flash and a dedicated gaming controller (Photo: HMD)
Finnish manufacturer HMD, best known for producing Nokia-branded phones, is venturing into modular territory with the HMD Fusion. Designed as a midrange device, the Fusion features a 6.56-inch screen, Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset and a removable, modular back panel known as Outfits.
These Outfits, which attach via connector pins, range from basic coloured covers to functional accessories like the Smart Outfit—featuring a flip-up flash powered by the phone—and a Gaming Outfit with dual joysticks and triggers that transforms the Fusion into a handheld console.
HMD has prioritised repairability, using standard screws instead of glue. Users can replace the screen, battery and other internal components themselves. The company has also released a toolkit for developers and hobbyists to design their own Outfits using 3D printing. Fairphone 5: prioritising repairability and ethical sourcing
Above The Fairphone 5 is built using ethical manufacturing with sustainable and recycled materials under fair labor practices (Photo: Fairphone)
Dutch company Fairphone has been leading the sustainable smartphone movement since 2013. Its latest model, the Fairphone 5, is engineered for a 10-year lifespan, supported by a five-year warranty and eight years of software updates.
Powered by a Qualcomm chipset and featuring IP54 resistance, the Fairphone 5 is designed with repairability and ethical sourcing in mind. It uses no glue in its assembly, instead relying on screws, so components like the battery, screen, camera modules, USB port and earpiece can be replaced individually.
The phone's body is made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium, and its supply chain prioritises fair trade practices. It ships with a de-Googled version of Android called /e/OS, but users can opt to install other Android distributions—or even Linux. CMF by Nothing: stylish, accessible modularity
Above CMF Phone 2 Pro has various attachment points for multiple accessories such as extra lenses, magnetic folding stand and lanyard (Photo: Nothing)
CMF, a sub-brand of British tech upstart Nothing, has released the CMF Phone 2 Pro, its second modular phone. Designed with affordability in mind, it is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset and also carries an IP54 rating.
Rather than overhaul the entire phone, CMF focuses on modular accessories that attach to the back panel. Users can swap in add-on lenses (such as fisheye or macro), magnetic folding stands, or even wallet attachments. An extra thumb screw on the corner allows lanyards or other accessories to be secured. The backplates themselves can be removed with a screwdriver and 3D printed for further customisation. Better phones mean a better future
Above The Fairphone 5 has components that come from fair and ethical sources (Photo: Fairphone)
Despite their promise, modular phones face challenges—chief among them being the trade-off between flexibility and sleek design. Consumer habits, driven by rapid upgrade cycles, also present a barrier to widespread adoption.
However, as environmental concerns gain urgency and regulations around e-waste tighten, modular designs could become the new standard. With brands like Fairphone, HMD and CMF leading the charge, the smartphone of the future may not just be smarter—it may also be more sustainable, more durable and more personalised.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US cattle tally shows no end in sight for soaring beef prices
(Bloomberg) — The latest US cattle tally offered little relief for consumers paying record beef prices, even as the cycle of herd liquidation seems to be coming to an end. Trump Awards $1.26 Billion Contract to Build Biggest Immigrant Detention Center in US The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Can This Bridge Ease the Troubled US-Canadian Relationship? Salt Lake City Turns Winter Olympic Bid Into Statewide Bond Boom Trump Administration Sues NYC Over Sanctuary City Policy There were about 94.2 million cattle and calves in the US as of July 1, the lowest mid-year count on record in data going back to 1973, the Department of Agriculture said in a report. The number of animals placed in feedlots for weight gain before being sent to slaughter plunged to the lowest since 2017, the USDA said in a separate note. A severe shortage in the world's largest beef-producing country has sent cattle costs soaring, wiping out billions in profits for companies such as JBS NV and Tyson Foods Inc., while driving record beef prices at grocery stores. For years, ranchers have been slashing their herds due to a combination of high interest rates, costly feed and persistent drought. But record cattle prices and improved pasture conditions this year are raising speculation that ranchers are moving to rebuild their herds — a move that is yet to be confirmed. The latest USDA numbers offer 'very little indication of much herd rebuilding or anything very aggressive,' said Derrell Peel, a professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University. The number of heifers in feedlots remained mostly stable relative to that for steers, suggesting ranchers are not meaningfully retaining females for breeding. 'We are probably stabilizing cattle numbers, but we're not growing yet,' he said. A large decline in beef cows raised specifically for breeding purposes also indicates that a rebuild has yet to kick in — prolonging a money-losing cycle for meat producers and potentially pushing consumers toward cheaper proteins like pork and chicken, according to Benjamin Theurer, an analyst at Barclays Plc. 'A full rebuild and margin recovery is a ways away,' he wrote in a note to clients. Even if ranchers start rebuilding now, beef supplies aren't expected to meaningfully recover before 2028 or 2029 — meaning cattle and beef prices are poised to remain elevated for years. Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash Confessions of a Laptop Farmer: How an American Helped North Korea's Wild Remote Worker Scheme It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Orient bring in Palace defender Adaramola
Leyton Orient have signed Crystal Palace defender Tayo Adaramola on a season-long loan. Adaramola, 21, has played in the FA Cup for the Eagles, but he spent last season on loan at Stockport County and Bradford City. The left-back becomes Orient's ninth summer signing as they bid to improve on last season's League One play-off final defeat. "Tayo has had a few loans away from Palace now, and he comes here with real pedigree," said the O's head coach Richie Wellens. "He's a proper athlete, gives us a huge amount of pace, and we think we can develop him." Football Transfers
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I quit my job as an attorney to follow my true passions. I now want my teens to chase their dreams — not the highest-paying career.
Although I was always creative, the adults in my life pushed me toward a career in law. I eventually quit my job as an attorney to follow my dreams and be a mother. Now that I'm doing what I love, I want my teens to do the same and chase their dreams. When I was growing up, I was taught that the world was mine for the taking. I thought I could be and do whatever I wanted. Although my answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up?" changed frequently, I knew that I wanted a job that brought me joy. I wanted to be an artist, astronomer, baseball player, or historian. Eventually, I settled on becoming a writer or photographer. However, as I grew older and college drew near, pressure from the adults in my life to pursue a stable profession began to mount. My future narrowed, and I began considering only two futures for myself: doctor or lawyer. Ultimately, I followed the path laid out for me by others. Now that my teenagers have to make similar decisions about their futures, I want them to have a broader view of what it means to be successful. I became an attorney I took classes in writing and photography in college, but settled on law school after graduation. It was so intense that I had to shut out nearly everything else to focus on studying. After law school. I landed a job that I was good at and that paid well. Eventually, I built a successful career and had a comfortable lifestyle. However, I never developed a passion for practicing law. I often wondered what life would have been like if I had followed my interests rather than succumbing to the well-meaning adults who influenced my career choice. Once I had children, I left my job as a lawyer I got married and became pregnant. Although I had not planned on leaving my job, my priorities shifted. My oldest was born with disabilities and is medically complex. I wasn't sure if she would live or die, and she required an enormous amount of care and attention. The realization that life is short and I didn't want to spend my days filing papers at a desk hit hard. Moreover, even if I had loved my job, spending decades running from an office to childcare pick-up wasn't the type of lifestyle I wanted either. I wanted more freedom to attend school events, travel, and play games with my children after school instead of collapsing into bed at night, too exhausted to enjoy myself or my family. I didn't want to live in a state of constant stress. I was expecting again before my daughter was a year old. I left my job as an attorney for good and went on to have four children in total. I found an alternative career path that provided a better lifestyle Even though I left my job as a lawyer to spend more time with my children, I didn't want to give up working entirely. I still wanted an identity outside motherhood, and I wanted to contribute financially to my family. This pivotal time in my life, with more clarity about my priorities, allowed me to pursue what I had always wanted to do. Finally, I started writing and taking photographs as a freelancer. I didn't earn nearly as much as I did as an attorney, but I began to enjoy my life more. I didn't dread work, and I loved the flexibility I had to work after the kids went to sleep. I could cut back on work obligations when my children were out of school, or life began to feel overwhelming. Even better, I found ways to incorporate my children into my work by writing about parenting issues and photographing them at the endless family-friendly events we attended together. Although I realize this option isn't open to everyone, it works well for my family. I hope my teens follow their dreams I have always been open with my children about my unorthodox career trajectory. They know that even though I earned a higher salary as an attorney, I am happier and more fulfilled doing something I love. I enjoy finally having the type of career I wanted, even as a child. Now that my children are teenagers, they are thinking about college and the types of careers they want to pursue. Like most parents, I want my children to live comfortably and not have to worry about covering their living expenses. I want them to have enough left over after paying their bills for everything that makes life fun. However, I want them to understand that money isn't everything. Their happiness and the ability to achieve a true work-life balance are valuable, too. I don't want them to give up on their dreams or toss their passions aside because they are too consumed with work to find joy. I believe that they will live their best lives by considering more than just a paycheck. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
