14 DAY TRIAL // modu Ltd., an Israeli company, announced the release of the first modular mobile phone, named simply modu. Smaller than an iPod Nano, the modu phone weighs only 42 grams (1.5 ounces), it's sleek, easy to use, and can be integrated into a variety of so called "modu jackets" or "modu mates", which are actually different cases that change the device's functionality and look, adjusting it for a wide range of needs.
modu jackets allow the core handset to become a fashion phone, a business phone with QWERTY keypad, a camera phone, a music phone, a navigation device - the possibilities are endless. The modu jackets will be created in collaboration with leading companies from different market areas, including Universal Music Group, the largest music company in the world, and Blaupunkt, the famous home and car audio equipment producer from Germany.
"There are hundreds of handset models on the market: the trouble is that as a consumer you can only have one at a time and you are usually tied to a long and expensive contract. modu is challenging that with a solution that offers freedom, boundless possibilities and the opportunity to change your phone without it costing a fortune," said Dov Moran, founder and CEO of modu.
Dov Moran is also the founder of msystems Ltd., the company that invented the USB Flash Drive (DiskOnKey) and the FlashDisk (DiskOnChip) and was acquired by SanDisk for approximately $1.5 billion in 2006. These being said, it's clear that modu is a serious and respectable company which has all it takes to create a revolutionary device that could become the next iPhone - not in terms of looks and features, but in the way that it can have the same huge impact on the mobile industry.
The modu phone will retail for about 200 Euro (or 300 USD), coming with two standard jackets. Other various jackets will be available for purchase, offering consumers a wide range of choices.
A cool video presentation of the modu phone can be found on the modu website, at this address. Well, in fact it's a pseudo-presentation, a teaser video, and it doesn't give technical specs or any other details. But it's still nice to watch.
The innovative modu device will be showcased in Barcelona, Spain, next week, at the World Mobile Congress (11 - 14 February). Important mobile carriers have already signed agreements with modu, so the phone is expected to hit the market in late 2008, first in Italy, Russia and Israel, then in other countries, unspecified yet.
Awaiting for more details on the modu phone, I can't help thinking that it will be kind of like a Transformers robot, with the tiny difference that modu is real, it's a phone and it's packed with many features that we actually need.
