The last piece of the puzzle was just unveiled by HMD at IFA today, the HMD Fusion. The HMD Fusion is definitely one of the most innovative device till date, though there have been similar attempts in the past by other manufacturers to bring a modular concept to mainstream market.
HMD Fusion
The HMD Fusion is made of stainless steel reinforced plastic casing that is not only slim, but its also strong and durable. It has an industrial aesthetic appeal that I feel is a beauty by itself. The retail package comes with a clear Casual Outfit that showcases its intricate design.
HMD calls the modular half as Outfit and this Outfits is what makes the Fusion as a truly personalized phone. The interchangeable Outfits will be available later this year and you can easily customize your device to your style and functionality requirement.
Some of this Outfits were shown during the media briefing and they certainly are unlike anything else in the market today. This are just some additional appendages attached to the device but one that is design to integrate seamlessly with the device without additional power supply. The Outfits communicates through six specialized pins and this introduces not only a new hardware, but also software and unique interface to enhance its performance.
HMD’s Fusion Outfit that will be out later this year includes the Flashy Outfit, a super stylish built in ring light that will compliment its powerful rear and front camera setup. This Outfit allows you to control mood lighting and camera effects via on device control. This is a must have addition for content creators and selfie afficionados. There is also the Rugged Outfit that not only adds an IP68 protection but also comes in with support for magnetic wireless charging and in-case-of-emergency (ICE) button. The Wireless Outfit adds wireless charging function of the device while maintaining its slim profile and there will also be one that turns your device into a gaming console.
At the heart of its design principle, the HMD Fusion boasts Gen 2 repairability, with parts available from iFixit later and the built in Detox mode will ensure a balanced digital experience.
The HMD Fusion is certainly the most ambitious project by HMD till date. While it has been attempted by other manufacturer in the past, almost all were a one-off attempt. To make the adoption to this revolutionary concept, HMD released the HMD Fusion toolkit to give access to the public to bring their ideas and creativity to life. I have always been fascinated about the idea of upgrading components of your device to match your needs without actually having multiple devices to do each separately.
One key aspect that I feel HMD should commit is to standardize the design of HMD Fusion for few cycles which will allow older Outfits to be used on future Fusion device. This way, older Outfits will remain relevant for longer period and third party manufacturers will be more confident to produce them. Despite the toolkit being accessible to the public, it is still interesting to see how the less tech savvy end users will be able to not only manufacture their ideas but also to write complimentary codes for the added hardware. Perhaps, HMD should have a dedicated site where an idea or design can be voted, and create a crowd funded pathway to have them manufactured and delivered.
The HMD Fusion will be available shortly at hmd.com with the Outfits releasing later. To those interested with the device, do you have any suggestions, to make this modular concept successful?
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