We somehow had a feeling that the Project ARA would be shelved after several issues and news of delays. Google finally admitted defeat last week. It had a few budding competitors like the Phonebloks and Click ARM One already. The modular concept was also adopted by Motorola with the Moto Z and LG with the G5. However, the two phones are not fully modular.
Even before the launch of the LG G5, we’ve been saying that it’s not really modular. It’s not modular in a sense that you can’t remove the innards of the phone but you can easily attach some compatible snap-on accessories. LG introduced the G5 with several Friends and so we were hopeful that the same will arrive with the LG V20. Unfortunately, the V10 follow-up arrived alone. There’s no option to plug attachments but it’s definitely an enhanced mobile device.
The LG V20 is now considered a more conventional phone while the G5 is more experimental. Others are happy that the other South Korean tech giant is making a bold step although it’s not exactly a bestseller today. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge beat the LG G5 so the latter saw some declining numbers last quarter. Motorola’s introduction of the Moto Z was bad news for LG too because it has the same concept but the Moto Mods can be snapped on easily, thanks to the magnets.
Poor sales usually mean an OEM may have to rethink its strategy but it in LG’s case, we know it won’t stop yet. It will only improve and this includes the modular idea. We’ll see next year when the LG G6 is unveiled.
VIA: CNET
