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ZTE gives a peek into the future with Eco-Mobius (pictures)

The Eco-Mobius is a concept design from ZTE that enables users to switch out hardware components of their smartphones.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
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1 of 7 Lynn La/CNET

ZTE's Eco-Mobius modular phone

LAS VEGAS -- At CES this year, ZTE displayed its concept Eco-Mobius modular phone at its booth, which maps out how someone could customize and change his or her smartphone, hardware piece by hardware piece.

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Switchable hardware parts

Developed by the company's R&D department in China, the Eco-Mobius would make it possible to switch out and upgrade individual hardware components.

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3 of 7 Lynn La/CNET

More than one camera lens

For instance, say you are going to a wedding and would like to shoot sharper, higher-resolution photos. You could then replace your standard 8-megapixel phone camera lens with a 13-megapixel one.

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4 of 7 Lynn La/CNET

Upgrade what you want

Another example would be a chip manufacturer like Nvidia or Qualcomm releasing a faster handset processor. If you want to keep your device, you can upgrade just its CPU with the latest version.

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5 of 7 Lynn La/CNET

Change just the insides

The only part of your smartphone you would keep consistent, according to ZTE, would be its general body frame and the display.

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6 of 7 Lynn La/CNET

Everyone's interested in modular

This isn't the first time we've seen modular concept handsets like this. Last September, Dutch designer Dave Hakkens took the wraps off his Phonebloks and Motorola unveiled Project Ara.

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7 of 7 Lynn La/CNET

Not-so-future tech?

It's interesting to see ZTE throwing its hat into the ring of modular handsets, and as more development grows out of this area, this future tech idea may not be so distant after all.

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