We all have a tragic story about how our phone kicked the proverbial bucket. “So I was: jogging; opening the door; pouring a drink; sitting there; and my phone: dropped; cracked; got soaked; just died. And now I have to get a new one.” But often times, we don’t even know what’s wrong with it, how fixable it might be, what costs it may incur, or what impact our choice might have.

Cue Phonebloks, a revolutionary new phone manufacturer that makes ingeniously customizable, durable, and salvageable phones, all while being extremely powerful and environmentally-conscious. Trust me, click and check it out.

Let me start by saying I love this idea. I believe the excitement surrounding this start-up is twofold, an idea Parmy Olson of Forbes supports in her blog. Firstly, the product is well-executed, innovative, and compatible with phones currently on the market. Secondly, Phonebloks is one of the first earnest efforts at a socially-responsible phone, and its corporate partnership with Motorolla (who has recently dabbled in similar technology) is nothing but positive in the eyes of consumers looking for a little something more.

Their product, while not the prettiest on the market, holds high perceived value in the eyes of consumers, largely due to the future cost benefits. The consumers’ ability to replace components, support individual brands, and alter customization over time is an exciting alternative to screwless, virtually unsalvageable iPhones.

Phonebloks’ value proposition of a quality-built, customizable, environmentally-conscious phone creates a significant advantage and niche for the fledgling brand and the device itself in the immediate future. While the phone is still at an innovator stage of diffusion, the prominence of this barrier in conjunction with a successful viral digital marketing campaign has the momentum to eke out a transition to the early adopter stage, and well beyond.

Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/10/29/motorola-partners-with-viral-sensation-phonebloks-to-launch-a-modular-smartphone/
https://phonebloks.com/
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/29/motorola-teams-up-with-phonebloks-to-create-modular-mobile-phones/
http://techland.time.com/2013/10/29/motorolas-project-ara-diy-smartphone-sounds-a-lot-like-phonebloks-because-it-is/