Let me give you an alternate use case beyond the upgrade-ability. I see the advantages of this more-so in day to day use. I use my phone in several different environments and to that end right now I have multiple phones because of the limitations.
Typical days I want a full featured general use device... well rounded. I carry my Nexus 4.
My job requires me to spend several days a month "on-site" where I will be on my feet moving for 12-14 hours a day. I need battery life as I can't stop at a charger. I carry my Nexus One (yes, it still goes a 12 hour day under solid use)
Lastly, when I travel I'd like to have a phone with a better camera so I wouldn't have to carry one. The Nexus 4 is good but if there was a better option I'd take it.
I would like to see a device like this give me the option to reconfigure on the fly. When I'm on-site I'll pop in 2 battery modules... when I travel I'll put in the better (yet maybe bulkier) camera... day to day I'll use a more general set of components. Through it all I don't have to sync data or worry about what is on each device. Additionally this would easily allow swappable batteries (and if they permit more than one... hot swappable)
I don't think they have the design nailed yet... but I also don't think this is something that should be discounted at all. Those who research this early despite the nay-sayers are the ones who just might be holding the next great thing in the end.
Two questions:
1. why not just carry a battery case for your Nexus 4?
2. keep in mind that modular = bigger. Would you still like to carry the phone if it meant that in Nexus 4 configuration it would be 2 times bigger and weight two times as much as your regular Nexus 4?
Typical days I want a full featured general use device... well rounded. I carry my Nexus 4.
My job requires me to spend several days a month "on-site" where I will be on my feet moving for 12-14 hours a day. I need battery life as I can't stop at a charger. I carry my Nexus One (yes, it still goes a 12 hour day under solid use)
Lastly, when I travel I'd like to have a phone with a better camera so I wouldn't have to carry one. The Nexus 4 is good but if there was a better option I'd take it.
I would like to see a device like this give me the option to reconfigure on the fly. When I'm on-site I'll pop in 2 battery modules... when I travel I'll put in the better (yet maybe bulkier) camera... day to day I'll use a more general set of components. Through it all I don't have to sync data or worry about what is on each device. Additionally this would easily allow swappable batteries (and if they permit more than one... hot swappable)
I don't think they have the design nailed yet... but I also don't think this is something that should be discounted at all. Those who research this early despite the nay-sayers are the ones who just might be holding the next great thing in the end.