Lenovo – All mod cons

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Motorola is the only one with a chance of succeeding with modularity. 

• Lenovo’s Motorola is increasing its commitment to its modular mobile phones with the promise of more mods and remains the only one with a chance of making this strategy work.
• Modular mobile devices are nothing new and the mobile phone graveyard is littered with various attempts that have been made over the last 15 years.
• The latest to be interred is Google’s Project Ara which was closed down a couple of months ago.
• On the surface, a modular mobile phone is a great idea as it gives users flexibility to specify the exact device that they want or to swap components in and out based on their requirements.
• However, this comes at the cost of complexity and history has shown that making modular devices is extremely difficult.
• This is because there are fundamental limitations inherent to the design that must be overcome.
• These are:
  • First: Each module requires an individual case and a connector. These take up space, making the resulting device bulkier and less sleek-looking than a normal device.
  • Second: Each swappable component has to remain distinct from all the others. Integrating components together is a tried and tested method of cost and size reduction meaning that a modular device has always been more expensive to make.

• Third: Every swappable component has to be tested with every other in every possible configuration to ensure that they all work together properly. This means that testing and certification is much more onerous meaningfully increasing development costs.
• Motorola has overcome many of these limitations by designing a very thin mobile phone that uses a single magnetic connector on its back to communicate with any other component that is connected to it.
• Only one mod can be attached at a time greatly simplifying the solution to the above problems.
• The end result is that the Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play come by far the closest to meeting my rules of the road for a modular device to succeed.
• These are:
  • First: It must be the same size and weight as competing products.
  • Second: It must make no compromises in terms of styling,
  • Third: It must offer the same functionality as competing products.
  • Fourth: It must come at the same price point as non-modular variants.
• With mods added the device can become thicker than one would expect for a mobile device and once mods are included in the price, it also becomes more expensive.
• However, these compromises are compensated for with excellent functionality including creating a great point and shoot camera from Hasselblad as well as audio speakers from JBL.
• I think that the key to real success for this strategy will be the creation of many more mods by third parties and here Motorola is working hard to create a third-party ecosystem around its connector.
• If Motorola can increase the traction around this device category then it will be able to create device preference which in turn will lead to better margins which are badly needed by Lenovo’s mobile unit.
• I suspect that 2017 will be a make or break for this strategy.
• Overall, Lenovo remains my favourite PC makers as it is the market leader, has a good grasp of what it needs to do to thrive and a pretty good track record in execution.
• I would prefer this over all of the other PC makers.