Hi all, I’ve seen some thoughts from you around Scalability and Modularity.
I thought I’d start a new topic to capture the conversations.
Please do also feel free to start a new topic thread.
Jamie, good idea to collect ideas! In my old company, „brainstorming“ often spawned good new views…
Volker
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Will it be possible to change or add components for example camera, processor if other versions are available or compatible like it´s planned with shiftphone ?
Hi Thom,
Good point. However, I think those companies don’t understand really how products are made (it get worst on white-labeled products).
Taking the example of Camera: you would need a to apply mehanical changes to the devices, and if you manage to find/design a camera that has the same dimensions, they you got a major problem, camera tuning and camera algorithm. A camera performance on a smartphone, got more than 50% of it’s performance through the software work. So for us, rather than changing the camera, we would invest more on Camera software and algorithms.
On Processor >
Changing Chipset, meaning that you need a whole new system of drivers and complete tuning for the device, including camera, antenna, speaker, battery, etc…
In product development, each smartphone with different Chipset got a complete development cycle of at least 8 months. replacing the chipset, meaning we need to start almost all over again.
For modularity, screen, battery, speakers are easy components to replace.
Ok, now I understand. So replacing components sounds much easier than it actually is, especially if you don‘t have the technical knowledge like me. Thanks for your feedback.
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Many people think that smartphones are becoming too big so I was wondering if you’re considering to offer a compact version (which could be an entry model) in the future ? Would it generally be possible to build a smaller monocoque case ?
Hi Thom
As you know, we’re driving miniaturization and have already managed to reduce a 6" smartphone by 30% in weight and 25% in thickness versus the average competitir. Our focus is to continue developing along this route, pushing composite materials to their limits.
It is very hard to say right now whether we would make a ‘mini’ - if I were a betting man I would say that we should expect to see at least one more iteration of the Carbon 1 6" to perfect the technology. It could well be the case that in the not too distant future with Carbon Mobile you won’t have to make that decision. We could release the first foldable with a screen of a 6" smartphone and the form factor of a mini.
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I already expected that it won‘t be easy to built it smaller. Thanks for your reply & informing about your plans in the future.
Hi,
today i bougth a new Tablet to take notes and read the skript of the University. So i had the idea, it would be very nice to do this with a verry thin tablet and with a screen as big as a collageblock. Because think to write on a verry thin tablet could be like writing on paper. Probably is the best way to create a device like this, with a carbon case and this schould be a part of your specialty for carbon mobile devices.I hope this idea is useful.
Geetings from Munich
Max
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Great idea!
I would quite like to see any manufacturer make a good quality tablet that isn’t loaded with bloatware, has an up to date version of Android and issues timely updates that do not re-install yet more crap-ware over the top of the ad-ware that can’t be uninstalled or disabled as it is a “system” app. Lenovo, I’m looking at you.
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Using a tablet to mimic a collage block is about as post-modern as using a smartphone to hammer a nail into the wall, to append a calendar. This is helpful, because the smartphone is now broken and luckily there’s a calendar on the wall to check the date.
If you’re from Munich, I guess you’re at LMU. Surely my good old TUM would encourage students to adapt to modern life?
Just kddin’ - nix für ungut!
Kofi
Technology should make life easier, so Max’s proposal is a good idea. I don’t see anything postmodern in it either, but I guess you meant anachronistic. Also, a wall calendar is not rendered needless by a smartphone, a payment period of ten days, a validity of seven days or a loan period of four weeks, I can grasp by a glance faster than I could get my phone out of my pocket. The fact that a hammer is sometimes useful has been known before, hammering a nail was difficult even with a collage block, and with a smartphone it just doesn’t get much better, the risk of damage may be higher.
Technik sollte das Leben erleichtern, insofern ist der Vorschlag von Max eine gute Idee. Ich sehe da auch nichts postmodernes, aber ich vermute Du meintest anachronistisch. Auch wird ein Wandkalender durch ein Smartphone nicht überflüssig, eine Zahlungsfrist von zehn Tagen, eine Gültigkeit von sieben Tagen oder eine Ausleihdauer von vier Wochen, kann ich durch einen Blick schneller erfassen als ich mein Phone aus der Tasche holen könnte. Dass ein Hammer zuweilen nützlich ist, war schon früher so, einen Nagel einzuschlagen war schon mit einem Collageblock schwierig, und mit einem Smartphone geht es halt auch nicht viel besser, der Schaden ist eventuell höher.
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Good idea,
We have few ideas for tablets before, also we created an industrial design based on a super light tablet.
What are the use cases for a tablet for you?
Have a look at this device for example, called Remarkable 2:
reMarkable 2 | reMarkable
I think it got some interesting features, but many limitations…
Depends on the use case. This one, is mainly for note taking, reading, no apps whatsoever.
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A great gaget , if you need it and can use it wisely. But it’s not really a tablet. Nowadays, the expectation is that a device can do everything. The market for special applications is small.
It’s like a Swiss Army knife, it can do almost everything, but hardly anything really well. Nevertheless, such specialized applications remain a niche market.
What’s next… I guess we will put all our experiences from the development of Carbon I into the generation (Carbon II) and maybe parallel think about a market for bumbers, stickers, headphones, stuff like that specially designed for that Carbon II. It should all fit together like a real nice dress.
Max, I sympathise with you! I have been using an iPad since the first model came out. Before that, I used all sorts of ThinkPads, and - believe it or not - there was once upon a time, a tablet computer the size of an A4 paper only 2cm thick. It accepted input by a pen, ran u der a special version of Windows 3!
During my time when I did senior studies (Seniorenstudium) at LMU, I tried a ThinkNote. I found that it takes longer to write with a pen on the screen than to type using a virtual keyboard! And I cannot speed-type! I test that experience, once in a while, on my iPad with a pen version of a word processor.
Don‘t forget: you have to write either in single letters or in a very clear and legible handwriting. That takes time!
I am now convinced that voice input is the objective. But that needs a lot of processing power to work at more than 90% recognition rate.
Volker
In spite of what I wrote above, I like the idea of a tablet! We need to give Apple a competitive product! And like with the smartphone, I think the way to go is to make both as slim as possible. That way, they are easier to carry.
Later, I would wish for a foldable tablet. That makes it thicker but smaller in size = easier to carry.
And for the smartphone, if I can have one that weighs 100 grams in my shirt pocket, I‘ll be very happy.
Volker
Eine SmartWatch aus Flachs Carbon hybrid Material 
Ich habe vor einigen Jahren eine Platte hergestellt, sie war aus Flachs (feines Schachbrett Muster) und einer Lage C221…
Vor 6-7 Jahren waren wir (Bond Laminates) Vorreiter in dieser Herstellungsmethode aber es gab keine Verwendung…
Flachs und Carbon zu mischen war eine Idee die ich in der Nachtschicht hatte 
Wenn sie Bedarf haben kann ich ihnen das schönste Material zeigen 
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I just saw some pictures of the material you mentioned which looks really good & could be a soustainable alternative.
I am risking being totally off-topic here:
What about looking for an OS for the Carbonizer that is google-free,
like the Android version from the eFoundation?
Imagine an offering that comprises the same hardware but 2 different operating systems, one „popular“ and one „independent“; one that is known to spy on the user (in various ways), one that does not collect user data at all.
I think that that could potentially open a new market niche for our (hardware) product which cannot be usurped quickly by competition.
Food for thought?
Volker
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