With Fusion, HMD Global brings back modular phones, but with a new name

Fusion, HMD Global’s new system announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, leans heavily on the idea of modular components that developers or anyone for that matter can build for the smartphone. This ranges from a barcode scanner to a payment terminal and medical equipment or an extended battery.

Adam Ferguson, global head of insight, proposition and product marketing, HMD Global. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

“Fusion, simply put, is a slimmed-down smartphone with the ability for hardware and software integrations to help people solve real-world problems, addressing issues they might be facing,” Ferguson told indianexpress.com at the Mobile World Congress.

For Ferguson, the Fusion stems from the idea of expanding the use case of a phone beyond what it is already good at. The initiative is to go beyond things like changing case colours and materials. “If you’re a gamer and normally you’re locked into your home because you need your big screen, cameras, and boom mic, what if you were to build an outfit that had a portable boom mic built-in and you could put the controllers on the side? It’s really only limited by your imagination,” Ferguson reasons.

Ferguson isn’t using the term “modular” and instead the Fusion is built around the concept of hardware accessories called “outfits.” This is made possible with an array of six pogo pins on the back of the device, which lets you attach the accessories. By allowing users to attach “outfits” and add functionalities beyond the standard hardware of the phone, HMD Global is making smartphones a lot more interesting.

“For example, if you’re working in the medical space and have an app that allows you to conduct blood testing, then you need some way of physically conducting the test. So you build yourself an outfit that then lets you take blood and look for diabetes.”

The HMD Fusion shares similarities with the Raspberry Pi, which is a small, single-board computer that has become a go-to tool for building exciting projects. Ferguson wants everyone (and not only developers) to contribute and build outfits for the Fusion device. He hopes the Fusion will capture the imagination of hobbyists, educators, and professionals, opening up a realm of endless possibilities.

“We will be producing a number of outfits that we think will be extraordinarily helpful. But if you are running a small business and want help creating your idea to bring your business to life, we can assist you with that. We will provide you with all the information you need and show you how to physically produce them,” he explains.

Ferguson says the end goal is to offer a smartphone that can be customised as per the needs not only of individuals but also businesses. However, he made a point that they have to make and programme their own accessories.

“This is the simplest and easiest interface that has ever been done in this area because we’re not putting anything in the way of the standard APKs and the standard Android integrations,” he said, emphasizing that the process of producing outfits and programming them has been simplified. “If you are familiar with coding, you can code a software integration. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can handle the hardware piece because we’ll provide all the specifications.”

HMD also teased the launch of Barbie Flip Phone at the Mobile World Congress. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

“If you don’t want to develop your own outfit, there will be so many other people creating and crafting these ideas that you will have access to a wide marketplace of different designs and use cases,” he said.

Ferguson says HMD plans to release the first smartphone as part of the HMD Fusion platform only in July. It released a developer toolkit online where people will be able to access the digital files and understand the software integrations, allowing them to learn how a do-it-yourself platform works.

Ferguson didn’t reveal the specifications or the price of the handset that will be launched under the Fusion platform. He, however, did mention that the “outfits” won’t add to the price of the device itself because they will be sold separately, hence keeping the cost of the smartphone under control. “It’s not going to drive the prices up because that’s the core cost, and then the actual outfit itself will be priced based on whoever created it and what they feel the need and the equal balance for that is in cost.”

Modular smartphones aren’t a new concept, but previous attempts by Google, LG, and Motorola haven’t been as successful as the companies hoped. Ferguson is aware of the history of modular smartphones but remains optimistic about HMD’s approach in looking at modularity in phones. “If you look at previous examples, there have been lots of codes that you might need to use or all kinds of other technical knowledge you need to have. It’s just so much easier and simpler with this one,” he said.

But if Fusion works as advertised and a number of phone buyers buy into the idea they could do more than what a traditional smartphone can do, it would be a big win for HMD Global. “The beauty of having a smartphone is that it’s a computer in your pocket. It can do a lot more than it is used for at the moment. You just need the right hardware and software integration to fully unlock the power of the smartphone,” he said.

Every large smartphone maker is working on different concepts to help revive the smartphone market which has slowed over the years. At the Mobile World Congress, Europe’s largest tech show, smartphone makers are actively testing various concepts to revitalise the slowing smartphone market. HMD Global, renowned for reintroducing Nokia-branded smartphones, is placing its bet on easily repairable devices. The company anticipates that half of its globally launched devices this year will be repairable.

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