TECNO unveils thin modular smartphone concept with magnetic cameras, battery, and gamepad add-ons

The TECNO will showcase its modular smartphone concept at Mobile World Congress 2026. The company’s “Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology” aims to enable thin modular smartphones with magnetic hardware expansion add-ons. This idea is not new. Motorola’s Project Ara open-source hardware platform attempted that in 2013, and Google (ATAP) took over the project in 2015, before the modular phone project died in 2016. The Fairphone is the closest we have to a modular smartphone nowadays, but while it’s repairable, its modularity is more limited. But maybe time was not just right for a full modular smartphone, and TECNO is giving it another try. Ten magnetic modules have been designed so far. Those include camera modules (ACTION CAMERA and TELEPHOTO LENS), a game pad module, an off-grid communication module (mmWave is mentioned, but maybe a LoRa/Meshtastic will also be provided), and a 4.5mm thick “POWER BANK” battery module to double usable power […]

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