This New Android Phone Reminds Us Of LG’s Failed 2016 Experiment

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At the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) event held in Barcelona, Spain, as per the norm, various companies in the mobile industry showcased a variety of devices and concepts that had been in the works for the past year. There was a lot of stuff going on — this year’s highlights were Chinese phones, 6G, and dancing robots — but one of the more interesting gadgets was a handset that might give you a sense of déjà vu.

Chinese smartphone company Tecno showcased over 10 concept devices at the expo. One of these was the Atom, a concept phone that comes with a slim profile by default and stands out from the crowd by offering modular components that can be attached or detached based on your needs. These include a telephoto lens, an action camera, a stackable battery module, and a speaker for better sound. The phone uses magnets to connect the components, a system Tecno is referring to as Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology.

If that concept sounds familiar, you might remember the LG G5 smartphone from 2016, which featured modular components that let you customize the hardware — albeit without magnets. It came at a time when Android was going through its modular phase, with Google’s own Project Ara promising similar levels of hardware customization. While the LG G5 was one of the more mainstream modular phones, being sold at carrier stores and Best Buy, it was ultimately a failure, as LG returned to a more traditional form factor the very…

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