Modular phones could be in HTC’s future thanks to new Microsoft patent

A slide-out QWERTY keyboard, speaker or gamepad isn’t anything new when you look at today’s smartphones, but what if you could swap out that keyboard or speaker for a larger battery or a dedicated gamepad?

A new patent labeled “Mobile Communication Device Having Multiple, Interchangeable Second Devices” has surfaced which would allow handset owners to swap out interchangeable components on a device to adapt the handset to their personal needs. Sick and tired of that gamepad on the XPERIA Play that you never use? Simply swap out he gamepad with an extended battery so that you can feed your movie watching habits for a few extra hours.

A mobile communication device comprises a first device with a first display and multiple second devices. The second devices are releasably attachable to the first device and are interchangeable with each other. The mobile device can operate as a mobile cell phone with one or more second devices operable as a mobile phone hand set. The second devices can comprise one or more game controllers, batteries, physical keyboards and/or mobile phone handsets with a display. In a detached configuration, the first device is separated from the second devices and can wirelessly communicate with one or more of the detached second devices. In a three device configuration, the first device can send commands, control signals or content to one or more external devices in addition to the second devices.

Since Microsoft doesn’t have any plans to release a mobile device of their own, we expect they will use their new patent to entice OEMs such as HTC to create Windows Phone handsets with interchangeable components. While we never like the idea of design patents, we have to applaud Microsoft for coming up with this new idea.

What type of interchangeable parts would you like to see on your next phone?

Source: USPTO via Engadget

About the Author

Nick Gray

Tech enthusiast, Android user and founder of the first HTC blog – Nick Gray has been blogging about HTC phones before most people knew what a smartphone even was. Over the years Nick has owned and tested dozens HTC devices and is constantly flashing new ROMs to his Android phones.