Motorola is looking into implementing 3-D printing for smartphones made with pieces used on customized smartphones PC World reported Friday.
A plastic thread is dissolved, and then jetted out similar to the process an inkjet printer goes through.
The new concept is part of the company's Project Ara, which uses an open hardware platform for making complex smartphone devices the company's blog reported last month.
Motorola envisions making a smartphone that customers can customize to their liking. They will be able to choose from a variety of block pieces connected just like legos are. These include wireless antennas, and batteries with added power
"It's great if you want a phone case the shape of New York City, and someone will be willing to pay for it," Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates told PC World. "bringing 3D printing technology to Project Ara is cool. It points to a future where off-the-shelf products may go out of vogue in favor of highly customized products. But the technology is not there yet. That will be useful for cases, enclosures and perhaps printed circuit boards, but not for electronics."
The objects are made with complicated circuits, or batteries powered by chemicals that need wires, metals, and liquids to work This also requires several state-of-the-art technologies to run.
"Our goal is to drive a more thoughtful, expressive, and open relationship between users, developers, and their phones," the company reported on its blog. "To give you the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks, where and what it's made of, how much it costs, and how long you'll keep it.
The idea is still in the works. Motorola does not know when it will release the project since it is currently just a thought.
Dave Hakkens, a Dutch designer has deemed it Phonebloks.
