Chinese smartphone maker Tecno is channeling Project Ara with its latest Modular Phone concept, previewed ahead of MWC 2026.
It feels like a lifetime ago that the dream of a truly modular smartphone died, and while Google eventually pulled the plug on the ambitious Project Ara nearly a decade ago, the idea of a “build-it-yourself” handset has been revived. Ahead of MWC 2026, Tecno is the latest to try its hand at this vision with what the company is calling the “Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology concept.”
The core idea from Tecno is a “Modular Smartphone Ecosystem” that relies on ultra-thin magnetic architecture. Unlike the admittedly chunky early prototypes of the past, Tecno is aiming for something much sleeker. While we have yet to see the smartphone in operation, the base device measures just 4.9mm thick. Even when you snap on the 4.5mm power bank module, the total footprint is roughly the same as a standard flagship phone you might carry today.
Although the magnetic attachment isn’t the same, the method of snapping on modules is eerily similar to the Project Ara days. Whereas Google had a frame with slide-in and pogo-pin connectors to allow you to swap out practically everything from the processor onboard to the camera module and everything else in between.
Tecno’s concept phone offers a different level of modular capability. Using magnetic attachments that effectively “pair” with the core phone using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mmWave to connect with the added modules. In that regard, it’s more accessory rather than core functionality that you’re adding with these modules.
Tecno is showing off two different design languages for this modular phone concept. There is the ATOM edition, which features a silver-aluminum body with red accents, and the MODA edition, which leans into a more “geek-inspired” aesthetic – which is an odd way to describe a colorway. The back of the device is divided into eight modular zones to help guide where you place your accessories.
The small ecosystem currently includes about ten different modules. There is an Action Camera for creators, a Telephoto Lens that uses the phone screen as a viewfinder, and even off-grid communication tools. Much like the promise of Ara, the goal is to allow users to carry only the hardware they need for a specific day rather than being stuck with a fixed set of factory specs.
As with most MWC concepts, there is no word on a specific release date or pricing for a commercial version of this device. Tecno is framing this as a “long-term design thinking” project. Whether or not it ever comes to a future device remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting reimagining of “modular” than we’ve seen before.
We’re hoping that we can get to grips with it in Barcelona with MWC right on the horizon. Rest assured, we’ll be sharing our thoughts should we have that opportunity, as we’ll be scouring the halls for cool tech in the coming days. Stay tuned.
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