Why don’t phones use a laptop configuration model?

Follow tech enthusiasts’ discussions long enough and you will always find someone who asks a recurring question: Why can’t you choose a phone configuration like you would with a laptop? People have very different preferences for screens, cameras, and other functions.

So it stands to reason that you can order a bespoke phone that will fit your exact needs and (hopefully) last longer. After all, memory and storage aren’t the only problems people face.

However, the reality does not entirely coincide with the dream. As Google noted when they discontinued Project Ara, there are a number of practical hurdles in providing phone configuration options and modular designs. Some are technical limitations; others are simple business considerations. Here’s why you will likely have to settle for a fixed-configuration phone, at least for now.

Telephone configuration does not make economic sense

Phones sell in much, much higher quantities than computers. Gartner researchers found that companies sold over 366.6 million smartphones in the third quarter of 2020 alone. In comparison, around 71.4 million PCs were shipped – in a pandemic-hit market where laptops are doing better than they have been for a long time.

This type of manufacturing scale makes it very difficult to offer a custom phone configuration. More choices lead to further steps in manufacturing. This can slow down production, which often needs to be moved as quickly as possible. In turn, fewer phones shipped mean that companies amortize their costs with higher prices. If you don’t want to pay a premium for a phone like the Galaxy S21 or iPhone 12, you’ll love it even less if you have to pay extra for your screen resolution or processor choices.

And let’s not forget the logistics to support these options. The fewer phone configurations there are, the easier it is to develop software updates and provide customer service. Operating system upgrade and device repair schedules can be long. It couldn’t be easier when there are countless errors that only occur with certain combinations of parts.

It’s technically difficult

The nature of smartphone design makes customization very difficult. While laptops are often large enough to have interchangeable modules (if only at the factory), phones are small, tightly packed devices with little to no breathing space. Processors, graphics, memory, and storage are soldered in, and companies have removed features like headphone jacks to free up space. Even if you make 5G optional, other antennas may be required. Modular components are therefore difficult to sell. They tend to occupy more properties, of course.

Standards are also a problem – or rather the lack of standards. It is relatively easy for laptop manufacturers to offer configuration options based on established standards such as CPU sockets, RAM slots, and memory interfaces. However, phone manufacturers don’t have that luxury. They either need to develop their own processes for interchangeable parts or hope that the industry will migrate to popular formats. Unfortunately, neither is very likely.

There are technical hurdles for hardware and software.

Let’s not forget the software either. Android doesn’t take a PC-like approach to drivers. The kernel must be configured for specific hardware, and a wide variety of components can make these kernel optimizations nightmarishly complex. This does not include firmware updates or the adaptation of different hardware specifications in apps. How would a hybrid zoom function adapt to multiple camera options? You can expect significant delays in operating system updates and you may receive fewer of these updates.

Google highlighted many of the difficulties associated with its unfortunate Ara project. Prototypes indicated that the fully modular phone concept could work. However, the company had to develop a module standard from scratch, take on partner support, and study many iterations. It’s not surprising that Google delayed and eventually ended the project when there was little to show after years of development. It would get a little easier to configure phones without user-replaceable modules, but vendors would have more work to do than simply using static designs.

Connected: We rated 50 failed Google products from best to worst

Would you even use it?

It also begs the question of whether or not a custom phone configuration would make a difference. Phones are quickly becoming so powerful that even a mid-range phone like the Pixel 4a 5G can meet the needs of many people. Why would you customize your phone with a faster CPU or a sharper display when the improvements would be negligible, especially when a high-end phone model is available?

Chances are, at least one existing phone model can achieve what you need with no adjustments.

It doesn’t help that expectations of phone and laptop software are different. If PC users may have high hardware requirements for advanced games or professional apps, this is generally not the case in the mobile world. Custom phone configuration is of limited use when playing Call of Duty: Mobile or editing a family video. Chances are, at least one existing phone model can achieve what you need without the need for customization.

This doesn’t mean you would never appreciate the option for a laptop-like phone configuration option. The market is as diverse as it is because it is difficult for any model to please many people, let alone most of them. However, it’s equally hard to imagine these people buying a slightly upgraded (or even downgraded) phone instead of simply buying the next in the line. At least for the moment, the status quo is often good enough.