You too can build your very own cell phone from scratch for just $200
posted by Maxwell R.
/ Nov 28, 2013, 5:07 PM
David Mellis, who occupies his time at MIT’s Media Lab, has provided all the plans needed for someone to build their very own cell phone. Notice that we are talking an actual mobile phone, like the type you make phone calls with, not a smartphone that does everything else.
The circuit board can be printed via OSH Park, where $60 gets you three copies (which could come in handy if you mess up and melt something). The case materials are up to your imagination, wood, plastic, whatever you can create that will enclose the other parts. Using a laser cutter for the wood is not a bad idea. You will also need to be able to handle a fair amount of hand-soldering. All told, to cover the basics, it should cost about $200-ish out of pocket.
Once you are done, pop in a standard sized (now mini) SIM card from either AT&T or T-Mobile (it has also been tested in Europe, India and China), and you have an honest to goodness cell phone. If any of you decide to build one, send us your progress, pictures and tell us the story of how it all came together, and most importantly, that it works.
The "Do It Yourself" Cellphone
sources: MIT Media Lab via The Verge
photos: Copyright of David Mellis, republished under the Creative Commons license. The images have been cropped.
>
16 Comments
1. madmikepr
Posts: 138; Member since: Aug 09, 2011
this is the start of the PhoneBloks or project Ara maybe ??
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 5:28 PM 7
9. TechBizJP08
Posts: 495; Member since: Mar 25, 2013
another cellphone trigger for those crazy bomber.
Not good at all.
posted on Nov 29, 2013, 12:53 AM 0
2. SiehSamuel
Posts: 1; Member since: Nov 28, 2013
This can be the begining of project ara
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 5:34 PM 0
4. mturby unregistered
build this for $200 or buy a Moto G for the same price.
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 6:30 PM 8
5. apple4never
Posts: 1064; Member since: May 08, 2013
x2 or even buy a optimus g for 200
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 7:12 PM 2
6. protozeloz
Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010
Moto G Is Not hipster enough tho
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 7:33 PM 2
13. DAMONORIBELLO
Posts: 109; Member since: Mar 18, 2012
Keep buying what they're selling, monkey. ; )
posted on Nov 29, 2013, 9:06 AM 0
7. Jurdiales
Posts: 138; Member since: Oct 10, 2012
What if we put an EB40 battery on that piece of wood? (The EB40 is the Droid RAZR MAXX battery - 3300 MAh!)
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 7:44 PM 0
8. itsdeepak4u2000
Posts: 3718; Member since: Nov 03, 2012
Phonebloks! by Dave Hakkens may be a start for the project Ara or something similar.
posted on Nov 28, 2013, 11:48 PM 0
10. DOODpls
Posts: 14; Member since: Sep 08, 2013
Orrr, just buy a $50 phone
posted on Nov 29, 2013, 4:36 AM 2
14. DAMONORIBELLO
Posts: 109; Member since: Mar 18, 2012
But what if you can learn to build a phone yourself? Then one day as the parts become less expensive, your new design is the next big hit. If we continue to just buy these things, eventually no one is left to invent.
posted on Nov 29, 2013, 9:10 AM 0
16. ramblingal
Posts: 1; Member since: Oct 18, 2014
Where in the usa can I find circuit boards half that size? or flexi-boards? I have a design idea and sure could use help sourcing the components.
