Thinking ahead…more ideas are in the new thread for the Fairphone 6: Some Fairphone 6 ideas
1. Telephoto Camera Module or LIDAR sensor to replace the wide angle camera.
I just think it would be a super neat have the option to replace the wide-angle camera module by swapping in a 3X or 10X telephoto module since I find myself using it pretty frequently during outdoor adventures and traveling.
LIDAR sensors are also becoming more common on recent iPad Pro and iPhone Pro Max models as well as so a swappable LIDAR module would be useful for those of us doing 3D & spatial data capture for spatial representation, simulation, game development, and other work related to 3D data visualization.
Even more specialized camera modules like an infrared sensor for “x-ray/thermal vision”, an ultra compact multi-spectral red + blue + green + near-infrared sensor suite module (as currently found as a payload option in drones), “mantis shrimp vision” (interpreted UV & multi-axis ultrawide dynamic range polarized light sensor) would be really cool offerings as well, but those seem like uber distant stretch goals at the moment.
The array of standardized camera modules from LG Innotek are a good example of this:
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx7BXGYsLOcApAVwUcvF1-xycVkwj4WCLr?si=7uVHsMiLwgkLhEmN
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxtwaqxpTMH0nPuKFC-b_9DeKIl1GVCN9d?si=HcImiHbNXTNfdrmX
2. Expandable Form Factor: Fold n’ Roll?
Probably not in the “Fairphone 6” (2025?) but maybe the “7” (2027) and hopefully the “8” (2029). I imagine major improvements in battery technology like mass market availability of solid-state cells --allowing either the same internal volume/thickness allocation for 2-3X the capacity or 33% to 66% less internal space allocation (power cells that are half as thick) – as well as noticeably more durable ‘ultra-thin glass’ and further optimizations to hinge designs and more compact display-extending motors to enable such a form-factor while maintaining a sub-$1000 price point in a base configuration SKU with such features.
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