Motorola kicked off the "Transform the Smartphone Challenge" last November, in which the company turned to third-party developers to come up with innovative ideas for future Moto Mods. After receiving over 700 submissions from 55 countries and 30 states, Motorola has picked out 12 finalists, with the shortlisted submissions now raising money on Indiegogo to bring their projects to life. Each finalist received a Moto Mods Development Kit as well as a Moto Z handset, and their concepts are now ready to be crowdsourced.
The final selections include a solar battery mod, an add-on that brings RGB lighting to the phone along with wireless charging, a digital recorder add-on, and even one that can be used as a universal controller for your smart home devices. Here's the full list of shortlisted mods:
- Edge – Supercharge your notifications
- The Ultimate Moto Z Mod with Wireless Charging
- The Palm Smart Remote for Moto Mod Devices
- Linc Smart Walkie Talkie MotoMod Concept
- Digital Recorder For Moto Z
- Smart Z Wallet - Moto Mods concept for Moto Z
- Euromod, an Eurorack digital toolbox
- Mico – A Modular Solar Battery Moto Mod
- InstruMod – A Moto Z Mod Measuring Instrument
- Z Sterilizer, a Moto Mods concept for Moto Z
- Modulator, A Digital Walkie Talkie Moto Mod
- EarMods – The Best Earphones Mod for Moto Z
Some of the ideas for the Moto Mods are certainly interesting, and Motorola has said that it will pick ten grand winners next month based on originality of the concept, commercial viability, and "overall use of the Moto Z modular platform and crowdfunding success."
The grand prize winners will get to visit Motorola's offices in Chicago and pitch their mods to the company's executive development team, while receiving mentoring and guidance. They also stand to secure an investment from Lenovo Capital — which set up a $1 million fund to spur new Moto Mod development — to bring their product to market.
