RePhone: An under $50 kit that can turn almost anything into a phone

New Delhi: How much does it cost to buy a phone? Hundreds of dollars. How much does it cost to build one? Less than 50 dollars!

Listed on Kickstarter, the RePhone is touted to be the world’s first open source modular phone kit that practically turns anything into a phone.

The RePhone is set of tools and components that allows anyone to create a functional phone from a tiny circuit board with a SIM slot and optional screen. It also supports Bluetooth and 3G.

It comes in three kits: RePhone Core Module GSM + BLE, RePhone Core Module 3G, and RePhone kit Create.

The RePhone GSM + BLE kit features the world’s smallest System-on-Chip (SOC) for Wearables and Internet Of Things. It comes with a kraft paper that is durable, sewable, washable, and easy to draw on, so that you can customise the phone’s outer appearance they way you like.

The built-in IFTTT logic can be used to carry out various recipes like ‘IF the indoor temperature is warming, THEN send a message to me; IF the bike is lost, THEN call me,’ and so on.

It can further be used to turn everyday objects into communication devices, like a pair of shoes, bike, backpack, even your dress, or a dog. The modular kit is further compatible with Pebble Time.

The RePhone Core Module GSM + BLE is priced at $19 for early birds; the 3G module costs $39, while the Kit Create costs $59. It is expected to start shipping December onwards.