Sennheiser To Cooperate With Smartphone Startup Phonebloks

Sennheiser is one of the initiative's first supporters and will be contributing its audio expertise. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) May 20, 2014 - Old Lyme, CT - Audio specialist Sennheiser announced a new partnership with Phonebloks. The startup company Phonebloks, founded by the Dutch designer Dave Hakkens, has developed an idea for a modular smartphone where customers can use individual components to compile a phone specifically to suit their own needs. The concept of Phonebloks has been picked up by Google for the newly founded "Project Ara", and they are just now working on the detailed functionality of the new forward-looking phone.

Dave Hakkens' idea is both simple and visionary: The Phonebloks founder is planning to create a basic mobile phone that is modular in structure, allowing a variety of add-ons - or bloks. This means that each user will be able to customise their own model and even replace any defective modules if required. Whether it's the display, the battery or the speaker, any component that needs repair or upgrade can quickly be replaced by anyone without needing any major technical knowledge.

"Every time we discard a gadget, we throw away many valuable components that are still in perfect working order. Phonebloks' vision is to conserve natural resources and thus ensure sustainable development. Rather than buying a completely new smartphone every two years, all you will need to do with Phonebloks is replace the parts you want to upgrade," said Dave Hakkens at the company's first developers' meeting in Mountain View, California.

Cooperation with Sennheiser:

Sennheiser will be supporting this innovative project by contributing its own audio expertise. Sennheiser's audio technology know-how will be called upon where matters of speech and audio transmission are concerned.

"Sennheiser has the necessary technical excellence and also shares a corporate philosophy that places equal emphasis on sustainability. Its products are distinguished by first-class quality, durability and they also provide options for replacing individual components. This sustainability ethos is an essential part of our company vision," says Dave Hakkens.

Daniel Sennheiser, CEO of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG, commented: "The innovative approach puts the end user at the very center. Phonebloks has excited millions of global enthusiasts within a very short space of time. From the outset, we have found this forward-looking idea compelling, and we believe that it sets a trend for the future. Moreover, this initiative clearly matches our own understanding of sustainable, forward-looking investments. Ever since our company was founded, innovation has been a vital part of our value system. Drawing on our decades of expertise with premium segment audio products, we believe we can provide an ideal partnership for exciting concepts like Phonebloks."

About Sennheiser:
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information, visit www.sennheiserusa.com.

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