The first thing you notice about the Modu Phone is that it’s tiny: it weighs just 43g and the screen measures a compact 1.3 inches. The second thing you notice is that there are no keys and no number pad, just a set of nine squares that look like a noughts and crosses board with four direction keys and a central key. When you press the central button you wake the phone and reveal menus and a number pad on the screen. To dial, you use the direction keys and confirm your selection with the central key. It’s somewhat complicated.

But there is another way. As it name suggests, the Modu is a modular phone, which means that you can pop the basic unit into a choice of jackets that make the phone bigger but also include handy extras like number keys.

New looks on the Modu Phone

The Shiny Jacket is black and chrome, and the phone recognises its new covering and reconfigures itself to remove the Dial option from the main menu.

The Night Jacket looks something like a cross between a dinner jacket and a diamond, and gives you not only a new look, but a 3.2-megapixel camera too. You get a dedicated camera launch key and flash, although it takes a while to kick in. The image quality isn’t brilliant and not helped by the low-resolution display on the phone.

The Speedy jacket is red and black, garish and plasticky; the Sports Jacket is splash-resistant and slips into a bright green armband as well as emphasising the media playback functions. It leaves out the number keys again.

The bundled headphones attach to all the jackets with a mini USB. We would have much preferred a 3.5mm audio port that would give you the option to use your own headphones.

Performance on the Modu Phone

Whichever jacket it’s wearing, the Modu’s small screen remains pretty constant, although icons change with each new look. Direction shortcuts take you to your call log, contacts, messages and music player and soft keys lead to your inbox and screen lock.

It’s versatile and certainly innovative. It’s just that none of the jackets are really up to much. This is especially true of the sports jacket, which only serves to bulk up the phone and make you wish you had an iPod instead. The covers are plasticky and lightweight so look and feel cheap and flimsy, and the screen is really low-res.

Verdict on the Modu Phone

The Modu has been talked about for some time, and the idea is an innovative one for sure. But the lack of features and tacky jackets make it gimmicky rather than useful, albeit fun for a while.