Shift6m
Shift GmbH
SHIFT6m is a modularly constructed smartphone. Click and screw connections facilitate the repair of components and help to extend the service life. The company also offers tutorials and supplies corresponding tools to assist in the process of repair and maintenance. The warranty is not affected if the device is opened and the company has also set up a deposit return system if it needs replacing. SHIFT6m is produced under fair working conditions.
Award winner 2018 in the category »Produkt«»The SHIFT6m is a flagship project in an industry where sustainability has previously scarcely featured. This smartphone takes into account every aspect of ecological product design. Particularly worthy of note are the modular construction, the repair instructions and the return system, all of which contribute to longevity and the conservation of resources. Moreover, it is entirely unlike the design of its competitors, and thus represents a genuine environmentally friendly alternative!«
Dr. Thomas Holzmann, jury member
Three questions for the founders
Can you remember the moment when you first had the idea for SHIFT?
How did the idea become a product?
Oh yes, we can remember the moment very well. We had just successfully completed a crowdfunding campaign for our mobile camera crane, the iCrane. The idea of crowdfunding inspired us and raised the question of what would come next. It should actually have been a field monitor, but the deeper we got into the development, the more it made sense for us to construct a more universal device, namely a ‘phablet’. Because this period spanned several weeks, it felt less like a moment and more of a process. But we do remember a moment when Carsten, Samuel and Rolf were sitting together at the meeting table when they realised: We are now a smartphone manufacturer.
What was your personal highlight in the development process for SHIFT?
Was there a low point?
Actually, SHIFT GmbH shouldn’t really exist. The fact that two brothers together with their father and without capital or any background in the construction of smartphones should be able to find enough crowdfunding supporters to trust them and finance the project is completely unbelievable. For us, it’s a miracle that we found the right partners and suppliers that accept our non-standard ideas. SHIFT was only realised thanks to our crowdfunding supporters, the incredibly motivated team, and our friends and family, who always encouraged us. The personal highlights are when we talk to SHIFT partners or customers and see them share the same spark of enthusiasm and passion in which the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
Where do you see yourself and your project in the next five years?
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about the fact that we are always having new ideas that we will want to implement in the coming years. First and foremost our SHIFTmu, which is a worldwide unique project that turns the smartphone into a universal device. In one moment it’s a tablet, and in the next it’s a fully-fledged PC or smartphone.
We like smart technological products and our upcoming projects will see us moving into new areas. In addition, we want to make our products increasingly modular as well as sustainable. With our SHIFTPHONES, we want to send out a signal to the technology market. Maybe in five years, the majority of manufacturers will be manufacturing in the same module-based and sustainable fashion as ourselves.
