It seems like modular phones aren't the future of smartphone technology.

Google abandoned its Project Ara modular initiative earlier this year, and according to the report from Korea's Electronic Times, LG plans to do the same with its G5 strategy. The modular G5 was not as successful as LG had hoped. The company had big plans, launching it with a handful of modules, along with the promise of a fuller ecosystem. But the phone wasn't well received.

One of the major complaints was the inability to hot swap some modules, which is what happens when you try to remove a component, but doing so interrupts operation of the phone. By June, it became apparent the phone wasn't doing well, and then in September, Google cancelled Project Ara. Does nobody want a modular phone? The idea seemed interesting, but it failed to catch on.

Keep in mind Lenovo and Motorola still offer the Moto Z, which offers snap on extensions such as an extra battery, projector, and a speaker. It'll be interesting to see if the Moto Z continues to be developed into a full ecosystem. As for that promised G5 ecosystem, it's now being reported that next year’s LG G6 will not feature modular components.

That means LG G5 owners shouldn't expect new modules (aka "friends").

Farewell, modular smartphones. We hardly knew ye.