Modular product design is an enabler for longer product lives and repair, and it facilitates their reuse and upgrade, making it a promising approach for more sustainable product concepts. Several environmental lifecycle assessments conducted for different technologies, including the embedding of components, connectors, and smartphones, reveal the additional environmental impact coming from the production of modular components. Only if use patterns change towards keeping products in use for longer can modularity really pay off. Embedding technology can, under certain conditions, help to improve the environmental record of smart devices.