Research in Build a Phone Empire advances year by year and opens new technologies and product lines. The official descriptions name screens, cameras, chips, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, foldables, and laptops. Choose the next technology because it enables a funded product or removes a visible bottleneck, not because a fan list calls it the universal best node.
Read the current tree
Open the research interface and record the company year, visible nodes, prerequisites, RP costs, active technology, available slot count, and device line connected to the target. If an exact node name or cost is not visible, do not infer it from an icon.
Research trees can differ by year, completed prerequisites, update, and pass ownership. Include that context when comparing with another player. A node absent from the current view may require earlier work rather than being removed.
Pick the next outcome
Choose one of four outcomes: improve the current phone, unlock a documented part category, reach a new product family, or satisfy a visible progression requirement. Then select the nearest current node that supports it and that the company can use after completion.
Do not unlock a device family if the company cannot fund its first design and launch. Keep a stable phone or other baseline producing cash while the research target is underway.
Manage one default slot
The official Triple Research pass description says it increases simultaneous research from 1 to 3. This confirms a default one-technology capacity for the described current system. With one slot, queue discipline matters: avoid parking it on an unlock that has no near-term use while a required part blocks the next product.
Before starting, confirm the RP cost and prerequisite chain. Each technology still costs Research Points even with Triple Research. A slot does not generate the currency needed to fill it.
Separate capacity from RP generation
Default research
Capacity: one technology at a time according to the current official pass comparison.
Decision: keep the active node connected to the next usable product outcome.
Triple Research
Official effect: three simultaneous technologies instead of one.
Boundary: every technology still costs RP.
Lab Grant
Official effect: +20% Research Points, forever.
Boundary: it does not state that it adds a research slot.
Product planning
Need: enough cash and development capacity to use the completed technology.
Boundary: an unlock is not profit until a product is launched successfully.
Observe the actual bottleneck. If RP is scarce, three slots may not stay funded. If RP is plentiful but one project blocks several plans, capacity may matter. Free players can still progress by choosing a focused queue.
Record a technology node
Save exact node name, category, prerequisite, RP cost, in-game year, connected product family, active duration or progress if shown, result, version, and check date. Add a direct link to the relevant Parts Index or Device Dex entry when the unlock is verified.
Use one card per node rather than a wide desktop tree in a guide. A responsive card can show prerequisites and costs at 320px without forcing horizontal scrolling. Unknown fields remain blank.
Research order by company stage
In the garage, prioritize the technology that supports another affordable phone or resolves a clearly shown blocker. During growth, choose between improving the stable line and opening one new family. At later stages, coordinate research with region plans, goals, and Legacy timing so a long prerequisite chain is not abandoned immediately after completion.
This is a decision method, not a fixed node list. The current tree decides which path is available. Use the in-game year and prerequisite arrows or labels rather than forcing a sequence written for another update.
Connect research to goals
If a current goal names a technology or product family, compare the visible reward with the RP, cash, and launch cost required. Progress can overlap when the node already supports the company plan. Avoid researching an unrelated branch solely for an unverified reward amount.
After completion, check whether the goal updates automatically or needs an action in the current interface. Record the result on the Goals Guide with the check date.
Troubleshoot research
- If a node is locked, read its prerequisite and year rather than assuming a bug.
- If the lab or slot is occupied, inspect the active technology and finish or wait as the current interface requires.
- If Triple Research does not show three slots, verify ownership and join a current server before reporting it.
- If RP is insufficient, do not confuse more capacity with more currency; review the generation source shown by the game.
- If an unlocked part is absent, check device family and designer category.
- If a guide’s cost disagrees, use the current tree and record the new date.
Frequently asked questions
What should I research first?
Choose the nearest current node that improves or unlocks a product you can afford to build and sell. No complete universal tree order is publicly verified.
How many technologies can I research at once?
The official Triple Research description states three with the pass instead of one by default.
Does Triple Research remove RP costs?
No. Its description explicitly says each technology still costs Research Points.
What does Lab Grant do?
The current official description says it permanently adds 20% Research Points. Recheck the store before buying.