Protective case with removable functional modules

A protective case, comprising:

• a front housing having a front surface, a back surface, a plurality of walls and a central opening;
• a main body having a front surface for directly receiving a portable electronic device, a back surface, and a plurality of walls that extend above the front surface;
• and
• a communication panel that is positioned along the back surface of the main body, said communication panel being configured to communicate with at least one removable module,
• wherein a front surface of the communication panel is configured to engage the back surface of the main body, and a back surface of the communication panel is configured to engage each of the at least one removable module,
• wherein the front housing and the main body include a shape and a size that is complementary to a shape and a size of a portable electronic device, and
• wherein the front housing and the main body are configured to removably engage each other and the portable electronic device to form a protective shell about the portable electronic device.