You could also write your own simple get_template_part alias function:
The following allows 3 subfolders for template parts that sit in a theme root folder named devices.
<?php
// STYLESHEETS
function print_device_styles( $client="desktop" )
{
$client = apply_filters( 'set_theme_client', $client );
wp_enqueue_style( $client.'-css' );
}
add_action( 'wp_head', 'print_device_styles', 11 );
// TEMPLATE PARTS
function get_device_template_part( $args = array( 'file' => NULL, 'suffix' => 'default', 'client' => 'desktop', 'media' => 'screen' )
{
if ( ! $args['file'] )
wp_die( sprintf( __('You have to specify a file name if you want to load a template part with the %1$s function.', 'textdomain', '<pre>get_device_template_part()</pre>' );
$template_path = user_trailingslashit( get_stylesheet_directory().'/devices/templates-'.$args['client'] );
$ui_path = user_trailingslashit( get_stylesheet_directory().'/ui/css-'.$args['client'] );
$ui_suffix = '.css'; // could be switched between '.dev.css' & '.css'
// add styles & template directory
if ( is_condition_mobile() )
{
$args['client'] = 'mobile';
$args['screen'] = 'handheld';
}
elseif ( is_condition_tablet() )
{
$args['client'] = 'tablet';
$args['screen'] = 'handheld';
}
// register styles
// wp_register_style( 'mobile-css', /theme_root/ui/css-mobile/mobile.css, false 'handheld' );
wp_register_style( $args['client'].'-css', $ui_path.$args['client'].$ui_suffix, false, $args['screen'] );
// Requires PHP 5.3+ (for lower versions, use a plain function).
add_filter( 'set_theme_client', function('set_theme_client') { return $args['client'];} );
// {$template}-{$suffix}.php
if ( file_exists( $template_path.$args['file'].'-'.$args['suffix'].'.php' ) )
{
require( $template_path.$args['file'].'-'.$args['suffix'].'php' );
}
// {$template}.php
elseif ( file_exists( $template_path.$args['file'].'.php' ) )
{
require( $template_path.$args['file'].'.php' );
}
// {$template}-default.php
elseif ( file_exists( $template_path.$args['file'].'-default.php' ) )
{
require( $template_path.$args['file'].'-default.php' );
}
}
// CALL THEM in a template file
// This will require a file named {$template}-{$suffix}.php from your devices folder
// based on your conditional functions that detect your devices
// If not found, it will search for a file named {$template}.php
// and if it wasn't found it will search for a file named {$template}-default.php
get_device_template_part( array( 'file' => 'nav', 'suffix' => 'main' ) );
?>
Feel free to add your conditional device detection to: https://gist.github.com/886501