Build Your Own Smartphone With Google's Project Ara
Pick and choose the components of your phone. Nice one, Google.
Move over Google Glass. After years of development, the search engine-cum-world-enveloping-super-corporation have announced the very first public rollout of their brand new modular phone. Codenamed Project Ara, Google has confirmed that the customisable device will be made available for purchase in the second half of 2015. The only downside? You'll have to live in Puerto Rico in order to do so.
The Puerto Rican pilot program is part of ongoing testing for the smartphone, which consists of a special exoskeleton into which users can slide various physical 'modules', such as a camera, external speakers or an extra battery — essentially building their own phone.
According to Google, the potential for modules is limitless — and we can certainly appreciate the theoretical advantages. Not only will users be able to customise their phone's appearance, they’ll also be able to incrementally upgrade obsolete hardware, cutting out the cost and general inconvenience of purchasing a whole new phone. On an even more practical level, as someone who habitually drops their phone on the footpath, the prospect of being able to simply detach a cracked screen and replace it with a new one is pretty damn appealing.
Google is remaining coy when it comes to things like pricing, although according to the Project Ara website, the cost of the components will hopefully be between US$50-100. Google have also stated that they hope to have as many as 20-30 different modules available by the time the phone is on sale.
Taking a tip from the mobile food industry, Google will also roll out several 'food-truck' style stores in conjunction with the Puerto Rican release, with users able to trial the device before they commit to purchase. Presumably the reception in Puerto Rico will be used as a baseline, in order for the company to tweak the device ahead of a wider release at some point in the future.
Via Time.
Images: Google ATAP.
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