Google’s block by block modular smartphone "Project Ara"
Google is putting some serious effort into making its block by block modular smartphone design into a reality. Project Ara is aiming to release a basic smartphone for $50, which can be easily upgraded by replacing the blocks at the rear and front.
The blocks can be anything from additional memory, faster CPU’s to a better quality camera. The only limit is the level of technology at the present moment. The need for expensive upgrades could soon no longer be an issue. Phone running slow, get a new CPU. Camera not up to your photography skills, get a new camera block and slot it on.
The blocks attach to the device with small electro-permanent magnets. Place the block in its slot and a small jolt of voltage locks the block into place. This locking and unlocking device can easily be controlled with an app and with password protection, this can protect the blocks from being popped off and stolen. The head of Project Ara, Paul Eremenko, says “it’s a passive component, meaning it consumes no power in both the off state and the on state.”
Google’s plan as of early 2014 is to have the first Ara smartphones go on sale in the first quarter of 2015, keeping prices as low as possible to try and build a strong and early backing that would allow for rapid progression of the technology to go along with it. Google is working alongside Phonebloks and Motorola to make this dream a reality.
It also seems that the device will come in three different standard sizes – phone, phablet and tablet. Each will have a different amount of space for modules, meaning that the tablet version will have more room for extra modules. The covers for the modules are 3-D printed and this of course opens up doors for custom designs.
The upgrade benefits is an obvious win and the lifetime of smartphones could be prolonged greatly. It also means that you won’t have to pay for a load of features you don’t want or need and can use that extra space to ramp up CPU power or get some more memory.
Doubt has been cast however and there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. “Putting as many parts as possible on a single circuit board — or even a single chip — has benefits that are impossible to ignore,” reports Verge, ”Integration saves on battery life, weight, thinness, and cost, among other things.”
Google is putting some serious effort into making its block by block modular smartphone design into a reality. Project Ara is aiming to release a basic smartphone for $50, which can be easily upgraded by replacing the blocks at the rear and front.
The blocks can be anything from additional memory, faster CPU’s to a better quality camera. The only limit is the level of technology at the present moment. The need for expensive upgrades could soon no longer be an issue. Phone running slow, get a new CPU. Camera not up to your photography skills, get a new camera block and slot it on.
The blocks attach to the device with small electro-permanent magnets. Place the block in its slot and a small jolt of voltage locks the block into place. This locking and unlocking device can easily be controlled with an app and with password protection, this can protect the blocks from being popped off and stolen. The head of Project Ara, Paul Eremenko, says “it’s a passive component, meaning it consumes no power in both the off state and the on state.”
Google’s plan as of early 2014 is to have the first Ara smartphones go on sale in the first quarter of 2015, keeping prices as low as possible to try and build a strong and early backing that would allow for rapid progression of the technology to go along with it. Google is working alongside Phonebloks and Motorola to make this dream a reality.
It also seems that the device will come in three different standard sizes – phone, phablet and tablet. Each will have a different amount of space for modules, meaning that the tablet version will have more room for extra modules. The covers for the modules are 3-D printed and this of course opens up doors for custom designs.
The upgrade benefits is an obvious win and the lifetime of smartphones could be prolonged greatly. It also means that you won’t have to pay for a load of features you don’t want or need and can use that extra space to ramp up CPU power or get some more memory.
Doubt has been cast however and there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. “Putting as many parts as possible on a single circuit board — or even a single chip — has benefits that are impossible to ignore,” reports Verge, ”Integration saves on battery life, weight, thinness, and cost, among other things.”
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