Google's Modular Cellphone

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in mobile on (#3F1)
Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group has announced a series of three developer events for Project Ara, which hopes to create a modular smartphone. Google hopes to have a working prototype ready within weeks, with a commercial release in the first quarter of 2015.
Motorola first unveiled the Project Ara initiative in October 2013 and Google is keen to push ahead with the project, despite selling off Motorola to Lenovo last month.
This is possible because Google decided to keep the ATAP group under its Android umbrella when it sold Motorola.
The design for Project Ara is based on the concept of Phonebloks, created by Dutch designer Dave Hakkens. It consists of a structural frame called an "endoskeleton" that holds various modules in place. The modules can be anything ranging from a new display, keyboard, an extra battery or something not yet thought of.
Endoskeletons will come in three sizes and cost approximately $50.

Re: Open architecture (Score: 2, Insightful)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-03-04 10:50 (#99)

Sounds interesting to me - I'll be happy for anything other than the Hershey Bar form factor, and if modularity gets us more options, that's good. Sometimes I'm happy with my touch keyboard and sometimes I like the physical keyboard. Perhaps this approach would allow me both. Likewise, I'd be happy to go without a camera.

In fact, if I'm looking for a phone for my daughter, I'd be willing to pay extra for a phone without a camera. Let some other guy's daughter sext herself all over Web 2.0. Those things are a menace.
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