Who needs a modular smartphone? What is Project Ara
Google has been working on the Project Ara modular smartphone for several years, and the device should have been on sale in 2015. This did not happen, but the project was “buried”, it turned out to be in vain: this fall, developers will receive an updated version.
"Modularity" has become less. Let's take a look at the history of this project and discuss how much its concept has changed.
In May 2011, Google bought the Israeli modu patent portfolio associated with modular phones, wrote Cnet with reference to the Israeli edition Calcalist. Modu was selling a miniature phone base that could be inserted into various enclosures to change functionality, but failed and in 2010 was forced to cut more than half of the 130 employees. This basis was the easiest phone on the planet according to Guinness.
')
In 2013, Phonebloks announced the development of a modular smartphone. The goal was to create a smartphone that could be easily repaired by replacing modules.
A month later, Motorola announced a modular smartphone, which belonged to Google at that time, and announced that it was working with Phonebloks. It became known that the company will also cooperate with the manufacturer of printers 3D systems. In early 2014, Google announced that in 2015, the Project Ara Modular Smartphone would go on sale.
According to the developers, the basis of the smartphone is an aluminum platform, on which you need to “string” other modules. By default, the Wi-Fi module and the battery had to be installed in the smartphone, and the entire base should cost about 50 US dollars. A nice bonus could be a "hot" module change.
But, as we all know, the smartphone did not go on sale, and Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo.
The modular smartphone project was opened to third-party developers in 2014. Google planned three types of platforms - small, medium and large - from small smartphones to phablets.
The closest project at that time to the development of Google was Eco-Mobius from ZTE. He also suggested the replacement of important components.
Project Ara in spite of the deadlines and the cancellation of the start of sales is not dead. In the fall of 2016, developers will receive the first modular smartphones. In May of this year, the journalist The Verge saw the smartphone live and talked about innovations.
The concept itself has undergone a number of very important changes, which Dave Hakkens, the creator of Phoneblok, criticized . If initially it was the basis in which the user had to insert modules at his discretion, then the new Project Ara is a smartphone that can be supplemented with modules.
Let's take a closer look at the two major, in my opinion, changes that Hakkens wrote about.
The basis of Ara contains all the functionality of the smartphone. The skeleton contains not only the Wi-Fi module and the battery, as Google developers initially suggested. The basis received processor, antenna, sensors, battery and display. And all the "modularity" is to install several additional blocks. Among these blocks may be cameras, speakers, scanners and others.
That is, you initially buy the phone - the most common. And an extra opportunity to supplement it. After a couple of years, you will still be forced to change it, because it is morally obsolete.
Project Ara was created as an “open” platform, where any developers could make modules according to standards. It was an ecosystem, but now everything has changed: Google will be in proportion - and will control everything, setting its own rules. At any time, Google may change the connectors for the modules or their design, which will make all devices available up to that moment unnecessary.
This will force other companies to compete with each other, instead of working together. That is, they will make their own modular smartphones with their own connectors. We will get a market of various platforms and incompatible modules.
The original concept has changed, making the "modular smartphone" an ordinary smartphone with advanced features. What seemed to be a “designer” who could increase the lifespan of the device due to its changes with the advent of new technologies, became like the LG G5 .
"Modularity" has become less. Let's take a look at the history of this project and discuss how much its concept has changed.
In May 2011, Google bought the Israeli modu patent portfolio associated with modular phones, wrote Cnet with reference to the Israeli edition Calcalist. Modu was selling a miniature phone base that could be inserted into various enclosures to change functionality, but failed and in 2010 was forced to cut more than half of the 130 employees. This basis was the easiest phone on the planet according to Guinness.
')
In 2013, Phonebloks announced the development of a modular smartphone. The goal was to create a smartphone that could be easily repaired by replacing modules.
A month later, Motorola announced a modular smartphone, which belonged to Google at that time, and announced that it was working with Phonebloks. It became known that the company will also cooperate with the manufacturer of printers 3D systems. In early 2014, Google announced that in 2015, the Project Ara Modular Smartphone would go on sale.
According to the developers, the basis of the smartphone is an aluminum platform, on which you need to “string” other modules. By default, the Wi-Fi module and the battery had to be installed in the smartphone, and the entire base should cost about 50 US dollars. A nice bonus could be a "hot" module change.
But, as we all know, the smartphone did not go on sale, and Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo.
The modular smartphone project was opened to third-party developers in 2014. Google planned three types of platforms - small, medium and large - from small smartphones to phablets.
The closest project at that time to the development of Google was Eco-Mobius from ZTE. He also suggested the replacement of important components.
Project Ara in spite of the deadlines and the cancellation of the start of sales is not dead. In the fall of 2016, developers will receive the first modular smartphones. In May of this year, the journalist The Verge saw the smartphone live and talked about innovations.
The concept itself has undergone a number of very important changes, which Dave Hakkens, the creator of Phoneblok, criticized . If initially it was the basis in which the user had to insert modules at his discretion, then the new Project Ara is a smartphone that can be supplemented with modules.
Let's take a closer look at the two major, in my opinion, changes that Hakkens wrote about.
Less user freedom
The basis of Ara contains all the functionality of the smartphone. The skeleton contains not only the Wi-Fi module and the battery, as Google developers initially suggested. The basis received processor, antenna, sensors, battery and display. And all the "modularity" is to install several additional blocks. Among these blocks may be cameras, speakers, scanners and others.
That is, you initially buy the phone - the most common. And an extra opportunity to supplement it. After a couple of years, you will still be forced to change it, because it is morally obsolete.
Less freedom for developers
Project Ara was created as an “open” platform, where any developers could make modules according to standards. It was an ecosystem, but now everything has changed: Google will be in proportion - and will control everything, setting its own rules. At any time, Google may change the connectors for the modules or their design, which will make all devices available up to that moment unnecessary.
This will force other companies to compete with each other, instead of working together. That is, they will make their own modular smartphones with their own connectors. We will get a market of various platforms and incompatible modules.
The original concept has changed, making the "modular smartphone" an ordinary smartphone with advanced features. What seemed to be a “designer” who could increase the lifespan of the device due to its changes with the advent of new technologies, became like the LG G5 .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/369209/
All Articles