Project Ara - the first acquaintance with a working prototype of a modular smartphone

About the Project Ara smartphone has been spoken for a long time, but after the company canceled the launch of the phone sales in Puerto Rico, some media began to bury the project. As it turned out, it is in vain , and in the fall the first copies of the phone will go on sale.

The Verge journalist was able to meet and talk with the project team of the modular smartphone Project Ara from Google. Previously, the company reported that this fall, developers will be able to get a special model device. A version for ordinary users will be available in 2017. The journalist was able to evaluate the advantages of the developer version of the modular smartphone. Here is his assessment of the current prototype.

Project Ara has become more simple and at the same time more complex device compared to earlier versions. This is a strange phrase, but it really is. The company did not abandon a number of original ideas, such as a magnetic lock for the modules and a wireless “communication” of the modules with the base. The current prototype uses a special technology (which is not reported) to protect the attachment of modules to the base and to each other.
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Voice control modules. Yes, modules can now be separated by voice. For example, it is enough to say “Ok, Google, turn off the camera module” - and it works. The journalist managed to disconnect the module with a voice, everything worked. At the same time, the module begins to move, which is not quite usual for a person who is used to static monoblocks.
The battery can already be replaced "hot." Yes, the phone has a built-in battery that allows you to change the battery module without turning off the phone.

The processor is built into the base. This may seem like a strange idea for a modular phone, the main concept of which is the replacement of any important component of the system. But the author of the material claims that the project team managed to convince him of the expediency of such a decision.

Springboard is a modular technology. Springboard is not the name of one of the modules, it is the name of the technology (one of the developments) that made it possible to create a modular smartphone.

And it works. Concept concept, but the device model that was presented to the company is already working. Everything works, although the team still has much to improve.

Anyway - the device works, and looks quite complete, unlike the previous prototypes. Hopefully, development will now accelerate, and in 2017 we can actually get a fully modular phone from Google.