What started with such great promise for a truly modular smartphone with fully replaceable, repairable and upgradable parts, soon became a watered down version and turnover within Google left the project up in the air.
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Google had touted its modular computing platform as a game-changer, not only for smartphones but for other devices as well. Nonetheless, a Google spokesperson has declined to confirm or deny the said speculation.
The move was motivated by the company’s desire to narrow its hardware production process and unify its several hardware efforts like Chromebook laptops and Nexus phones. But the devices are hard to bring to market because their interchangeable parts make them bulky and costly to produce, said analyst Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research, adding that he was not surprised to see Google halt the project. Former Motorola president Rick Osterloh rejoined Google earlier this year to oversee the effort.
Reports say that while the plans for Ara phone itself have been nixed, the company may still work with third-party partners to bring the modular technology to market through licensing agreements.
Though Google won’t launch Project Ara but there is still a little bit hope because Google might license it to other manufacturers. Google had designed the project as an open system that would be easy for developers to design for and easy for consumers to use.
The key was a phone base plate that was the “hardware equivalent of a software API” (application program interface), he said.
Google ends project Ara. Analyst Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research told Reuters the amount of pieces involved made them bulky and costly to produce, adding that he was not surprised to see Google halt the project.
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Google is far from the only company that has been working to develop such modular devices. The new Moto Z has modular backplates for things like additional battery power, a projector, and a speaker, though it’s nowhere near as customizable as the Ara concept was.
