Google’s Project Ara Developer Conference kicked off this
week and obviously the announcements in the event was all about the future of
modular phone design and other avenues in which the technology can be used to
improve customer experience.
As with previous reports
and the release of Project Ara’s Module Developer Kit, the smartphone will be
offered in three sizes – mini, medium and large, and will feature different
input layouts. It will also sport an endoskeleton in which different components
of the phone (called modules) will be connected using electropermanent magnets. These magnets serve as place holders for
the modules as well as a toggle switch for users to easily turn each module on
and off.
Google’s ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) division is
targeting a January 2015 release date with a specific focus on emerging
markets. The team is actually planning to take the market share of feature
phones by offering a barebones device which they can build over time using different
components.
Moreover, ATAP is planning to release a “Grey Phone”, which
is a pre-packaged device that comes with a screen, a processor and a Wi-Fi
module that should cost Google $50 to build (retail pricing is yet to be
confirmed).
Also present at the conference was Toshiba, who showed a
presentation on how the company plans to expand the use of modular technology
beyond smartphones and into other devices such as wearables.
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| Photo Credits: Engadget |
The company’s Senior VP and Technology Executive Shardul
Kazi presented a slide at the event that gives details on how Project Ara’s
modules can be removed from the phone and placed into other devices such as a
smartwatch.
Kazi was quick to point out that the concept is for now
purely theoretical and is not yet in development. But nonetheless, it does open
a huge opportunity for manufacturers to save cost of production by creating
modules that are compatible with different devices. At the same time, this
would also allow consumers to save a lot of money when it comes to upgrade
costs.
