A lot of people had a good laugh when Phonebloks hit the net. As cool as the concept is most folks thought it would never work and that it was unrealistic. Surprise… turns out Motorola had already been working on a similar concept for quite some time. Are you ready for Project Ara?
Just like Phoneblocks, Project Ara will allow users to swap out components on their phone, and it looks to be as simple as popping a new fresh battery into your device. Want a faster processor? Just slide the old one out, and pop a more powerful component in. It’s like a Lego phone in a sense, and it could truly revolutionize the smartphone industry by giving users the power to upgrade at will instead of every 2 years.
Motorola is working on Project Ara with Phonebloks creator Dave Hakkens on the endoskeleton of the device as well as the modules. They have also opened up the design process to the community through the Ara Scouts program (sign up here) which will let them tap the global consciousness for ideas to help Project Ara grow. You’ll also be able to complete “mission” through the dscout app if you have an Android or iOS device.
The Phonebloks concept is a true innovation in the smartphone field, and Motorola has said they’ve been working on Project Ara for a year which means they have all the pieces in place to make it a reality. The first Module Developer’s Kits are expected to be ready to go this winter, so hopefully we’ll see Project Ara bear its modular fruit sometime next year. Needless to say, this is something smartphone aficionados should get very, very excited about. It’s also something that should have Apple and Microsoft shaking in their proverbial boots.
Source – Motorola
Adam is a tech aficionado that enjoys gadgets, Game of Thrones, and all things Android.
