Google’s modular smartphone experiment, Project Ara is getting some coverage this week, with a delayed launch, change of launch venue and now it seems a design change to the way the interchangeable modules attach to the chasis.
Project Ara has been using electropermanent magnets to attach the modules, but due to what the Project Ara team described, using a Twitter hashtag of all things, as a failure in their drop tests, they’ve moved on. The team at Project Ara is now working on what they call a signature experience for attaching modules, though no details beyond that have been released.
https://twitter.com/ProjectAra/status/634048152249634816
Project Ara is still on track for a release, though when and where is the question after they ruled out launching in Puerto Rico earlier this week, opting for a US based launch, though they did say 2016 was the aim. The Project Ara twitter feed is giving some great teases at the moment, and if you’re interested, it’s probably worth a follow.
This thing is on life-support – the only question is when will they pull the plug?
Thats a bit sad, the magnetic thing would have been a cool part trick. Would have made it more appealing to me. ‘Hey look here is my phone in pieces… and not is back together.’ Oh well.
What about a rubber bumper that you put on after all the modules are in? That would hold them all in place, give you a better grip, adds customisation and smoothes those sharp corners, like in the Moto E.
Patent pending!
Did say I didn’t think there design was a goer a while back?
What about a case that you put on after having fitted the modules to the circuit board?
Whilst modular for some elements makes sense for some elements (do you want 16GB or 128GB) it doesn’t for many others. Use it where it can make most impact – and use the autoconfiguration work for uprating android so we don’t have device dependence for the OS. If Mickeysoft can manage it, so can google, and it cuts the manufacturers/carriers out of the OS so fragmentation can disappear.