First Project Ara Prototype Blocks Built

[mallenwho]

http://blog.phonebloks.com/post/100149300288/sennheiser-to-build-audio-module-prototype-by

 

Sennheiser is the first hardware company to develop a 'sound module/blok' for the new project ara Smartphone.

 

 

- After 6 months of getting anyone willing's feedback and ideas (I know, i was part of it), Sennheiser has taken onboard what the general populous wants to do with a sound blok and how it should look and function. They're now starting the hardware architecture prototyping! [i hope they listened]

 

This is still in the very early stages but it is wonderful to see other hardware companies taking the first step in developing products for a platform that is more or less the desktop pc marketplace on a smartphone. Where would the desktop industry be without Nvidia, Intel, ASUS, AMD and the like? Competition and creativity will make this market place the future for smartphones and Sennheiser has taken the plunge in developing a sound module for the device.

 

 

And what's that? A USB type C being used for development??

 

Really hoping they'll find some way to incorporate this into a finished block, for different connections to a pc perhaps? that the stock device won't have an I/O anywhere so this will be it? given it already has the audio jack (obviously) it makes positional sense to put a charging plug on it too.

 

Makes more sense to put it on the battery...

 

Therefore is this the way to get data onto the module? Almost certainly for now in the very early architecture prototype phase but I really hope these limitations are not in the final block or phone architecture. 

 

Eventually I imagine each block will have their own I/O. batteries will have chargers. Storage will have SD expansion. Audio blocks will have audio jacks and speakers and volume adjustment. camera will have flash. But this is the first actual electronics application i've seen of USB C yet so yay excitement. 

 

Hoping project ara is still on track for release next February.

[ERSCreeper]

This could be a great step forward

[Sidiox]

I've got to say, it looks somewhat promising

[brownninja97]

yeah if this becomes a thing then it will be awesome.

[LukeTim]

Wait is this Project Ara or Phonebloks?

I'm confused. Are they the same thing now?

[pdv789]

I've never been crazy over a phone but damn, this is amazing to see such an amazing project underway and the start of a collaboration that will hopefully be with most major providers and the like. This could possibly be the last phone I will ever buy if this project is released with no compromises.

[pdv789]

Wait is this Project Ara or Phonebloks?

I'm confused. Are they the same thing now?

To my understanding yes, they are the same thing.

[FLAMMABLEGAS17481]

Wait is this Project Ara or Phonebloks?

I'm confused. Are they the same thing now?

Thats what i want to know

[FLAMMABLEGAS17481]

To my understanding yes, they are the same thing.

 

 

Thats what i want to know

OK COOL... I just saw your post! 

[The_Strict_Nein]

Wait is this Project Ara or Phonebloks?

I'm confused. Are they the same thing now?

The phoneblocks concept was bought by google and turned into Project Ara.

[qwertywarrior]

i am REALLY looking forward for this

mainly because an opensource baseband would be finally possible

[Levent]

fucking sennheiser, YES

[mallenwho]

The phoneblocks concept was bought by google and turned into Project Ara.

 well, actually, Phonebloks was the Danish concept October last year. About a month later Google announced Project Ara, which had already been in development for 7 months before Phonebloks went live. The GIGANTIC success of Phonebloks prompted them to go public on the idea to monopolise the concept. They didn't buy out Phonebloks but did take David Hakkins (the envisager for Phonebloks) under their wing as a design consultant as as PR person.

 

Conceptually they are almost identical, except that Project Ara is real, in development and theoretically a more practical execution of how the concept could work. They're also the sort of 'large technology company' that Hakkins wanted to get the attention of with the Phonebloks distribution. It worked with 72 million messages being sent about it October last year.

 

So yes, they're different, but they're also the same thing. One was an idea, one is an actual product. That is the differentiation.

[carolkarine]

Welp, the fact that sennheiser stepped up to the plate makes me much more hopeful for this than before.

[Tonylu1595]

I hope this will be turned into a high end device instead of intended for the low end market. Or even better, just make a standard socket and everything so that everything on the phone can be replaced like the desktop. Only thing is, money is holding us back.

[mallenwho]

I hope this will be turned into a high end device instead of intended for the low end market. Or even better, just make a standard socket and everything so that everything on the phone can be replaced like the desktop. Only thing is, money is holding us back.

 

Google has said they only want to make the chassis' and software. Their stock chassis will ship with low end parts for $50 but a blank one should be availiable for $25-30 (BOM cost for the chassis is $18) and then you can chuck in it whatever ASUS or Sennheiser or whoever makes. Its as flexible as the desktop pc market.

 

And the socket they're using is impressive too: 8 pins where all 8 can transfer power or data at 10Gb/sec. therefore total throughput for a socket with 2 pins for power (standard) will be 60Gb/s. Large bloks will have two whole sockets for total broadband of 140Gb/sec! in a smartphone!

[shadowblitz3]

Finally. Im seeing this as the future of smartphones