Project Ara shipping to developers this fall

[Djole123]

So, as you know, Project Ara was a huge pain. It was rumored, leaked, delayed, and somehow forgotten.

 

Well, Google now promises that developers will get hands on it this fall!

 

Spoiler

Over the last year or so, the team also worked to standardize the modules, so that developers could actually start to build them. The key bit was redesigning the connectors on the back. Each one has to support constant connecting and reconnecting, charge things when they get plugged in, and, you know, not break or fall off. They created a proprietary port, but one that uses an open standard, UniPro. The phone has six, and each one can push up to 11.9 gigabits of data per second, in both directions. Ara chief Richard Woolridge spits out crazy edit-video-while-you-computer-vision use cases, but says the spec boils down to this: It can handle anything. And it only consumes a third as much power as USB 3.

Pricing is unknown, but the consumer version will come in January 2017.

 

Source:

http://gizmodo.com/googles-project-ara-modular-smartphone-will-ship-to-dev-1777834543

[TheRandomness]

I want. NAW

 

Seriously though, that thing looks awesome. Maybe a module for a bigger screen?

[Coaxialgamer]

I really am looking forward to this thing . A couple startups have projets like this , but i fear they won't be able to convince phone makers to sell modules for it . But this is google , so there is a chance . I probably would get like 4GB+ of RAM though .

[DocSwag]

I want this to be my next (and maybe last) phone. My OnePlus Two should last long enough, right?.....

[Daegun]

Man, Q1 2017 just keeps looking better and better. Big Pascal and Vega, Zen, and now Project Ara as well.

[suicidalfranco]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Mo_z_Art]

Because me and my sister both have an Iphone 4S since the launch and they are getting really slow, I talked to her what a good next phone would be. She said she wanted the phoneblocks phone. I answered that it would be the best phone but sadly the project was dead. Now I read this. I'm so happy right now!

[dizmo]

Man, there's so much more you could have fleshed out in this article.

Like, I dno, a link to the video they put out recently?

 

At first I was super interested in this phone. Then I saw the prototypes and lost interest. However, after seeing the most recent videos my interest has definitely grown. Though not quite to the point I'd give up a phone like the Note for it.

 

3 hours ago, Coaxialgamer said:

I really am looking forward to this thing . A couple startups have projets like this , but i fear they won't be able to convince phone makers to sell modules for it . But this is google , so there is a chance . I probably would get like 4GB+ of RAM though .

 

3 hours ago, DocSwag said:

 

I want this to be my next (and maybe last) phone. My OnePlus Two should last long enough, right?.....

 

Apparently the first generation of the device won't have the ability to swap system components like RAM, CPU, etc. So. Not quite there yet. It's basically a slightly more modular version of the new Moto X and G5.

[DocSwag]

2 hours ago, dizmo said:

Man, there's so much more you could have fleshed out in this article.

Like, I dno, a link to the video they put out recently?

 

At first I was super interested in this phone. Then I saw the prototypes and lost interest. However, after seeing the most recent videos my interest has definitely grown. Though not quite to the point I'd give up a phone like the Note for it.

 

 

 

Apparently the first generation of the device won't have the ability to swap system components like RAM, CPU, etc. So. Not quite there yet. It's basically a slightly more modular version of the new Moto X and G5.

Ahhhhh c'mon. Though still pretty nice if I can change the camera, battery, display, speaker maybe, etc.

Of course CPU and RAM would be nice, but not necessary. Plus I'd imagine a CPU upgrade would be quite expensive since you'd have to replace the CPU and mobo or whatever it's called in a phone. And maybe even the RAM.

 

Also when I was typing c'mon the autocorrect tried to change it to CMOS... 0_0

[dizmo]

2 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

Ahhhhh c'mon. Though still pretty nice if I can change the camera, battery, display, speaker maybe, etc.

Of course CPU and RAM would be nice, but not necessary. Plus I'd imagine a CPU upgrade would be quite expensive since you'd have to replace the CPU and mobo or whatever it's called in a phone. And maybe even the RAM.

 

Also when I was typing c'mon the autocorrect tried to change it to CMOS... 0_0

Not sure if you've seen it but you should check out this video.

Looks like they have some really nice speaker modules, as well as really solid microphone ones?
The eInk display tile also looks pretty awesome!

There also looks like there's a kickstand addition, obviously cameras, one that has a hidden compartment in it (kind of pointless).

Still, we'll see how it actually turns out. I still don't see it taking off.

 

[Exty]

this is the best thing ever give me 10 , the possibilities , with VR alone its insane but you could use 3 phones , 1 for display 2 for controllers  this is going to be a blast

[WolfDeville]

Might get one of these

[DocSwag]

15 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Not sure if you've seen it but you should check out this video.

Looks like they have some really nice speaker modules, as well as really solid microphone ones?
The eInk display tile also looks pretty awesome!

There also looks like there's a kickstand addition, obviously cameras, one that has a hidden compartment in it (kind of pointless).

Still, we'll see how it actually turns out. I still don't see it taking off.

 

Awesome! I'd love to have that phone!

Unfortunately it definitely doesn't look like CPU or RAM upgrades will be available in first gen (or display for that matter) but it still looks freaking awesome! You could just carry a bunch of those tiles with you and swap them out at your leisure!

[LAwLz]

My guess is that it will be really bad compared to your average non-modular phone. It will probably take several generations before it becomes a decent competitor in the smartphone game.

It's a really cool idea, but I just don't think it will be practical.

[AlTech]

On ‎5‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 3:23 AM, Djole123 said:

So, as you know, Project Ara was a huge pain. It was rumored, leaked, delayed, and somehow forgotten.

 

Well, Google now promises that developers will get hands on it this fall!

 

  Hide contents

Over the last year or so, the team also worked to standardize the modules, so that developers could actually start to build them. The key bit was redesigning the connectors on the back. Each one has to support constant connecting and reconnecting, charge things when they get plugged in, and, you know, not break or fall off. They created a proprietary port, but one that uses an open standard, UniPro. The phone has six, and each one can push up to 11.9 gigabits of data per second, in both directions. Ara chief Richard Woolridge spits out crazy edit-video-while-you-computer-vision use cases, but says the spec boils down to this: It can handle anything. And it only consumes a third as much power as USB 3.

Pricing is unknown, but the consumer version will come in January 2017.

 

Source:

http://gizmodo.com/googles-project-ara-modular-smartphone-will-ship-to-dev-1777834543

Maybe this could be my next phone.............

[AlTech]

8 hours ago, LAwLz said:

My guess is that it will be really bad compared to your average non-modular phone. It will probably take several generations before it becomes a decent competitor in the smartphone game.

It's a really cool idea, but I just don't think it will be practical.

Well it could be a way for people new to Android to try it out.

[spartaman64]

this is what i think of when i see ara ...

http://elwiki.net/w/Ara

[ShadowCaptain]

17 hours ago, LAwLz said:

My guess is that it will be really bad compared to your average non-modular phone. It will probably take several generations before it becomes a decent competitor in the smartphone game.

It's a really cool idea, but I just don't think it will be practical.

 

yeah i have a feeling the "modules" you attach are going to be second-rate at best

And the whole concept will require a lot of work to get everything smooth, and also getting 3rd parties on board making modules 

 

[Thony]

Recently I thought to my self "What happened to ARA, haven't heard about it for years".

 

Glad its actually happening. 

 

I hope it doesn't fail, it would be such a let down.