Google's Project Ara To Revolutionize Smartphone Industry With 'Spare Part' Device

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April 16, 2014 3:32 PM

The Ara Project will let you design your phone according to your budget and just the way you like it

The face of the smartphone industry is set for a radical change as Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) is set to release a brand new type of 'spare-part' smartphone.

Imagine you have a phone that comes with the unlimited option to change any of its features. Just like you change the casing of some ordinary phones, or the way photographers change the lens of their cameras, anything on the project Ara device can be changed.

Engadget took a close look at the revolutionary project and reports

"The Ara consists of a metal endoskeleton, which is essentially the spine of the phone, and slots for replaceable components known as modules, which look a lot like tiles.

"These tiled modules can include anything that makes your phone tick (processor, RAM, WiFi, power jack, baseband, display and battery, for instance), as well as plenty of other features like your camera, speakers and storage space.

"Each module will connect to the other working parts through capacitive interconnects, which are essentially wireless pads that are smaller than standard pins.

"Electropermanent magnets not only hold modules in place, but they also act as a toggle switch, which allows you to easily turn that element on and off."

So the Ara projects will put everything is in the users’ hands.

"As you might already imagine, all modules can be swapped out at your convenience."

The possibilities in this are huge. What it means is that two people with the same model of the Ara device might end up having totally different devices after choosing the modules they like.

The first Ara phones, "Grey Phone," will come with only a screen, processor and WiFi module and users can then easily add and take away components as they see fit."

Again, anybody can add or upgrade modules whenever they can afford to do so, according to personal budget.

Another plus in the Ara Project is the durability and longetivity it boasts of.

"Whereas most smartphones today can barely make it through a two-year contract, Ara is meant to last for several years."

However, ATAP is now trying to resolve the issues of size, weight and thickness of Ara devices and concerns with battery efficiency – though a user has the chance to just hot-swap batteries.

Desoite all these, the prospects of ATAP's Ara project is eagerly anticipated.

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