Google’s Project Ara is a forward-thinking device with the unique tagline of being able to call itself as “Designed exclusively for 6 billion people.”
If you’re unfamiliar, how can Ara make that bold yet valid claim? The device, or devices dependent on how you look at it, is compromised of modules which can be designed by any manufacturer to “swap” in and out as needed…
We all know how fast hardware advances, and there are a good proportion of us which fall into our favourite manufacturers’ annual flagship upgrade cycle. We’re convinced we need that latest processor with 1000x better graphics, that 4K screen made of Sapphire, that camera which can take a wide-angle snap of the International Space Station…
But what if we could swap-in and out the components we want personally as they come available? Not all of us are gamers and want killer graphics, not all of us are photographers and want the best shooter on the market. Perhaps some of us don’t care about a back camera, but we want a fantastic front camera for ‘selfies’ with friends?
More important, there are 5 billion people who don’t have a smartphone at all. Swappable, cheap components allow those in emerging markets to get connected.
The base “skeletons” are available in three separate sizes; with five different layouts each to cater for those who like different touchscreen setups, or a full QWERTY keyboard.
All this customisation is only possible with Project Ara.
Yet it’s only possible with support from manufacturers to help supply components. Google has today released their MDK (Module Developers Kit) which allows potential developers for the platform to get started providing reference designs. The Ara platform consists of an on-device packet-switched data network based on the MIPI UniPro protocol stack, a flexible power bus, and an elegant industrial design that mechanically unites the modules with an endoskeleton.
It’s an exciting project, even more so due to the fact it can get specialist hardware suppliers who have no play in smartphones to bring their experience over and advance devices at a much faster rate. Anyone here welcome a camera module from Nikon or Canon?
“Ara’s success is predicated on a rich, vibrant, and diverse ecosystem of modules from a myriad of developers,” one document in the kit reads.
Throughout 2014 the Project Ara team plans to continue working on a series of alpha and beta MDK releases. You can get the first version (0.10) of the kit here and the first developer conference will be held April 15th – 16th 2014 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.
Do you think Google’s customisable (and upgradeable) smartphones will be a success?
