# Project Ara (modular phone)



## ADF (Apr 4, 2015)

So what's everyone's thoughts on the modular phone Google are working on? I'm personally excited at the prospect of putting together the phone I want, as opposed to what companies throw at the consumer and hope sticks. To understand why I'm personally interested in a modular phone, I guess you'd have to look at my history of phone ownership.


I never really bought into the mobile hype back in the day. My first mobile was £15 inc. a £10 top up back in 2006, which made calls and was all I really needed. It wasn't until my first smartphone that I began to acquire interest. It was the Orange San Francisco, which answered my prior complaints about there being no "all in one" devices back in 2007-2009. It replaced my phone, my media player, the photo/video quality was terrible but I didn't care. I was quite please with this pocket sized device that did everything... That is until I tried to game on it.

I began to get annoyed with it when everyone else was playing games on their mobile but me. I could technically get the first angry birds to run on it, but it lagged so badly that it prevented me from passing the later levels, only worsening the frustration. There were many titles on Google Play that wouldn't even download onto my phone, saying they weren't compatible. This frustration pushed me to later purchase the Samsung Galaxy S2, a phone that was outrageously expensive compared to my previous device but it was a vow to never have to deal with any "computer says no" situations again. Which I didn't, I happily used that phone for 3+ years. It wasn't perfect, there were bugs that prevented some of its claimed functionality from working, but it did everything I wanted.

Eventually I got an upgrade itch and my old S2 didn't feel like it cut it any more. The resolution was so low that often when I was posting here on the FA forums; I could barely see what I was typing. So I went full hog again and bought the Galaxy S4, thinking it would last me another 3+ years... I wasn't really that impressed. It was so full of bloat that there was barely any space left to install the high end games to make use of the new hardware, after you've installed XCOM there really isn't much left for anything else, especially after they took away the "move app to SD card" option. Games ran better, but it really wasn't that better, it wasn't like I could suddenly max titles I was running on minimum with my S2. So I wasn't really happy with this phone, it didn't feel like the great leap I expected.

Later I found it had a hardware fault that caused the network access to keep dropping and people couldn't contact me. Amazon only has a refund and not a replacement policy, so I returned the phone. I couldn't fall back on my S2, I had already gifted it to a new owner, so I started looking for a suitable replacement. I was convinced to switch from O2 to Three by their better data deal, so for the time being I grabbed an Acer Liquid E3 from their store. Could have gotten a better deal if I looked around but at the time I intended it as a place holder until I moved on to something better.

But you know what? It did the job, it had a nicer resolution and better processor than my S2 and it ran most of the games I wanted. So I stuck with it and pocketed the difference. Despite its limited 2GB capacity it still could move apps to the micro SD, so it felt like it had a lot more space than the Galaxy S4. I was happy with it for a good while, until... The virtual reality hype came along and I bought Google Cardboard to play with. Guess what happened? There is no gyroscope in this phone, I couldn't use use any of the demos as I had no head tracking... Even if it did have a gyro, it also lacks NFC, which most VR demos use for input.

So "computer says no" has come back to haunt me yet again. A device that otherwise met most of my needs had yet again become a barrier to something I wanted to try, because its manufacturers decided to leave out a common component of most smartphones. So what do I do? Splurge on the latest brand phone packed with crap I don't need, just in case a cheaper model I purchase lacks something I may need one day?

Have you seen the Galaxy S6? No SD card slot, non-removable battery, lacks the water proofing of its predecessor and its main sales point is there is a model with a gimmicky curved screen...

I don't give a damn about how slim a phone is, it's more awkward to hold, I want a big ass battery I can replace when it starts holding less charge. I want a phone with optical zoom so I can take nature shots better and I don't care how ugly it makes the device look. I'd only do without an SD card slot if the on board capacity was suitable large, with no bloat. I don't need a UHD display, no one needs a UHD display on a freaking phone! I'd be quite happy with a 5" 720/1080 OLED display because it's clear enough for a device of that size, OLED will actually scale battery usage when below the screens minimum brightnesses using screen filtering apps. I had crazy energy efficiency on my S2 when I did that of a night. I want a phone were I don't need to take out headphones to show someone a YouTube video in public, something I can actually hear when sat outside by a fountain. And I want it to support as many network bands and as strong a signal as technologically possible...

I want "my" phone and I'm hoping Project Ara will deliver that. Until then I can put up with the Acer Liquid e3 with no gyro...


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## Biochemiphy (Apr 4, 2015)

Tl;dr


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## ADF (Apr 7, 2015)

The above junk post aside, surely I'm not the only one excited for modular phones?

[video=youtube;intua_p4kE0]https://youtu.be/intua_p4kE0[/video]


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 7, 2015)

Ohhh I watch this project since 2 years when Phoneblok came out.
I sooooo want it


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## Captain Howdy (Apr 7, 2015)

I like the idea of it, but I fear the expense of the individual parts, and whether or not they will be consistently good parts. I know I'd like to move my speaker and camera, but not if it will accidentally fall off, or if it costs like $50.


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 7, 2015)

Yes. In some videos it seems like, the parts come off really fast. That might be a problem.
But the rest is just awesome


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## ADF (Apr 7, 2015)

We don't know anything about individual pricing as that will be down to the various module manufacturers, though I think I heard the bare bones endoskeleton will be around $100. I cannot image there would be a huge mark-up in price as they wouldn't be very successful if they came out with a big premium like that. There will be a cost for going modular though as it's bound to be more expensive than a sealed off the assembly line unit, but in the medium to long term it will work out cheaper as you're not having to replace the whole phone every upgrade. If one component gets damaged like the screen, it's a matter of replacing that one component and not the whole phone.

It also wouldn't come with some Apple/Samsung brand premium, you're paying for the hardware and not the brand. Branded hardware would have to compete in an open market to justify their premiums; rather than you being forced to accept whatever they shoved in the latest Iphone or Galaxy S.

Modules won't simply fall out as they're using semi-pernament electromagnets. They're held in place magnetically but it consumes no power and the magnets can change state for when you need to remove components.


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 7, 2015)

I like the idea for example, that you can buy speakers from bose or phillips or sony.
All the brands you can choose of.
Also at the end its gonna be so much cheaper than other smartphones, because you can just buy a new cpu for 80â‚¬ and you upgraded your 3 years old phone to samsung galaxy S Over 9000 status


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## ADF (Apr 7, 2015)

A cool feature I heard about is if you switch one of these phones into low power mode, you can remove the battery and still have a couple of minutes of runtime on the phone. Allowing you to swap out batteries without having to shut down the device. Another one is any module can be a power source. So you can leave unnecessary components at home such as the micro-usb charging connection and replace it with a battery for extra runtime. If you don't care about selfies, you can select something with added battery capacity instead of a front facing camera.

Technically you don't even have to use it as a phone. With anyone being able to produce modules, you could customise them for specific tasks. You can put scientific instruments in it, or anything else you can think of.


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 7, 2015)

Anyone knows, when it'll come out?
I so fucking want this.
Like
Now!


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## ADF (Apr 7, 2015)

They'll be running a pilot before going global but here's their planned time line.


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 7, 2015)

Oh wow. Looks like I'll have a new phone in 2016.
Thats great


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## ADF (Apr 7, 2015)

And this is another possible example of why modular phones are so ground breaking. Give people the freedom to write applications for a platform and you get the app store, with millions of apps allowing people's smartphones to perform a multitude of tasks its designer would have never contemplated. Modularity of phones is going to do for hardware what the app store was for software, it's these self contained components that can serve any function that will be universally compatible with all modular phones. The project Ara people described it as democratising hardware.

There are a lot of hardware ideas that were squashed because phone manufacturers didn't want to adopt them. With modular phones all these ideas will be able to stand on their own merit, the consumer will be able to decide what they want. For instance we have e-ink displays because that's what the market leader of e-readers, Amazon, chose to use. With others following. But there are alternatives to e-ink, maybe someone wants the battery advantages of an e-ink display when they're out and about but they don't want to lose the colours and animation? Having an e-ink display for your phone of itself would be so incredibly niche that you'd have to hunt down that one phone that uses it, assuming they exist. With modular phones you can carry a low power/high visibility in sun display in your bag and swap it out as needed. Whatever it would cost, it would be cheaper and more convenient than carrying a whole separate device around.


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## ADF (Apr 9, 2015)

Correction regarding the quoted $100 figure for the endoskeleton.

http://www.tested.com/tech/smartpho...ins-how-googles-project-ara-smartphone-works/



> Google expects the Endoskeleton cost to be under $100
> 
> When users buy a Project Ara phone, they'll start by buying just the Endoskeleton and basic components, which Google has priced at around $50 for what they call a basic "grey" phone. That includes $15 for the Endo frame, $15 for the display, $5 for a battery, $10 for the main Application Processor module, and $5 for a Wi-Fi unit. These are just the bill of materials cost, and aren't what users will actually pay for modules, but Google is confident that getting started with a working Project Ara phone will cost well under $100. In terms of overall pricing for building a full-featured Project Ara phone, Google says that the only real cost overhead for Ara modules are Unipro technology and the electropermanent magnets. In addition, they expect that a flourishing component ecosystem will drive down prices and offer users more options for pricing.


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 9, 2015)

Bro, I'll get a new phone next year xD


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## ADF (Apr 10, 2015)

I've often been sceptical of solar panels on smart phones, because the phone is in your pocket most of the time and you're not going to be leaving it laying around all day to soak up sun. However...

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...d-make-every-window-and-screen-a-power-source

Imagine a reflective display technology like Mirosal combined with a transparent solar panel over that display. You've not only got a low power display that becomes clearer the more light shines on it, but it's also now charging while you use it in the sun.


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 10, 2015)

ADF said:


> I've often been sceptical of solar panels on smart phones, because the phone is in your pocket most of the time and you're not going to be leaving it laying around all day to soak up sun. However...
> 
> http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...d-make-every-window-and-screen-a-power-source
> 
> Imagine a reflective display technology like Mirosal combined with a transparent solar panel over that display. You've not only got a low power display that becomes clearer the more light shines on it, but it's also now charging while you use it in the sun.



Or you just plug it into your window and charge it from there xDD


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## ADF (Apr 10, 2015)

X_Joshi_X said:


> Or you just plug it into your window and charge it from there xDD



I go down to an allotment where there is nowhere to plug stuff in  Hence being interested in reflective display technology, as it consumes little power and actually becomes clearer in the sunlight. Layer a solar panel over the screen and even a small trickle charge would be meaningful for a low power device.


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## Maugryph (Apr 11, 2015)

It would be nice if this takes off. To be able to upgrade just certain modules every year instead of the entire phone is really appealing. My only worry would be the strength of the electromagnets if you accidentally drop the phone. It would suck to have mods flying everywhere


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## X_Joshi_X (Apr 11, 2015)

Maugryph said:


> It would be nice if this takes off. To be able to upgrade just certain modules every year instead of the entire phone is really appealing. My only worry would be the strength of the electromagnets if you accidentally drop the phone. It would suck to have mods flying everywhere



Mhh. The original idea of phonebloks was a little screw, which holds everything in place. But Im sure they will solve this problem


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## ADF (Apr 11, 2015)

Maugryph said:


> It would be nice if this takes off. To be able to upgrade just certain modules every year instead of the entire phone is really appealing. My only worry would be the strength of the electromagnets if you accidentally drop the phone. It would suck to have mods flying everywhere



They'll naturally be considering this. In one video they mentioned the "butt test" they're using as part of their durability testing.


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## ADF (Apr 13, 2015)

http://www.yezzara.com/concepts

Yezz playing with module ideas.


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## ADF (Apr 13, 2015)

shteev said:


> I'm afraid to admit that I'd modify my phone in ways that make it look cooler as opposed to modifying it to add functionality :x



Well the good thing about choice is someone choosing looks over function isn't forced on those who prefer function, like it is with typical phones. Everyone's phone will be built just for them.


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