The first time I got to know of Project ARA was back in late 2013 or early 2014. It was a cool concept and all but at the end of the day seemed like just another project that wasn’t going to make it. Well, after 2 years of apparent silence, Project ARA is back.
It’s a project, not a phone, as the name suggests. The project to create a modular phone that would allow the user to swap individual components instead of changing the phone all together.
Need a better camera? Just exchange a module. More RAM? Just a module. Convert to USB-C? Just a module. Sounds simple, and well, it is. Commonly affiliated with Phonebloks, a concept created by Dave Hakkens, a Dutch designer and Youtuber, Project ARA is trying really hard to revolutionize the tech community. The developer team is in a race against time to create a usable prototype within this year and choose a marketable audience. And by the looks of it, they are coping well. Google’s ATAP has released a new video about ARA to get people talking about it. Project ARA is certainly looking ambitious. It’s the everyday nerds dream. But the developers must appeal to a wider audience if they are to make it a success.
It has been reported that the developer team has contracted a company to build a new 3D printing machine to create custom modules that appeal to the user. Project ARA maybe here sooner rather than later.
Or is it already here?
LG’s new G5 is a modular phone. The battery and its module pops right up. You can replace that with another batter or, one of LG’s new “Friends” accessories, which is the CAM plus. Now what that essentially is is a module that gives you added control over the phones camera with physical zoom buttons, a better grip and more battery. It’s a separate module you can buy. Now in no way am I saying that LG is affiliated with Project ARA but it just goes to tell you that modular phones are a thing of the present, and the future.
