For Google, the future will have consumers assembling their own smartphones from individual parts. The tech giant is set to introduce the Project Ara, which aims to make that happen, in its three developer conferences.
According to the Ara website, the first of three conferences will take place on April 15 and 16, which will be held online. This allows any interested developer from all over the world to join in the conversation. Google will also host a more intimate gathering at the Computer History Museum, located near its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
When Google sold its Motorola unit to Lenovo, it kept Moto’s Advanced Technology And Products (ATAP) group. Its aim aligns with Google’s so-called “moonshot” projects, or technology that pushes through leaps and bounds instead of increments. This includes the Google modular smartphone, which breaks the usual handset down into its components such as the camera, processor, and storage among others.
The idea behind modular phones is to be able to purchase components separately to upgrade or enhance their mobile device according to their preference. Reports claim that Google wants to sell a stripped-down base phone, which does not even come with a cellular connection, for $50. Users would then add up more modules to enhance their phone’s abilities as they see fit.
There are no dates yet for the other two conferences, but Google says both will be held within this year. You can follow the progress of the Google modular smartphone on the @ProjectAra Twitter account.
http://mashable.com/2014/02/27/project-ara-conference/
