Google Project Ara to release modular smartphone next month

[shree]

Google's Project Ara is about to release a modular smartphone next month, according to this report.

It says earlier reports about the first device being a tablet was based on the mistaken assumption that the display was 13.8 inches. Actually, it is 13.8 cm.

 

[tsupersonic]

Will be interesting if true. You would think that they would keep the launch close to Google IO

 

[shree]

Funny thing is -- people are worried that it's got mediocre specs, SD 810, FHD display etc, while the whole point is that there are no 'specs' for a device like this. Wonder how they are going to sell it. I mean, do they sell it like Dell does its desktops -- with a number of options that you choose from their website?

 

[luv2liv]

Funny thing is -- people are worried that it's got mediocre specs, SD 810, FHD display etc, while the whole point is that there are no 'specs' for a device like this. Wonder how they are going to sell it. I mean, do they sell it like Dell does its desktops -- with a number of options that you choose from their website?

target market -> kids/teens
like Lego bricks, just mix, match, repeat! i can see how the various parts can be sold at vending machines, if they are cheap enough...

 

[KeithP]

I did a quick search and didn't see any other sites reporting a release.

Google IO is May 18-20 and they have previously indicated Ara would be tested on a small scale first. Originally it was suppose to be Puerto Rico but that was scrapped and then they said "We are looking at a few locations in the U.S." for sometime in 2016.

Is there some reason we should take anything this site says as reliable? Does it have a proven record of "inside" Google information?

-KeithP

 

[linkgoron]

I wonder why companies keep trying the modular phone approach. People don't want it, and I think that it's a bad idea.

I get that in theory enthusiasts or whatever would like to have a modular phone.
new snapdragon? new wifi standard? radio? more RAM? better camera? whatever - just add a module.

In real life, most people don't care. They don't know how much RAM their phone has or how good the CPU is. A lot of people think that the iPhone 6s is "barely an upgrade" vs the iPhone 6. It also adds a lot of complexity. Which camera module should I buy? what's the difference between these two 2gb RAM modules? Do we now need to handle drivers for different modules? are things hot swappable? Can damage be done more easily if you drop the phone and a module loosens? etc. etc.

We'll see I guess, but I believe modular phones are born to fail.

 

[openwheel]

About time. I wanted modular design before iPhone came out. I've been building my computers since beginning of time, why can't we put together a mini computer the way we want it?

Let the Dell/HP/iMac crowd have their Galaxy and iPhone. This is Anandtech. I can't believe there are people on Anandtech who don't want a modular design.

 

[Yuriman]

I like the idea in principle, so long as it doesn't make the end result considerably heavier and more expensive.

 

[poofyhairguy]

target market -> kids/teens

Nah.

The target market are those who currently need expensive custom devices, this will be great for industries like science and medicine where even ancient technology has massive costs.

Imagine a phone like this where you swap out a part and suddenly it's the best geiger counter on the market for a fraction of the previous best one. Or you swap out a part and it's a piece of medical equipment that currently is 10x as much for a slower version. Or you swap out a part and you have a device that can read credit card reliably unlike those terrible Square adaptors. Or you swap out a part and you have a barcode and RFID reader for the warehouse floor that is better than any on the market previous.

 

[shree]

I think we're overlooking a crucial factor.

The Snapdragon 820 is more powerful that the processors inside a large chunk of laptops sitting on shop shelves today (think AMD Fusion series, Intel Atom).

With Cortex A72, it's possible to have a phone that also functions as a mobile computer CPU, which you just plug into a I/O terminal (a kind of dumb workstation) of the future.

My strong belief is that by 2017, a lot of people will stop having dedicated computers and their phone will be their computer. When on the move, they'll use the built in screen and touch typing, and at other places, they'll hook it up to a 'full size' display and input devices.

You'll also see dumb laptop-type cradles which will come to life when you plug in your phone. And in such a scenario, I'm sure a modular design becomes more plausible compared to the current scenario. I mean, if you're using your phone as you do now, you probably don't care about how powerful your CPU can be next year if you buy the latest one.

But we're moving towards phone-PC convergence by 2017.

I wonder why companies keep trying the modular phone approach. People don't want it, and I think that it's a bad idea.

I get that in theory enthusiasts or whatever would like to have a modular phone.
new snapdragon? new wifi standard? radio? more RAM? better camera? whatever - just add a module.

In real life, most people don't care. They don't know how much RAM their phone has or how good the CPU is. A lot of people think that the iPhone 6s is "barely an upgrade" vs the iPhone 6. It also adds a lot of complexity. Which camera module should I buy? what's the difference between these two 2gb RAM modules? Do we now need to handle drivers for different modules? are things hot swappable? Can damage be done more easily if you drop the phone and a module loosens? etc. etc.

We'll see I guess, but I believe modular phones are born to fail.

 

[shree]

Exactly, I mean who'd buy a phone that looks like a lego construct?

That has to be the biggest challenge, plus the longevity of the 'chassis'. I mean, what's the point of upgrading the modules if your chassis is all scratched and bent by year 2? Perhaps they can use titanium or something

I like the idea in principle, so long as it doesn't make the end result considerably heavier and more expensive.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Exactly, I mean who'd buy a phone that looks like a lego construct?

That has to be the biggest challenge

LG did a good job with their modular G5. That is a much much more practical consumer modular phone than Ara.

 

[linkgoron]

I think we're overlooking a crucial factor.

The Snapdragon 820 is more powerful that the processors inside a large chunk of laptops sitting on shop shelves today (think AMD Fusion series, Intel Atom).

With Cortex A72, it's possible to have a phone that also functions as a mobile computer CPU, which you just plug into a I/O terminal (a kind of dumb workstation) of the future.

My strong belief is that by 2017, a lot of people will stop having dedicated computers and their phone will be their computer. When on the move, they'll use the built in screen and touch typing, and at other places, they'll hook it up to a 'full size' display and input devices.

You'll also see dumb laptop-type cradles which will come to life when you plug in your phone. And in such a scenario, I'm sure a modular design becomes more plausible compared to the current scenario. I mean, if you're using your phone as you do now, you probably don't care about how powerful your CPU can be next year if you buy the latest one.

But we're moving towards phone-PC convergence by 2017.

I feel like I'm being very pessimistic here (in this thread), but the problem isn't only hardware, it's also software, and I don't think that the software will be there by 2017.

App support is already crap on Android, not to mention the OS fragmentation. These things are possible to work out, and for example could start by only being supported on Nexus phones etc., but apps also have to add support for a mouse based UI (right click? what about things like 3d-touch on iOS?), bigger screens etc. If I recall correctly, even just basic Tablet support isn't that good on Android (someone can correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[poofyhairguy]

I feel like I'm being very pessimistic here (in this thread), but the problem isn't only hardware, it's also software, and I don't think that the software will be there by 2017.

App support is already crap on Android, not to mention the OS fragmentation. These things are possible to work out, and for example could start by only being supported on Nexus phones etc., but apps also have to add support for a mouse based UI (right click? what about things like 3d-touch on iOS?), bigger screens etc. If I recall correctly, even just basic Tablet support isn't that good on Android (someone can correct me if I'm wrong)

Actually Android N has a desktop mode with real mouse support baked in:

http://www.droid-life.com/2016/03/21/android-n-has-a-freeform-desktop-style-floating-window-mode/

 

[linkgoron]

Actually Android N has a desktop mode with real mouse support baked in:

http://www.droid-life.com/2016/03/21/android-n-has-a-freeform-desktop-style-floating-window-mode/

Wow thanks, I didn't know that! maybe I was too pessimistic!

Reading the original article,
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/03/this-is-android-ns-freeform-window-mode/
There are still quite a few problems with app and window management (though this is not surprising at this early stage of development). I wonder if we'll actually see a finished version of this feature in N by Sept-November, and it's also interesting to see how it'll work out with things like Touchwiz etc.

 

[uallas5]

I predict it will take off same as the DIY modular laptop industry did.

 

[gorcorps]

I think we're overlooking a crucial factor.

The Snapdragon 820 is more powerful that the processors inside a large chunk of laptops sitting on shop shelves today (think AMD Fusion series, Intel Atom).

With Cortex A72, it's possible to have a phone that also functions as a mobile computer CPU, which you just plug into a I/O terminal (a kind of dumb workstation) of the future.

My strong belief is that by 2017, a lot of people will stop having dedicated computers and their phone will be their computer. When on the move, they'll use the built in screen and touch typing, and at other places, they'll hook it up to a 'full size' display and input devices.

You'll also see dumb laptop-type cradles which will come to life when you plug in your phone. And in such a scenario, I'm sure a modular design becomes more plausible compared to the current scenario. I mean, if you're using your phone as you do now, you probably don't care about how powerful your CPU can be next year if you buy the latest one.

But we're moving towards phone-PC convergence by 2017.

Part of what you described already exists, though it wasn't very successful:

https://www.asus.com/us/Phone/ASUS_PadFone_X_US/overview/

I think the idea is a good one, and there's been docks for phones before so we're definitely getting to a point where this will be more useful.

Microsoft may actually be the first one to be able to get this right, if they truly have Windows 10 on all of their devices. We already have the ability to switch to tablet/desktop mode in Windows 10, so if they put their mind to it they should be able to make a surface type of tablet that runs off of a windows phone. Once you insert your phone (which is mobile mode) it'll change automatically to tablet mode. If you connect that to a keyboard or dock you get the option of desktop mode. Could you imagine the business perks of such a setup? You wouldn't need a separate laptop or desktop, just your phone and docks. If it all ran windows 10 you'd be able to use the Office programs everyone is used to.

 

[shree]

Microsoft and Canonical have both had their eyes on this. But MS has been handicapped by poor CPUs. They tried this with Continuum and Lumia 950 -- throwing in liquid cooling to keep the performance up, but from what I've heard, the chip still struggles to deliver.

 

[lopri]

It is definitely intriguing. Curious as to what can be dislodged and lego'ed.

 

[sweenish]

Part of what you described already exists, though it wasn't very successful:

https://www.asus.com/us/Phone/ASUS_PadFone_X_US/overview/

I think the idea is a good one, and there's been docks for phones before so we're definitely getting to a point where this will be more useful.

Microsoft may actually be the first one to be able to get this right, if they truly have Windows 10 on all of their devices. We already have the ability to switch to tablet/desktop mode in Windows 10, so if they put their mind to it they should be able to make a surface type of tablet that runs off of a windows phone. Once you insert your phone (which is mobile mode) it'll change automatically to tablet mode. If you connect that to a keyboard or dock you get the option of desktop mode. Could you imagine the business perks of such a setup? You wouldn't need a separate laptop or desktop, just your phone and docks. If it all ran windows 10 you'd be able to use the Office programs everyone is used to.

I think you're basically talking about the HP Elite x3.

Office 365 is in the store as Windows "apps" that run on ARM. Remote/mobile employees would only need one device and a few accessories.

 

[jhu]

I just want to be able to run the mainline Linux kernel on my phone. Is that too much to ask for? If Google has the resources to make Ara, they have the resources for mainline at least on their Nexus phones.

 

[gorcorps]

I think you're basically talking about the HP Elite x3.

Office 365 is in the store as Windows "apps" that run on ARM. Remote/mobile employees would only need one device and a few accessories.

That looks pretty good, haven't seen that before. Biggest issue I see is that the laptop connection is just USB cable. Would be a lot better if you could dock the phone directly on the laptop

 

[Rakehellion]

Sounds like this would cost way more than a regular phone for worse quality.

 

[Rakehellion]

I can't believe there are people on Anandtech who don't want a modular design.

Same reason you can't replace parts on a laptop. There are enormous technical compromises to the point it isn't even worth the miniscule improvement in functionality. Why not just sell your old phone and buy a new one?

 

[elitejp]

As tech grows this will be easier. I recently swapped out the hard drive on my laptop for a ssd. Instant newness.

With a swappable phone like this I can upgrade the battery and camera and I don't mind a 5in plus phone. I don't play games and I don't really multitask. But for someone else they want something small and light that can run benchmarks all day.

It just more options and more choice.