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6Notice: Some information in this article is outdated. Read more recent version here: Everything about Project Ara – Google’s modular smartphone (June 7, 2016)
1. What is a modular phone?
A modular smartphone is a cellphone that is assembled from discrete parts, the so-called “modules”. The idea of a modular smartphone is to upgrade or replace the phone’s parts individually according to user’s needs and preferences. Such parts might include a camera, processor, internal storage, battery, screen and all kinds of sensors. This may save a lot of money to consumers, because modular phone users won’t need to buy a new device to keep up with the trend.
2. I haven’t heard about modular phones before. When did the idea come into existence?
A modular phone concept started to gain popularity after a Dutch designer Dave Hakkens announced Phonebloks concept in September 2013. The name Phonebloks was adopted as a reference to Lego-like blocks that users could easily construct and change.
3. What is Project Ara?
About the same time or a little earlier when Phonebloks idea was announced by Dave Hakkens, the concept of modular phone was picked up and developed by Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group owned by Google and managed by Regina Dugan, the former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In the second half of 2014 Google sold Motorola to Lenovo, but retained the ATAP group as well as all its patents. Nowadays, mostly everything related to modular phones is associated with so-called Project Ara developed by Google.
4. Why “Ara”?
The official website says: “As it turns out, our lead mechanical designer is named Ara. And we like him. And we also like his name. So we named the phone Ara. We hope you like it too.”
5. How Ara phone looks like? How does it work?
The backbone of the modular Ara phone is “endoskeleton” (“endo”) – an aluminum frame with the slots for modules, which are attached to the endo with the help of electropermanent magnets. Endoskeleton connects all modules together by means of low-level protocols MIPI M-PHY and UniPro. These protocols enable modules to communicate with one another through a packet-switched network in the Endoskeleton.
Modules, which provide user interface (display, receiver, microphone), are attached to the front of the endo. Other functional modules, like camera, processor, battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, etc. are attached to the rear side of the endo.
6. What is the size of Ara phone?
Ara phone will be available in three sizes:
Small – 45x118x9.7mm (about the size of classic Nokia 3310)
Medium – 68x141x9.7mm (about the size of Samsung Galaxy S5)
Big – 91x164x9.7mm (slightly bigger than iPhone 6 Plus)
7. What are sizes of the Ara modules?
All Ara phones consist of 1×1, 1×2 and 2×2 modules with the sizes of approximately 22×22 mm, 22×44 mm and 44×44 mm respectively. So the length and width of the modules are strictly predefined.
Big Ara phone has five 2×2 modules and four 1×2 modules.
Medium Ara phone has two 2×2 modules, two 1×2 modules, two 2×1 modules and two 1×1 modules.
Small Ara phone has four 2×1 modules and two 1×1 modules.
However, modules may have different thickness depending on module purpose and size of hardware under the module shell. For example, it might be an extra-big battery, or a module with advanced photo camera.
8. Which operating system will be used in Ara phone? Will it be compatible with different OS?
According to ATAP modular Ara phone will work on Android. As far as known Google has no plans to expand their phone compatibility to Windows, Symbian or any other OS.
9. Is it possible to take out or insert modules without turning off the Ara phone?
The Ara platform is designed to let hot-swapping of modules, without requiring to power down the phone. For example it’s possible to slide out a camera and replace it with a battery whenever you need. However, it looks like Ara phone should be switched off for replacing processor module.
10. When will Ara phone be released?
At the second Ara developers conference Google ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) team announced that the Ara phone market pilot would be released in Puerto Rico in 2015 (probably in the 4th quarter). Special trucks, similar to food trucks, will be used for delivering phones and modules to users. The mobility of the trucks will help to deliver the pilot to different localities and neighbourhoods within Puerto Rico.
11. How much will it cost?
The cheapest base version of the Ara phone is set to be priced at about $50-$100. Individual modules will vary in price from $10 to $300 or even higher, depending on module functionality. The phones and the modules will be packed into nicely looking kits. According to Jessica Beavers from Google ATAP marketing team, customers will be able to buy standard ready-to-go phone kits, or assemble their own unique device using modules they choose.
12. Who will manufacture the modules for Ara phone? Google or other companies?
According to Google ATAP, Google won’t develop and produce modules at all. The ATAP team only creates a prototype and standards/specifications for modular Ara phone. These standards are publicly available for everyone at Project Ara official website in Module Developers Kit (MDK). So, any company or individual engineers are able to download MDK and develop their own modules with any functionality.
13. Which companies are already developing modules?
Among confirmed companies there are Marvell and Nvidia (application processors), Toshiba (camera, display, activity measurement and other modules), Vestigen (health modules), Yezz (wide range of modules with different functionalities), InnoLux (display module), Phison in partnership with Kingston (data storage modules), Intersoft Eurasia (radiation sensor module), Sennheiser (audio modules).
14. How will the modules be distributed?
Google aims to make Project Ara a hardware analog of Android. ATAP group works to make mobile hardware ecosystem similar to the mobile applications ecosystem. For this purpose Google has partnered with two software companies Globant and Two Tasters, which develop Ara Marketplace. It is an e-commerce platform for connecting module developers and customers.
15. Are there any other modular phones except Project Ara?
Yes, there are two notable companies which design their own modular phones: Puzzlephone and Vsenn. Some time ago two other concepts appeared: Magic Cube by Xiaomi and Eco-Mobius by ZTE. However, there were no new info about these phones since then. Besides smartphones, modular smartwatch Blocks is being actively developed as well.
“Gaining popularity” is not the same as “coming into existence”
Phoneblocks deserves credit for their grass-roots marketing campaign, and they deserve mention in an article like this, but they did not invent the idea. They didn’t invent anything, really, they just made a cool video about an idea that’s been around for a very long time.
Smartphones are just pdas with a phone chip inside. Handspring had a kind of modular pda about 15 years ago. People have been talking about modular smartphones since long before that.
I’m interested in a 7″-7.5″ endoskeleton. I want a tablet that can make calls.
My doubts about Project Ara is not so much about technological feasibility but commercial viability.
The smartphone is a compact, dense (functionally and physically), and highly complex electronic device in a field of technology that has been evolving rapidly towards even greater density and complexity. If modularity is such a great idea for dense, complex electronic devices, why isn’t there even one modular laptop in the market? Is there any reason why the supposed advantages of modularity in smartphones doesn’t apply to laptops? Especially given that the laptop’s larger form factor probably makes designing modularity much simpler?
When the trend in mobile computing devices seems to be towards the endpoint of a monolithic integrated block, what is the point of modularity? Designing and manufacturing for modularity is expensive (How do I know? Again, if it costs less then integrated designs, where are all the modular laptops?) and, more importantly, technologically constraining. A full ground-up redesign incorporating the latest technology will always outperform and cost less than a modular product that tries to keep up with technology by redesigning modules individually.
Aardman have you never even looked inside of a laptop?
Seriously.
Habibi, seems to me you are commenting without bothering to read the article first. You seem to be operating on a definition of modularity that is different from what Project Ara is aiming at. We are talking of modularity here where you can replace major components without opening up anything and without requiring any DIY skills at all. Name me one laptop where you can replace the screen (or camera, or CPU, or WiFi transmitter, etc.) simply by pulling out the old component and putting in the new.
In fact the battery, which is the one true traditionally modular component in laptop design, is moving away from modularity to integration.
The difference, in my opinion anyway, will be that there is going to be *one* modular phone. By the time it even became feasible to make a modular laptop, there were dozens of manufacturers making dozens of different models. This has a chance because
no matter what companies may tell you, people don’t want or need to upgrade to the latest model phone every year. This will allow people to keep a phone they love, and it’s personal settings and whatnot, without having to upgrade all of it, say when a new version of Bluetooth comes out. (I personally like my phone as is, but it doesn’t have nfc capabilities as an example)
you dont need “modular” laptops, even though you might not be able to change a component in it by yourself. Cause like desktops, when something burns out in your laptop, you can replace it relatively cheaply, and you still can upgrade your machine, even though it isnt as efficient, like it was with desktops. But when something burns out in your phone, you can all toss it in the trash, nor you cant upgrade it – thus modular phone.
I want a full sized keyboard with the back designed to fit a dozen or more modules onto. including a bluetooth module to link up with a video monitor or google cardboard or google glass or hololens.
Google (and Phonebloks), you ARA genius!
If this takes off, I think it will be popular because of the ability to customize your phone with “cool” modules. You can get the latest speaker from, say, Sony, and the newest camera from Nikon. Small companies can develop boutique, fun little modules, much in the way some apps are marketed as well. Decorative modules will be a big part. Like a miniature fish tank with a cute little plastic fish and plant floating in it, or something (just the first thing I thought of that would be pretty). It’ll be so fun, especially for millennials! Endless opportunities to play and fiddle with your phone. Cheaper for the consumer than buying an entirely new phone, more revenue generated for companies by selling an endless variety of modules, and great for the most technically-inclined consumers to have more freedom over how their phone works. I can’t wait, and I wish I lived in PR so I could be the first to try it!!
I think it’s a great idea! But what concerns me is that…we’re living in the selfie generation and they didn’t mention a front camera module at the front of the endo. I do see a front camera at one of the pictures displayed above. But well, you know…they have to put it in writing to assure some people (like myself) that what they saw was exactly what they saw.
The only problem I see about this project (I really am looking forward to) is the lack of module spaces, I mean: in my opinion many manufacturers will have to make some agreements in order to be able to supply one module with many functions (for example: the same module providing ROM, RAM, CPU and GPU) and it can be a little tricky. Despite of that, this project will make real important changes in the way we understand mobile phones and electronic devices.
How i will know is avaliable too the market?
Which low-level language is used to communicate with modules in this project ara??
integration to make a device more compact but don’t have the freedom to get what you want and find yourself getting used to it…being modular feels good.. you don’t want some on it remove it DIY..want it to improved add what you like DIY.. integration makes customization impossible but looks like has some advantages… like pants with integrated underwears, cyborg technologies,and….=)
What does the endo sekelton slots do were if there is the technology advancement is there the possibility the moto ara endo skeleton will be changed and there is no use for the old one …??