Alphabet’s Google has suspended Project Ara. Ara is a concept where where a smartphone is seen as a compilation of modular blocks. This means that the camera, speaker, battery are parts that can be bought and changed if the need arises.
So instead of buying a new device every couple of months to get the latest updates and specs, you just buy the part required and simply tack it onto your phone, replacing the older modules.
It would seem that Google has been having problems with Project Ara as it has been postponing the launch.
Recently as its I/O developer conference in May 2016, Google again promised developers that it would have working hardware this year and that the first Ara phone would be released in 2017.
According to a report from Recode, hardware chief Rick Osterloh, however, decided that the effort was unlikely to succeed. He is choosing to focus on the company’s many other hardware bets, including Chromebooks, Android devices and Google Home.
Modular smartphones have generated great enthusiasm in the tech community for their potential to prolong the lifespan of a device and reduce electronic waste. But the devices are difficult to bring to market because their interchangeable parts make them bulky and costly to produce, said analyst Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research, adding that he was not surprised to see Google halt the project.
“This was a science experiment that failed, and they are moving on,” he said.
