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Motorola's "Project Ara" Will Allow Users To Customize Their Smartphones

Posted by timothy on from the snap-and-go dept.

rtoz writes "Motorola has announced 'Project Ara,' afree and open hardware platform for smartphones. The purpose of Project Ara is to create a modular smartphone that would allow users to swap hardware components according their own wish. The design for Project Ara consists of an endoskeleton (endo) and modules. The endo is the structural frame that holds all the modules in place. A module can be anything, from a new application processor to a new display or keyboard, an extra battery, a pulse oximeter — or something not yet thought of." Motorola's not the first one to think of such a thing; this project is in cooperation with Phonebloks, which had already been pushing for reusable, reconfigurable phone components.

13 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Remember when by jfdavis668 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You could buy computers with backs that opened, and you could configure them with new hardware...

    1. Re:Remember when by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You could buy computers with backs that opened

      Um.. nothing has changed dude. You still can. Perhaps you've been in the Apple monoculture too long.

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    2. Re:Remember when by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 2, Informative

      You can still open the Apple computers too. He's just too lazy to do it.

      not unless you buy their proprietary screwdriver for the weird pentalobe screws they use on all of their products.

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    3. Re: Remember when by kTag · · Score: 4, Informative

      You shouldn't be allowed to post on Slashdot if you are stopped by the wrong screwdriver

  2. Fantastic for corporate users by Jack+Malmostoso · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is excellent. At my company we are not allowed to have phones with cameras, so now I am juggling my private smartphone and a kick-ass Nokia 101 which I take to my desk.

    If I could build a smartphone with a decent touchscreen, no camera, and dual sim capabilities I'd be really happy.

    1. Re:Fantastic for corporate users by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Insightful

      At my company we are not allowed to have phones with cameras,

      So why do you think that they would allow a phone that could easily have a camera added to it after you walked past security?

    2. Re:Fantastic for corporate users by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2

      With some talented exceptions, people who write lists of forbidden objects for a living often exhibit dangerously limited imagination.

    3. Re:Fantastic for corporate users by Sarten-X · · Score: 2

      Because that's not the point. The rules say there's no cameras allowed, so if anyone brings a camera in, they're breaking the rules. Sure, you can sneak in a camera, and I'd expect people do it accidentally all the time, but if it's ever taken out or used inside the secure area, everybody nearby knows that it's banned.

      The policy is really only expected to encourage questioning. The natural assumption that everyone is honest is the biggest threat to security.

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      You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
  3. Re:Not that new by Sockatume · · Score: 2

    They're collaborating with the Phonebloks guy. It's up there in the summary.

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    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  4. Re:When do we get this for laptops? by Sockatume · · Score: 2

    Size constraints, essentially.

    1) User-friendly connectors and easy access paths use up volume. It's not a zero-sum game, but making a compact machine with user-serviceable components takes engineering effort, which means more R&D money.

    2) You can reduce volume by using non-standard parts that fit more neatly together.

    The first one means your GPU and CPU are more often than not a single component soldered directly on the motherboard, and the second one means that nobody has come up with a standardised monitor/hinge or even keyboard/trackpad design.

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    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  5. Re:Physical keyboard by Gunboat_Diplomat · · Score: 2

    Can I add a physical keyboard? It seems like I am one of only a handful of people on the planet that still likes them so I would love to add that although I am not holding my breath.

    I think a lot of people like physical keyboards. I've had various full qwerty physical keyboard phones that have been far superior to any predictive touch input, for writing emails etc. The problem is that the cost is too high compared to the simplicity of touch screens handling everything. And that is cost both in terms of production cost and the added size/weight and breakage risk.

  6. Not going to happen by renzhi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Don't hold your breath, this is not going to happen. There is little profit margin in selling components like this, why would the phone manufacturers get into low-margin business and abandon their high-profit business? Selling replaceable components means that users are going to hold on to their longer, and replace it less. Where's the profit in that the manufacturers? Their job is to dump a new phone model on the market every 3 months, rinse and repeat.

  7. Re:Physical keyboard by gmuslera · · Score: 2

    You probably will have better luck with Jolla's Other half approach, where you can change the cover for more/different functionality, and between the proposed alternatives, there is one with hardware keyboard.