Google Project Ara Release Date Gets Closer; Hot-Swappable Modules Showcased In Official Video

Google has officially confirmed that the Project Ara smartphones will start shipping to developers by the end of this year. The search engine giant has released a promotional video that shows how seamlessly users will be able to use a Project Ara smartphone.

Google made an announcement on the arrival of Project Ara at the ATAP (Advanced Technologies and Products) session of Google I/O 2016 event that was held in the previous week. It was revealed that users will be easily able to swap modules on the smartphone without rebooting it. Another interesting feature of Project Ara is that users can make use of voice commands to automatically eject modules.

According to Wired, over 30 employees of Google are already using Project Ara smartphones as their main device. The developer model that will be made available in the fourth quarter of this year will be arriving with a 5.3-inch screen. It will come preinstalled with Android OS.

In the first generation edition, phone technology of the modular smartphone will be integrated into its frame. It means users will not be able to swap major components like display, chipset and battery on the first generation Ara. However, it will include six slots for generic modules. It means users will be able to add modules to any slot.

There are several companies that are already working on modules that can be used on Project Ara phones such as Samsung, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Panasonic, Toshiba, TDK, E Ink and iHealth. These firms are reportedly working on various kinds of modules such as displays, cameras, fitness trackers, speakers, projectors and so on.

A Project Ara phone will be future proof device as it will allow users to upgrade to latest modules quite easily. The consumer version of Project Ara phone would be arriving next year.

Source: YouTube / Google ATAP