Updated 09:36 AM EDT, Thu, Mar 28, 2024

Google Project Ara Release Date, Specs, Features & Price: DIY Smartphone Out Early 2015

  • Staff
  • Jan 24, 2015 06:02 AM EST
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Consumers will be able to "create" their own smartphones soon, thanks to Google's Project Ara.

Designed to be a modular device, Project Ara is Google's newest approach to the mobile electronics industry. Users are given power to build their own "perfect" smartphone, Pocket-lint wrote. With Ara, gone are the days of adapting to manufacturers' pre-installed components. Simply, the choice is yours.

So how does it all work?

To begin with, Know Your Mobile reported that users will have to purchase a basic Ara unit. This appears to be the template wherein all future customizations may emerge. According to the outlet, Google's store will be providing a "treasure trove" of hardware modules, which are not solely created by the Mountain View tech giant. Third party manufacturers -- from Samsung to indie developers -- are expected to dive in.

Earlier this month, The Verge was able to get hands-on with "a very, very early" Project Ara prototype. The model was said to be part of Google's "Spiral 2," indicating the company's second major milestone within a two-year timeline.

As you may remember, Project Ara was initially announced by Motorola in 2013, Ars Technica noted. This happened during the time when the company was still owned by Google, housed under the Motorola Advanced Technology and Projects Group.

Lenovo acquired Motorola early in 2014, but as reported by Pocket-lint, Google was able to keep the project under its Google Advanced Technology and Projects Group. Hence, Project Ara lives on.

Know Your Mobile went on to cite other components set to support Ara, including memory, display panels, physical keyboards, sensors and scanners, ports, modems and wireless modules. That said, developers and everybody else are bound to enjoy a new tech playground, all packed into one convenient pocket companion.

In terms of pricing, Google has given a figure of $50, Engadget noted. Of course, this doesn't come with all the additional embellishments one may wish to pack into their personalized smartphone.

Project Ara is expected to launch this month, according to an earlier report from Gizmag. As told by the outlet, it was project leader Paul Eremenko who revealed that the modular smartphone is set to arrive anytime this January 2015. On the other hand, Know Your Mobile is reporting of an "early 2015" release.

With only a few more days before February, will Google live up to its promise, or settle with a later date? We'll be on the lookout.

And just in case you're curious, Project Ara was named after NK Labs' Ara Knaian, Travelers Today cited. The laboratory is said to be Google's main contractor for the modular device.

For more information on Project Ara, head over here.

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