In the second conference of developers Project Ara, Google unveiled a new prototype of a modular smartphone Spiral 2 and announced the time of appearance of the first device on the market.
Full launch of Project Ara (when you can go out and buy a phone in the store around the corner) is scheduled for the second half of 2015. By this time, the company intends to increase the number of units from 11 to 30 pieces. Features Spiral 2 can not be called flagship, but it is no wonder a modular smartphone. Screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (what there is diagonal, does not say), the processor Marvell PXA1928 (or NVIDIA Tegra K1), 5 megapixel camera to support 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. In addition, there microUSB, speakers and battery (all of this – the individual modules). The capacity of the latter no voices, but there is information that is 20-30% less than conventional smartphones. Not very good, but promise to solve the problem in the Spiral 3. Support 4G-networks should also appear in the next generation of modular smartphone.
Project Ara – a novelty for the mobile market, because of that predict the response of users is difficult. Therefore, initially Spiral (there is a high probability that the final sample will receive another name) will appear in Puerto Rico. Google to help with smartphone sales call local cellular operators Open Mobile and Claro.
In Google have taken care not only about the possibility to change the “iron” in Ara Marketplace, but also made a special service, where you can customize the device externally – Ara Configurator (his work is also shown in the video).
The idea of modular smartphone I like, and I would like to hold it in your hands, look at the work, to deal with the replacement of modules. But there are serious doubts that I would like to use this device every day.
Read another very interesting article about alternative energy of the Sun, water and air.
