The Google Modular Smartphone

[Ben]

Interesting concept. Very little information at the article, but if they design it so that you can (at a reasonable cost) not only update it to new technology, but swap parts to change providers at will, they might have a winner. I think they would have to make it pretty perfect though, otherwise with the current marketing of a reduced cost phone with two year plans, people will still want the latest, greatest, biggest, smallest, lightest, etc.

http://sofreakingcool.com/23794/project-ara-googles-new-modular-smartphone/

[RevDisk]

I very much hope this goes to market. I'd likely not buy a different phone (or rather, phone system) for decades. Only sticky widget will be the screen, if that is more or less easily/economically replaceable or not.

Also, product sites:

http://www.projectara.com/
https://twitter.com/ProjectAra/

Better article:

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/04/15/google-courts-developers-for-modular-smartphone-project/?KEYWORDS=globalstar
Phone frame to be (hopefully) $50.

Article collection on Project Ara:
http://motorolaara.com/

[TechMan]

I just read something about Google selling Motorola to Lenovo.

Yep here it is: http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/29/5358620/lenovo-reportedly-buying-motorola-mobility-from-google

[Strings]

Been following this for awhile now.

Likely to be (at least at first) a very niche device: most andoid users are well steeped in modern consumerism, and are comfortable with buying the new "latest model" every 2 years. There does seem to be a fairly big niche for this, though

One thing that is going to have a big effect on the Ara's success or failure is going to hinge on hardware manufacturers. If the different hardware companies get on board, the Ara will be a success. If they only have Motorola making the parts, it'll fail (or just limp along in the niche).

 As for swapping out the screen: my understanding is that the screen is also supposed to be swapable (including being able to switch from a large touch screen to a smaller screen with hardware keyboard). Not sure if that's how the final product will go or not. I know an easy to replace screen would, all by itself, eliminate a large number of phone sales...

[KD5NRH]

most cell phone users are familiar with the crappy build quality of a device that should be intended to see fairly rough use, and are comfortable with having to replace it a lot more often than every 2 years.

FIFY

[RevDisk]

Likely to be (at least at first) a very niche device: most andoid users are well steeped in modern consumerism, and are comfortable with buying the new "latest model" every 2 years. There does seem to be a fairly big niche for this, though

Makes life great for those of us with an ounce of sense. I buy either used or obsolete android phones, tablets, etc. They work perfectly fine, for a fraction of the cost. Just upgraded to an S3 now that the S5 came out, and folks rushed to upgrade. 

[KD5NRH]

Makes life great for those of us with an ounce of sense. I buy either used or obsolete android phones, tablets, etc. They work perfectly fine, for a fraction of the cost. Just upgraded to an S3 now that the S5 came out, and folks rushed to upgrade. 

This, and you have the advantage of good documentation of any bugs that haven't been fixed yet.  Sort of like buying a used car that was popular a few years ago; the owners' forums are full of what to fix and exactly how.