If you want to say less, you can say that Google has stopped pursuing 100% of the impossible (modularization of the entire smartphone) to focus on bringing the possibility of replacing parts not part of the. The core of the handset (screen, chip and RAM).
But even new (and less impressive) scenarios can only happen when the current Ara model is finalized for release. All previous Ara releases, including one published in 2014 and one in 2015, have all died in the water.
At the recent I / O 2016 event, Google has confirmed that it will launch smartphone modules by 2017. Four years after its launch, the Ara smartphone will be available only with six expansion slots. in the back. The first alternative modules include cameras, speakers and electronic screen monitors. Google also confirmed that it will open the Ara platform for many developers involved in the development.Leaders of the ATAP Advanced Laboratory, a division of the Ara project at Google / Alphabet, predicted that hardware hackers would contribute to the construction of "crazy things" to connect to the six boxes above. Ara's body.
But no matter what Google says, the "crazy" here is that very few people are interested in the ability to customize their hardware. Not to mention a small group of technology enthusiasts who are willing to spend hours building the best PCs, the general consumer community will be less interested in the ability to customize hardware.
The view is full of contradictions
Even the leader of the Ara project at Google, Rafa Camargo, admits the same thing: "When we did the research, we found that most users were not interested in the modularity of the underlying components. Edition of smartphone. They think that these components must always be present, always operating in a stable way. "
"Always" and "stable" are two concepts that are completely opposed to the hardware modular philosophy. Still, Google continues to promote Ara.
At I / O 2015, the Ara project leader on the stage attached many unknown modules to a smartphone that apparently had a screen and chip. This year, the nature of Ara has been revealed.
At I / O 2015, the Ara project leader on the stage attached many unknown modules to a smartphone that apparently had a screen and chip. This year, the nature of Ara has been revealed.
One of the most interesting features selected for displaying Ara at I / O is the ability to disassemble the camera's voice module ("OK Google, unplug the camera"). Not to be outdone, software developers attending the event simultaneously applauded the feature.
When you think carefully, you will find this to be a feature that has no real meaning but is well suited to the intense PR events. And Google has ingeniously incorporated a core technology that is important to the company's future - voice recognition technology, an integral part of search and virtual assistants.
This is a good example of a well-intentioned advertising company that has already had great marketing campaigns such as StreetView offering mountain climbing two years ago.
And that is why Ara has been investing for a long time but still can not reach the consumer. Marketing does not always come with reality.
A vision full of holes
The distance from the dream module smartphone to the reality is a very long distance. Remember that the first time you stepped onto the stage, Google's Ara template could not even boot. But the technical difficulties do not penetrate where the difficulties due to the practicality of nearly 0 ... Ara cause. As a regular user, do you want to fall into such difficult situations as, "Did the sofa help you to see your sub-monitor drop down?"
The key to touchscreen smartphones is becoming the most popular electronic device in the world, not because they are smart or more, but because they are so easy to use. In 2007, compared to the Nokia N95, the iPhone is just a phone "stupid" true. Yet Steve Jobs's philosophy prevailed.
From the perspective of a consumer, do you really need a smartphone capable of taking better pictures than both the iPhone 6s and today's Galaxy S7? The essence of the Ara smartphone is a bit silly, because what Google really wants to say to consumers is "Buy this mundane phone and then spend a pile of money to turn it into a high-end phone. "
Contrary to what you think, smartphone modularization is not for the needs of the masses but for the needs of a very small number of users, such as those who need a 41MP camera. or blood glucose sensor, for example.
And why do you need to attach a glucose sensor to your smartphone? The Internet of Things promises to bring in hundreds of thousands, millions of accessories can be attached to the body easily and also does not require physical connection to the smartphone or tablet. When drawing scripts on sensor-based smartphone functionality, Google once again made a promising no sense of reality.
Finally, the idea is to make people excited: the extra screen (using electronic ink technology) is attached to the back of the phone. The Yota Phone has an extra e-ink screen that has been on the market for a long time, but it has never been on the list of smartphones sold. Is Yota Phone interesting? Have. Is the phone attractive? Absolutely not.
Price constraints
What is the selling price? At one time Google confirmed the price of "skeleton" Ara is only $ 50 (about 1.1 million). Now, the skeleton idea has been canceled and Google will sell a set of monitors that include monitors, chips and RAM. No one knows what the new Ara's price will be, and if you look at their post
