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posted by LaminatorX on Monday October 27 2014, @03:46AM   Printer-friendly
from the I'll-form-the-head dept.

Wired reports on Google's vision for a new modular phone:

Project Ara is Google’s attempt to reinvent the cellphone as we know it. Instead of a slab of glass and metal that you have no ability to upgrade, save for buying a new device, it’s an attempt to launch a phone where all of the main components are interchangeable via modules that click in and out, attaching via electro-permanent magnets.

When Ara devices do hit the streets, they will only be as good as their support network. For the support to work, you’ve got to have a lot of modules, and a lot of access to those modules. Project Ara needs a network of retail stores where people can do things like pick up a new screen. It also needs enough developers making modules to sustain that kind of retail presence — and it needs it globally.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @03:59AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @03:59AM (#110419)

    The biggest problem is that people want a smartphone with a big screen that they can stash away in their pocket like an old fliptop.

    The fact that they have to upgrade it every 3 years is not a problem. In fact, many of them are lost or destroyed by accident by that time anyway.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @08:44AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @08:44AM (#110451)

      also, modular blocks seem like they would be bulkier than new throwaways because the amount of casing and module connectivity hardware is increased

      also, robustness seems like a tricky obstacle for a 'lego' phone

      not saying these problems are insurmountable, but to market such a concept they are important to overcome

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by compro01 on Monday October 27 2014, @09:09AM

      by compro01 (2515) on Monday October 27 2014, @09:09AM (#110454)

      This would help with the "destroyed" problem, as replacing individual components (like the screen) would be fairly trivial.

      Also, I don't see any particular reason why one couldn't make a folding version of this system.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @02:37PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @02:37PM (#110528)

        The problem is the combination "big screen" and "folding". If you invent a good solution for a foldable display, I guess you could get rich.

  • (Score: 2) by tibman on Monday October 27 2014, @04:07AM

    by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 27 2014, @04:07AM (#110421)

    It needs stores to succeed? The only people who need phone stores are those that don't have sim chips. But even for those people i doubt they visit a store for a replacement battery or case. They just order it online. You'll have reviews at your finger-tips too. Mail is fairly global : )

    Just making the screen modular would be amazing. Cracked screen? Pop it out and plug in another. Not special screwdriver and steady-hand required.

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    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by CRCulver on Monday October 27 2014, @07:58AM

      by CRCulver (4390) on Monday October 27 2014, @07:58AM (#110442) Homepage

      It needs stores to succeed? The only people who need phone stores are those that don't have sim chips.

      SIMs are the norm for Europe, but there are phone stores everywhere and they are usually full of customers. It's no surprise, people like playing with the demo phones before they buy a new one. Plus, many stores are run by the major phone networks, so when people come in to pay their bills or manage their contract, they can also look at new phones if they are in need of a replacement for what they have now.

      Yes, there is online ordering, but plenty of people still like these particular physical locations.

      • (Score: 2) by jimshatt on Monday October 27 2014, @11:28AM

        by jimshatt (978) on Monday October 27 2014, @11:28AM (#110467) Journal
        You go to a phone store to pay your bills? WTF?? I probably live in a different Europe.
        • (Score: 2) by CRCulver on Monday October 27 2014, @11:52AM

          by CRCulver (4390) on Monday October 27 2014, @11:52AM (#110475) Homepage
          I divide my time between Finland and Romania and in both countries occasionally pay my bill at the shop. I walk past the shop every day, so I'm not going out of my way, and it take just as little time as logging in to my online banking, with the bonus that I don't have to use up one of the limited number of online banking codes I get.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @02:40PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27 2014, @02:40PM (#110530)

            Well, I just get the money booked automatically from my account (since I can revoke any such payment in the online banking system, there's little risk to it).

          • (Score: 1) by Erde on Monday October 27 2014, @05:12PM

            by Erde (4134) on Monday October 27 2014, @05:12PM (#110592)

            I've lived my whole life in Finland and I've never heard that one could go to a mobile carrier's shop to pay phone bills. I'm not saying you are lying, but I have never heard of such a thing nor of a person who has done so (because there is no reason to do so).

          • (Score: 2) by jimshatt on Tuesday October 28 2014, @02:58PM

            by jimshatt (978) on Tuesday October 28 2014, @02:58PM (#110869) Journal
            Okay, cool. To be honest, I just dump my bills on my wife's desk (which I walk past every day as well) :). I don't like automatic payments even though there is little risk, so I get that.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by meisterister on Monday October 27 2014, @04:10AM

    by meisterister (949) on Monday October 27 2014, @04:10AM (#110424) Journal

    Is to have a thicker, smaller phone. I don't want a rigid sheet of paper that I'm somehow expected to cram into my pocket.

    I'm also interested in how flexible this design is. Could I build myself a dual-processor phone? That would be awesome!

    --
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    • (Score: 1) by Gravis on Monday October 27 2014, @11:52AM

      by Gravis (4596) on Monday October 27 2014, @11:52AM (#110474)

      All I want is to have a thicker, smaller phone. I don't want a rigid sheet of paper that I'm somehow expected to cram into my pocket.

      BULLSHIT. you can get "a thicker, smaller phone" with a battery that lasts weeks instead of hours but what you want is a portable computer.

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by bitshifter on Monday October 27 2014, @05:45AM

    by bitshifter (2241) on Monday October 27 2014, @05:45AM (#110434)

    Modu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modu [wikipedia.org] sold some patents to Google.
    I hope Google succeeds where Modu failed.

    The idea looks nice, but there are problems:
    1. People want a change once in a while, their tastes change over time.
    2. Needs change over time, and an optional module may not be enough.
    3. The pace at which the technology advances is such that backward compatibility becomes a problem.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Monday October 27 2014, @06:12AM

      by frojack (1554) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 27 2014, @06:12AM (#110437) Journal

      Exactly.

      This Frankenphone project made up of replaceable parts really hasn't work worked on any anything in our life time except desktop computers and component stereo systems.

      When computers and stereos morphed into pocket sized packages, the mix and match concept of component integration really doesn't work.

      Just don't see exploding phones, or Samsung wanting to sell plug in components for a phone built with parts from HTC and Motorola, and Google. He who touches it last acquires all blame. Its easier to be responsible for the entire phone.

      --
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      • (Score: 2) by VLM on Monday October 27 2014, @02:43PM

        by VLM (445) on Monday October 27 2014, @02:43PM (#110532)

        I have an interesting historical example in the phone area, custom phone cases. Now only made for the latest iphone models, decades ago it seems every phone had at least some options for custom cases. Usually quite garish.

        Just pointing out that as a culture or economic system, we've been utterly unable to standardize a boring flat piece of plastic that has about the same purpose and technological challenge as a bumper sticker. So I don't have great hopes for integrating cameras and bluetooth modules and batteries and screens and radios and wifi and ....

        I'd be happy if there was a world wide standard for replaceable cell phone batteries. Not even demanding "no tools or training" just an industry standard size and connector and polarity. Thats unfortunately asking way too much, just for a generic battery. Good luck with the other stuff.

        • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday October 27 2014, @06:33PM

          by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Monday October 27 2014, @06:33PM (#110629) Homepage
          It shoudl be easy! There are standardised buses for communication between components - all you need to do is to be able to understand I2C, OneWire, SPI, McSPI, McSAAB, I2S, SDIO, ...
          --
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          • (Score: 2) by VLM on Monday October 27 2014, @07:21PM

            by VLM (445) on Monday October 27 2014, @07:21PM (#110640)

            Theres too many standards in your list. We should make a new standard that can encapsulate them all. What could possibly go wrong?

            • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday October 27 2014, @09:56PM

              by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Monday October 27 2014, @09:56PM (#110673) Homepage
              Next you'll be saying that ethernet was universal, it was serial, and it was a bus!

              Oh no, that's me.

              Anyway, I got the reference ;-D
              --
              Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
    • (Score: 2) by everdred on Monday October 27 2014, @08:40PM

      by everdred (110) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 27 2014, @08:40PM (#110657) Homepage Journal

      > 1. People want a change once in a while, their tastes change over time.

      This system sounds like the exact solution to that problem; they can put their components into a new case every day of the week. I don't think people get bored of CPUs or their RAM.

      > 2. Needs change over time, and an optional module may not be enough.

      Do any examples come to mind for you? Because this system sounds like the exact solution to that problem.

      > 3. The pace at which the technology advances is such that backward compatibility becomes a problem.

      Okay, this one sounds plausible. But if modular hardware means that it becomes expected that drivers for components can be obtained and installed separately from the ROM, this sounds like a possible solution to the problem. :)

      • (Score: 2) by bitshifter on Tuesday October 28 2014, @06:04AM

        by bitshifter (2241) on Tuesday October 28 2014, @06:04AM (#110766)

        OK, I'll bite:

        >> 1. People want a change once in a while, their tastes change over time.

        >This system sounds like the exact solution to that problem; they can put their components into a new case every day of the week. I don't think people get bored of CPUs or >their RAM.

        - This could be something like - "I've had this Ara phone for two years... I want something different. Sure, I can have a new case... but it will still be the same phone"

        >> 2. Needs change over time, and an optional module may not be enough.

        > Do any examples come to mind for you? Because this system sounds like the exact solution to that problem.

        - For example - "Now, in my new position as the manager of company XYZ, I can't be seen with anything less than the new flashy Plum-phone!" or "All my girlfriends have this latest Bieber-phone that allows them to send messages directly to to Justin... and Google can't make this module since it's patented"

        >> 3. The pace at which the technology advances is such that backward compatibility becomes a problem.

        >Okay, this one sounds plausible. But if modular hardware means that it becomes expected that drivers for components can be obtained and installed separately from the ROM, >this sounds like a possible solution to the problem. :)

        - I don't know how long you have been around, but I've seen enough old standards replaced by new, incompatible standards, and equipment just thrown away since the new equipment is cheaper or faster or more compatible or whatever, and upgrade is not an option. How many working printers/scanners/game controllers etc. were thrown away since the manufacturer wouldn't bother to write new drivers for Windows 7, so when you upgraded from XP they suddenly stopped working?

        • (Score: 2) by everdred on Tuesday October 28 2014, @03:28PM

          by everdred (110) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 28 2014, @03:28PM (#110876) Homepage Journal

          > - This could be something like - "I've had this Ara phone for two years... I want something different. Sure, I can have a new case... but it will still be the same phone"

          I think the point of this is to change that mindset. Hopefully "you can basically upgrade to a top-spec phone by buying new $50 CPU component and $10 of RAM every two years" will trump that.

          > I can't be seen with anything less than the new flashy Plum-phone

          Then buy a new case for your components. It's not like your CPU isn't going out of fashion.

          > "All my girlfriends have this latest Bieber-phone that allows them to send messages directly to to Justin... and Google can't make this module since it's patented"

          Then go die in a fire. But seriously, this phone isn't for this specific hypothetical person.

          > I don't know how long you have been around, but I've seen enough old standards replaced by new, incompatible standards, and equipment just thrown away...

          Like I'd said before, I think you might have a point here. But this system is a big enough departure from "business as usual" that maybe, just maybe, things will be different this time. Nothing's stopping any component manufacturer from discontinuing support for the standard and starting their own incompatible standard, but if there's enough of an ecosystem of compatible components available and the components are cheap enough, as a user you can shrug your shoulders and go "well, guess I need to spend my $50 on a different company's GPU component." In a system like this, there's a market penalty for defecting from the standard.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Jaruzel on Monday October 27 2014, @10:04AM

    by Jaruzel (812) on Monday October 27 2014, @10:04AM (#110461) Homepage Journal

    Anything that attempts to break the stranglehold that the Carriers have on the models available is a good thing imho.

    Whether this LEGO phone from Google succeeds or not, is not the point. Getting people to understand, and have the option to, to use any old phone they buy on any network is what needs to happen. The only thing Apple got right with the latest batch of iWare is the Apple SIM which lets you connect to any network (within reason) you like providing you have a contract with them.

    Buying phones today is akin to buying a car that can only drive on certain roads, or PC that can only connect to a specific brand of WiFi. It's ridiculous.

    I want to see a phone that in its Settings you can 'logon' to a any carrier network, providing you have a valid account. Having non carrier orentiated phones (such as Google and all the chinese low cost ones) are a good step in this direction.

    -Jar

    --
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  • (Score: 2) by mattie_p on Monday October 27 2014, @12:49PM

    by mattie_p (13) on Monday October 27 2014, @12:49PM (#110483) Journal

    We reported on this back in April [soylentnews.org]. I don't have time right now, but it would be interesting to see how far its come.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by CoolHand on Monday October 27 2014, @12:50PM

    by CoolHand (438) on Monday October 27 2014, @12:50PM (#110484) Journal

    Too lazy to read TFA, but their is no way I'm buying my phone hardware from Google. They own enough of my soul already. If this is an open specification that would allow other manufacturers to play in the same arena, that would be awesome (similar to the original PC revolution), and I'd be all in for that. But buying my hardware from Google... no.

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    • (Score: 2) by CRCulver on Monday October 27 2014, @04:02PM

      by CRCulver (4390) on Monday October 27 2014, @04:02PM (#110565) Homepage
      Google doesn't produce its own phone hardware. Manufacturing of the Nexus, for example, has been contracted out to other, mainstream phone companies.
      • (Score: 2) by mrchew1982 on Monday October 27 2014, @09:30PM

        by mrchew1982 (3565) on Monday October 27 2014, @09:30PM (#110667)

        And just to add, the Nexus that I had was an awesome piece of hardware, everything just seemed to work on it and there was no crapware. My current phone, a Verizon Galaxy s4, is loaded with crapware to the point that I feel like i'm going to HAVE to install cyanogen on it just to have it work without hiccups. Between the Samsung crap and the Verizon crap, all of the improvements over my old phone seem to be used up. I spent the first hour with it disabling apps.

        And although google owns my soul, it didn't seem like it was any more or less by using their flagship phone. Add in cyanogen mod and you can mitigate most of the privacy concerns and have hardware that most app developers test on.

    • (Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Tuesday October 28 2014, @03:24AM

      by TheGratefulNet (659) on Tuesday October 28 2014, @03:24AM (#110740)

      after being told 'you can upgrade for years and years' on the once flagship nexus one (I bought into that lie) and realizing that google has the attention span of its typical twentysomething employee base, I'll NEVER AGAIN buy google based hardware on any kind of promise of 'support'.

      shit, they can't fix show-stopper bugs on their once flagship. 'just buy another one!' is what I keep hearing from the apologists. NO! it still works, I paid a lot for it and while its buggy as hell, it does still (mostly) work and I can't just throw away functioning hardware because the vendor lost interest in it.

      gmail won't work well, gps locks up and reboots the phone, the x/y calibration never ever worked right (locks up several times a day) and the kernel is so old (and the apps) that they are full of security issues.

      why should I trust google on yet another piece of hardware? they have shown me that they don't care about me, the end-user. they want us to buy and re-buy and re-re-buy.

      sorry, not falling for that again. fooled me once...

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