How Would Modular Phones Look in the Real World?

[Valvoline]

Exactly my point. People are calling for general compatibility of components, however manufacturers not wanting people to mix and match components from different brands. How else will you control it other than making everything proprietary?

 

[kodiak799]

With unified standards, I could more easily buy a CPU from one of these Fontkraft phones and slap it in my Ara device, or vice versa. As soon as everyone with this idea starts going their own way, you'll have even more trouble getting the component manufacturers to support all of them. My money would be on Ara in that case, just because of who's behind them.

Yeah, but you think PC component manufacturers wouldn't do that if they could? You make CPU's, so why would you eliminate like 80% of the market if it was easy and affordable to make it backwards compatible?

Why wouldn't phone OEM's already be doing this? A huge part of the time and cost of R&D is the software to get all the components to play nice together. Just look at the issues some OEM's had with the Snapdragon 810(?), and that's designing the phone from the ground-up around the CPU.

It's a nice concept in theory, but there are far more mature electronics that don't have 1/10 the interchangeable compatibility that Ara would pretend to achieve. Hats off to Google if they can do this, but it's highly unlikely. It's best characterized as a pipe dream.

 

[kodiak799]

Exactly my point. People are calling for general compatibility of components, however manufacturers not wanting people to mix and match components from different brands. How else will you control it other than making everything proprietary?

If I were a betting man, things like storage and possibly specialized components, possibly even batteries, will be upgradeable and pretty cross-compatible. Things like cpu, ram and the base will probably all need to be upgraded together. I think it's completely unrealistic to think you'll be able to just plug in a new cpu year after year.

 

[pc747]

You guys make great points, especially involving competitive. Samsung right now is the king of the mountain and they will want to remain up there. If Samsung was to make a Galaxy Modular phone they would not give a care whether a component from LG would work. In fact Samsung would design it where only components they sell would fit and play nice with their proprietary software. So if all you can do is go to Samsung for your components for the galaxy module then they basically cut out any real competition. Because even if some 3rd party company were to make modules the only thing that would probably be interchangeable would be the battery which is basically where we are at now (minus the s6).

Love the idea and hope it gets going. But the biggest hurdle is Google convincing companies, especially those making a profit, to get on board. They may get no name 3rd party companies and even a minor component module or two from one of the big boys, but good luck getting them to get on board where we people are able to make a Frankenstein of a phone using parts from Samsung, LG, HTC, and Motorola. Then again when Motorola was locking bootloaders a few years ago we never thought we would ever see the day where we would get a Motorola Nexus. So anything is possible with the market.

 

[hammerhead13]

I am 100% for this. This would be just like building a PC. Yes you need compatible hardware and may need a little knowledge to do it yourself but not everyone build their own PCs anyways either. The key will be a Standardized Platform that These Manufacturers can build Component just like for a PC and then we can pick and Chose. It would be incredible to Build a Phablet with the Best Screen, Best CPU, Most Memory, Largest SSD, Best Camera & Largest Battery. It would be like Building a Gaming Rig but in the Palm of your Hand. It can work if the MFGs can agree to work together to build components but if there is only 1 or 2 Supporters You can't have that Ultimate Phone. One can Dream. I can see this happening. Eventually.

 

[Ollie]

If you go with a Project Ara device then you can't go wrong. They have set standards in place and a lot of hardware designers are on board. Stray too far from the pack though and you will have to hope that the non-ara device you chose will continue to be supported.

 

[pc747]

If you go with a Project Ara device then you can't go wrong. They have set standards in place and a lot of hardware designers are on board. Stray too far from the pack though and you will have to hope that the non-ara device you chose will continue to be supported.

That's the thing, we do not know which hardware designers. Are we going to get companies like Qualcomm, Corning, Bose, or unproven names we never heard of. Don't get me wrong I am all for no namers throwing their hat in and taking a shot, but the top names are top for a reason in them being the best in their industry. Am I saying I need all the best hardware, no, but my dream Frankenstein phone is composed of top hardware company products. Small hardware company products is not a dream Frankenstein device but the device I hold while imagining holding my dream Frankenstein phone.

 

[Ollie]

That's the thing, we do not know which hardware designers. Are we going to get companies like Qualcomm, Corning, Bose, or unproven names we never heard of. Don't get me wrong I am all for no namers throwing their hat in and taking a shot, but the top names are top for a reason in them being the best in their industry. Am I saying I need all the best hardware, no, but my dream Frankenstein phone is composed of top hardware company products. Small hardware company products is not a dream Frankenstein device but the device I hold while imagining holding my dream Frankenstein phone.

Sennheiser, Motorola, Nvidia, Toshiba, etc are on board so far. These are mostly going to be the big guns pushing this.

 

[cr6]

Sennheiser & Nvidia alone are reason enough to want a piece of this modular action.

S5 tap'n

 

[wesmad]

So apparently Indiegogo shut down their campaign and refunded all their backers. Anyone find any answers as to why?

 

[hammerhead13]

Sennheiser & Nvidia alone are reason enough to want a piece of this modular action.

S5 tap'n

That would be nice maybe having a Tegra X1, 4GB Ram, 128GB and a 2K 5.5 LCD with real Premium Sound

 

[creaky]

I am really rooting for Project Ara. Modular is the innovation we have been waiting for.

 

[FoxKat]

I am really rooting for Project Ara. Modular is the innovation we have been waiting for.

+1