Google Suspended Its Modular Smartphone Project

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Google's decision to suspend Project Ara is a bit shocking because, as of just a few months ago, it was full steam ahead. I wonder what made the company do an about face on this?

Alphabet Inc’s Google has suspended Project Ara, its ambitious effort to build what is known as a modular smartphone with interchangeable components, as part of a broader push to streamline the company's hardware efforts, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The move marks an about-face for the tech company, which announced a host of partners for Project Ara at its developer conference in May and said it would ship a developer edition of the product this autumn.
 
This is a major bummer, it was a VERY ambitious project but could have brought some desired variety to the mobile market.

I'm just hoping suspended doesn't mean flat out killed.
 
amddragonpc said:
Google literally throws sh*t on the wall and sees what sticks. I've lost count of the stuff they started, released, and then shut it down.
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I bet if you google it you can find a website that tracks that info.
 
amddragonpc said:
Google literally throws sh*t on the wall and sees what sticks. I've lost count of the stuff they started, released, and then shut it down.
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Exactly, these mega-sized companies have boatloads of money to waste on "investments" looking for the next big thing. Just look at all the companies they buy out and never do anything productive with.

Besides, did anyone think this was going to be the way of the smart phone's future? Smart phones, and their components, are optimized to work together in unison using stringent tolerances. Each and every new generation of smart phone will likely have a faster processor, more RAM, better camera, louder speakers, larger battery and/or higher resolution display. Trying to create individual upgrade modules for each while keeping the phones slim and sexy would have been impossible...
 
They might just have to think for a moment about the challenge of supporting a lot of different devices with their OS. Same thing gives a MS a headache on Windows (supporting a million different possible user configurations). Worst case they realized it is not worth the effort to support a lot of possible configurations :(
 
OregonLAN said:
Exactly, these mega-sized companies have boatloads of money to waste on "investments" looking for the next big thing. Just look at all the companies they buy out and never do anything productive with.

Besides, did anyone think this was going to be the way of the smart phone's future? Smart phones, and their components, are optimized to work together in unison using stringent tolerances. Each and every new generation of smart phone will likely have a faster processor, more RAM, better camera, louder speakers, larger battery and/or higher resolution display. Trying to create individual upgrade modules for each while keeping the phones slim and sexy would have been impossible...
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That sounds like the same argument for all-in-one computers a 20 years ago and look how those all took off.

All things given, I hope someone else keeps trying to accomplish modularity. Google cutting back on the program may just mean the hardware just isn't at the level yet and they committed to early. Historical example: Microsoft tried making tablet computers years before the iPad, and they failed because the hardware just wasn't ready.
 
Tweak42 said:
That sounds like the same argument for all-in-one computers a 20 years ago and look how those all took off.

All things given, I hope someone else keeps trying to accomplish modularity. Google cutting back on the program may just mean the hardware just isn't at the level yet and they committed to early. Historical example: Microsoft tried making tablet computers years before the iPad, and they failed because the hardware just wasn't ready.
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It's not an argument, it's a fact. Adding modular plugs uses unnecessary space and costs more money to produce. Right now, Apple is removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 "primarily" because it allows them to reclaim some of the physical space being used by the jack and DAC, and because it's less expensive to manufacture. At some point, manufacturer's will integrate most or all of the smart phone's functions into a single chip. This will cut costs, power consumption and make smart phones more affordable/disposable for everyone. While I love the idea of a modular phone, it just isn't practical.
 
They decided the smaller, interchangeable parts won't occupy as much space in the landfills, where Google wants a majority presence.
 
I always wondered how practical Ara -like devices would be in the mobile space, but I'm still disappointed to see it die off.
 
Big corporate ideology... At some places anyways

It is ok to fail if you do it fast

Test lots of things
 
I'm totally picturing them laying off the entire Ara team, that team going and creating a start-up, only to be acquired by Google when they get traction.
 
Shit, I loved the idea.. maybe they are setting it for a spin off? (sounds like it a little bit)
No, I didn't love it because of waste reduction, but because of customization... they are right though, it's highly unlikely it would be mainstream.
 
updating multiple driver sets when someone is potentially on an older version of un-supported software plus the backbone interconnect between all items and the fact you aren't really gaining a "unique" phone outside of having some choices.

Plus they were probably looking at a competing price with other high end phones that are already using the latest technology, except with the Ara you would have to continue to purchase more (and possibly inferior) devices to keep the phone up to date. How much would the individual pieces cost plus the still fast pace release of other phones is most likely why this stalled.

I liked the idea because it was unique, I liked the idea of having something that you could interchange with what you wanted but at the same time what you have is already REALLY good.
 
Funny how the best idea for Google was to kill off a Google idea.

They obviously have all this money and fuckall to do with it. Modular smartphone? Really?? No one wants a phone that will fall apart. Making something that small that is used that much will never stay in one piece. Crack heads.

Google needs their own greedy fail page.

Here is one...

10 Failed Google Projects
 
I'm guessing that the technology just isn't there yet. I'm cost-effective upgradable hardware is probably going to become a big deal in time as people tire of rebuying the same thing over and over.
 
heatlesssun said:
I'm guessing that the technology just isn't there yet. I'm cost-effective upgradable hardware is probably going to become a big deal in time as people tire of rebuying the same thing over and over.
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The other issue is that this is targeted at what, like less than 1% of the market? Google is probably starting to realize that strategy doesn't really work.
 
DPI said:
I'm not sure you understand what the word literally means.
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Both Merriam-Webster and Oxford has already updated their definition of literally to include the informal usage. So literally officially means both literally and virtually. So play nice?

Definition of LITERALLY

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/literally

anigif_enhanced-21091-1403818752-4.gif
 
heatlesssun said:
I'm guessing that the technology just isn't there yet. I'm cost-effective upgradable hardware is probably going to become a big deal in time as people tire of rebuying the same thing over and over.
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It needs to not make your device a big clunky brick. The fact that even when they go full plaid speed ahead in trying to do that it's moves from a cinder block to a down through bricks, heads over top duplo sized and comes out still being huge realtive to the market, AND it totaly undermines the existing market model which is still doing quite well, you have a hard time stirring up supply side or consumption side demand to justify existence.
 
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