All Eyes on Project Ara

After Google Inc has confirmed the dates for I/O conference to be held in SanFrancisco(during May 28th & 29th),All eyes are now on the Project Ara!!

What is Project Ara?

Project Ara is the code name for an initiative that aims to develop an open hardware platform for creating highly modular smartphones

The project was initially Headed by Advanced Technologies and Projects team within Motorola Mobility while it was a subsidiary of Google.Although Motorola was later sold to Lenovo,Google retains the project team who will work under the direction of Android Version

Here are the five most intricate things we know about Project Ara

An Upgraded Platform

Sure Android doesn't support a modular supported-platform as of now, but there have been talks in the past that the operating system is on the verge of upgradation to support it. What kind of support are we talking about here? And how will the platform be different from the native Android platform we are so used to? Honestly, we don't know. But take hope from the fact that there's even an expected release date for the new platform in early 2015.

Boatload of Functionalities

Rumors related to Project Ara are flying faster than the ball from Messi's boots, and according to one of them, there's apparently no real limit to the number of functionalities a developer can introduce into a single module of the phone. Moreover, reports even claim that there's nothing as such as a specified place for a certain feature. Anything that fits into the module's physical constrictions will do just fine

Know Your Modules

To be perfectly honest, Google's Project Ara is a carefully-hidden technology we intend to know more about. However, the apparent lack of details is something that restricts us. Nonetheless, going by whatever little we do know of the technology, the phone's "skeleton" should be connected by feature tiles, known as modules. The phone's skeleton (or the Endo) will be connected by electro-permanent magnets and powering the magnets "On" will see electrical pulse, creating a bond between the Endo and module. Similarly, on hitting "Off", the magnets will release the bond so that you can replace the module.

Buying Modules

While we aren't in the position to speculate on anything, there have been rumors that as soon as work on Project Ara is done, Google will have an e-commerce site ready for the purpose, and that it will work alongside the Google Play store. This new e-commerce site will allow you to purchase modules online, with preferred recommendations for newcomers

Why should we be intrested?

Since this is a modular phone, reports state that a single Project Ara smartphone should last the user at least five years. And, considering the fact that Android phones often have problems sustaining the work load for so long, a five years time-frame is more than you could bargain for. So instead of investing on a new phone, you could actually invest on a newer module for the handset.