Google Unveils Project Ara, a 'Modular' Smartphone

Google is planning a "modular" smartphone that consumers can configure with different features.

Google envisions hardware modules, such as a camera or blood-sugar monitor, that would be available in an "app store," like its own Google Play store for software applications. The modules would fit into a metal "endoskeleton" designed for the phone, which Google calls Project Ara. Flat rectangular "modules" can be slotted into this frame, where they will be held in place by magnets, designers said. Each module would perform a particular task. One may be a battery for the phone, while another may house a wireless antenna, or a camera. Google controls the design of the endoskeleton, while outside developers will design the modules. Google is hoping to harness the creativity of thousands of developers to build a large ecosystem of hardware modules. Google plans to start with an entry-level phone with basic functions that would cost roughly $50 to make.