Google wants Project Ara to start at $50; Developers’ conference set for April
Google seems to be full steam ahead in trying to bring the concept of a modular phone to reality. Project Ara, if you don’t remember, is an original project of Motorola’s that conceptualizes a phone where you can upgrade individual components however you see fit. Whether that means upgrading storage, the camera, the processor and more, the idea is for users to build the phones they want. Google recently plucked the Project Ara team from Motorola before selling the OEM off to Lenovo, showing that they want to be at the forefront of this modular phone concept.
We’re likely still far off from seeing anything available in the public eye, but Google is already thinking ahead to how much they want this to be offered for. According to an interview with Time, the company is envisioning an entry price of just $50. What’ll that get you? A display, a frame and a WiFi radio, for starters. Users can then walk up to kiosks to buy the pieces they want and need, and Google will even aim to provide software (likely Android-based) that users can easily customize for their own needs.
Of course, Google knows $50 is a long shot, and knows that there’s still a bit of ways to go before we even see a consumer-ready product come to store shelves. Still, it’s nice to know they’re so deep into this thing that they’re already thinking about pricing and distribution.
More evidence that Google is deep into Project Ara is recent revelation that they’ll be holding a Developers’ Conference this April (15th-16th, to be exact). This isn’t your typical conference, though — this one is being held online, giving everyone access to all the information and early tools they need to start thinking about building the tools that will make Project Ara a reality.
The conference will feature live webcasts and interactive Q&A sessions. Google’s also inviting a few select developers to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View to digest everything in-person.
We’re not sure what all of that will mean for Project Ara focus at the forthcoming Google I/O event, but you can bet we’ll be looking to find out when schedule details are released. All of this is leading up to a possible launch of Ara in early 2015, so strap your seat belts and hang onto something solid for what should be an exhilarating ride.
[via Google+]