In the second developers conference of Project Ara held yesterday in California, Google put to rest all the speculations about the new MDK v0.2 and its features. Paul Eremenko, director of Project Ara, announced many details about the progress of the project and its plans to reach the end users. The first version of modular smartphone will be available only in US territory of Puerto Rico, in the second half of this year.
The prototype which was showcased yesterday was an updated model of the Spiral 2. The model was seen sporting a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor along with modules of 720p display, 5MP rear camera, micro USB port, etc. This model also has an option of processor, another one being the Marvell PXA1928. These modules were fixed on the endoskeleton in the slots with a simple slide-in method. In the final version of the device, these modules will stay attached to the body with the help of electro-permanent magnets. The next model is said to have a new baseboard, the Spiral 3.
Google presented demos on the Ara Configurator app too, which was reported to be incomplete. This app, as presented, will enable the users to connect new modules to the device and also eject the existing modules while the phone is still in operation.
With the Ara Module Marketplace platform, users can find, buy and save different modules of their choices, as ‘Stashes’. Another option available is the ‘simple phone maker’ where Google will design your phone according to your preferences.
The Endoskeleton
The Ara devices will have three distinct divisions viz. the endoskeleton, modules and external shells. There were no updates on the cost of the basic structure of endoskeleton. However, it was previously stated to cost around $50. Google also stated that there will be around 20-30 modules available on its official launch.
Doesn’t this seem intriguing? Check out the new promotional video launched by Google which gives you a sneakpeek about how the final product will look.
