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Google’s Project Ara modular phone is apparently no more

We absolutely love modular devices, so when Google announced its Project Ara modular smartphone that let people customise it the way they want, we were beyond excited.

Sadly, today news has started to trickle in that the project is being scrapped by Google. According to Reuters, parent company Alphabet suspended the project as it apparently wants to focus on other hardware.

It does seem a bit strange though, as Google as recently as May this year announced a string of partners for the phone, and even said that a developer version would be launched sometime this year.

Google didn’t comment on the apparent suspension, although Reuters said that it might not necessarily mean a dead end for the phone.

“While Google will not be releasing the phone itself, the company may work with partners to bring Project Ara’s technology to market, potentially through licensing agreements, one of the people with knowledge of the matter said,” Reuters wrote.

Analyst Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research told Reuters: “This was a science experiment that failed, and they are moving on.”

The phone was set to usher in a new era of smartphones, where people could add more memory, an extra camera or even more processing power on the fly. If it was successful, it could have shaped the way smartphones were made going forward.

Our own Deon du Plessis is rather disappointed at this news, as he had hoped he could some day treat his phone like he has long treated his PC, upgrading and tweaking where needed (and as his budget allowed). If Reuters is right, that may still happen some day.

Here’s hoping.

 

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