Those of you keeping abreast with all things technological may have been watching Google’s modular cell phone code-named: Project ARA. While the idea of a build-it-yourself cell phone may have seemed like a fever dream, Google seems poised to make it a reality.
Announced as Google I/O 2016 comes to a close, Google said the developer version of Ara will ship this fall, while the consumer version will hit sometime in 2017. There’s already a sign up for developers to build Ara modules available on their website.
The unit itself looks to have a base-plate/screen, which Google has spent years refining, capable of support a minimum of six swappable modules, allowing users to create a phone that is most compatible with their usage. Whether that means using a bigger module for a better camera, or more storage space is totally up to you.
Since it’s conception in 2014, Google has been fairly quiet about Project ARA‘s release. The last hint they gave was back in August with a fairly cryptic tweet reading:
If Google is serious about Project ARA then we could see a potential combatant to the mobile market, which many feel has become monopolized. Either way, it could be a very exciting time in the way we buy and use cell phones.