If one of the modules can be a keyboard, then I know a fair few people who will buy one...
Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
31–40 of 154 posts
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#32I find this interesting in contrast to Nexus devices. Two or three years ago, most Android phones had SD cards and removable batteries. These features have been conspicuously absent from recent Nexus phones in spite of their appeal to the power-user and developer markets who are among the most likely to want such features. I hope it gets some traction. I'm seeing a lot of sameness in high-spec Android phones, and som…
Moto X.
I'm not sure what part of my comment you're responding to, but I don't think the Moto X is a good response to anything I said. It doesn't have removable storage. It doesn't have a removable battery. With a 4.7" screen, it's much bigger than an iPhone.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
Size matters? My Android friends have huge phones (and cases) - Clearly they don't mind a phone being big and if the phone had cheap replaceable parts, that giant "life proof" case wouldn't be needed. Weight matters? I have never heard "I wish my phone was lighter" from anyone, anywhere. In fact I've heard from several who think a heavier phone means it's "better made". Battery life - Again my Android friends (and a…
It does matter when comparing with alternatives. Modular phone with comparable specs to other phones (screen size, cpu, camera, etc) would probably be bigger, thicker, heavier and uglier. In other words, even when a customer is buying a big 5"+ phone, then I think he/she will probably not choose the modular one.
> heavier and uglier
I can give you bigger and thicker since I would expect those too. Neither is really a problem though. One of the benefits of the otterbox case for my Galaxy G3 is that it made the phone thicker, and it's already on the big side.
Heavier though will probably depend on the modules you choose, and ugly, well I thought what they were showing looked kind of good.
Personally, a lack of a SD card is one of the reasons I didn't get the Nexus or an iPhone. There are people that want these types of features and they win when comparing with alternatives.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#34I find this interesting in contrast to Nexus devices. Two or three years ago, most Android phones had SD cards and removable batteries. These features have been conspicuously absent from recent Nexus phones in spite of their appeal to the power-user and developer markets who are among the most likely to want such features. I hope it gets some traction. I'm seeing a lot of sameness in high-spec Android phones, and som…
Moto X.
Yup, I remember this from an article almost a year ago.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#35I think John Gruber over at Daring Fireball said it best: "I remain highly skeptical that a modular design can compete in a product category where size, weight, and battery life are at such a premium. Even if they can bring something to market, why would any normal person be interested in a phone like this?" http://daringfireball.net/linked/2014/04/15/project-ara
Agreed. This is yet another product that will appeal to techies and first adopters only. For instance, people could -- in theory -- build their own computers with a bunch of modular components, but instead a lot of them buy a Mac or some other variation of all-in-one solution.
Than again, a lot of them do self-build. Even if this system is only good enough to attract techies and enthusiasts, that might be enough to give it a viable market.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#36If you read Clayton Christensen's Innovator's Solution [1] book (sequel to Innovator's Dilemma), you'll see him talk about "integration" and "disintegration" (basically the modularization of a product or market). So in the early days of a new market/category of product, the products are highly integrated, for several reasons. One is that the market is still new, so there isn't much of an "ecosystem" to begin with. An…
> So in the early days of a new market/category of product, the products are highly integrated Not sure about this one, seems like the opposite to me. Twenty years ago, PC's were very modular, and it was very common to add/upgrade a sound card, memory, cpu, video card etc. Fast forward to now, and for the most common computing devices (think tablets and smartphones), there is almost zero modularity or upgradability.…
From Benedict Evans:
"Hugh Trevor-Roper is supposed to have said that 'history teaches us nothing except that something will happen', and this applies pretty well to tech: this is so young and so fast-changing an industry that drawing parallels is more misleading than helpful."
Feels about right to me.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
It does matter when comparing with alternatives. Modular phone with comparable specs to other phones (screen size, cpu, camera, etc) would probably be bigger, thicker, heavier and uglier. In other words, even when a customer is buying a big 5"+ phone, then I think he/she will probably not choose the modular one.
> heavier and uglier I can give you bigger and thicker since I would expect those too. Neither is really a problem though. One of the benefits of the otterbox case for my Galaxy G3 is that it made the phone thicker, and it's already on the big side. Heavier though will probably depend on the modules you choose, and ugly, well I thought what they were showing looked kind of good. Personally, a lack of a SD card is one…
Yes, there are people whose needs are different. And I am much in favor of modular design (at least replaceable battery, SD card and USB OTG, but project Ara goes much further), but that does not seem to be the case with mainstream consumer.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Size matters? My Android friends have huge phones (and cases) - Clearly they don't mind a phone being big and if the phone had cheap replaceable parts, that giant "life proof" case wouldn't be needed. Weight matters? I have never heard "I wish my phone was lighter" from anyone, anywhere. In fact I've heard from several who think a heavier phone means it's "better made". Battery life - Again my Android friends (and a…
It does matter when comparing with alternatives. Modular phone with comparable specs to other phones (screen size, cpu, camera, etc) would probably be bigger, thicker, heavier and uglier. In other words, even when a customer is buying a big 5"+ phone, then I think he/she will probably not choose the modular one.
I think the key is the purchasing model. A "free phone" with contract every 2 years creates a situation where the consumer doesn't value repairing/upgrading their phone.
If you had to pay say $600-$800 for a phone upfront, one is upgradable/repairable and the other is not (but faster/sexier) I think some (maybe many) would choose the former.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#39It's a little gross that they seemingly picked up the PhoneBloks project and then entirely erased any traces of the original product and its creators. Hopefully that team's still involved and getting compensated...
>PhoneBloks
>product
PhoneBloks was just a "product" of designer's imagination, nothing more. All he did was to think about "LEGO-phone" and make a catchy animation describing the idea - the idea that wasn't even unique or new, as similar ones (together with 3D-printed or homemade cases, which were later actually realized) were already appearing few years ago on Openmoko mailing lists triggered by GTA04 motherboard upgrade for Neo Freerunner.
Re: Project Ara – Google's modular phone project
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Moto X.
I'm not sure what part of my comment you're responding to, but I don't think the Moto X is a good response to anything I said. It doesn't have removable storage. It doesn't have a removable battery. With a 4.7" screen, it's much bigger than an iPhone.
Have you seen how big it is next to an iPhone? Pretty close in physical size, despite the screen. http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/reviews/142861-image/Appl...
