Earlier this week Google announced it was pushing its Project Ara modular phone tests into 2016, but wasn’t kind enough to inform the world as to why.
Flash forward a couple of days and the culprit may have been revealed; the electropermanent magnets that were being used to hold the components together aren’t up to scratch.
In a pair of tweets posted from the Project Ara account on Wednesday, the team admitted the solution had failed the drop test and a “signature experience” was now being tested as a replacement.
https://twitter.com/statuses/634048152249634816
What Google has in mind for the replacement remains to be seen as no further information was revealed in the tweets.
On Monday Google announced it was cancelling plans to test Project Ara in Puerto Rico before the end of 2015, adding that it was now looking for alternative test locations in the US market for next year.
See also: What is Google’s Project Ara all about?
The hugely ambitious endeavour seeks to free smartphone users from the need to update their device every two years.
If Project Ara comes to fruition users will be able to build their own custom handsets, replacing components as better cameras and more powerful processors become available.
Can you envision a modular future? Share your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.