Project Ara, Google’s modular phone project, will not see the light of day. The project has been suspended by the search giant.
According to a Reuters report, Google has paused the project “as part of a broader push to streamline the company’s hardware efforts”.
The concept for Project Ara began in 2013 after a Dutch designer Dave Hakkens announced a smartphone with Lego-like blocks that can be individually placed according to user needs and preferences.
Project Ara was first announced by Motorola three years ago.
The concept soon grew into a larger idea after it was taken over by Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group that is owned by Google.
Though Google has shelved the project, it may license the technology to other partners. “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,” Reuters report stated.
The Ara prototype includes six slots for swapping modules into. Users can swap in a high-resolution camera, RAM, processor and battery. The modules are entirely software-controlled and will have same type of controllers. They further can be disassembled using the settings.
Big names such as Panasonic, E Ink, Toshiba, Sony and Samsung were roped in to develop the working modules.
Google had earlier planned limited launch of the future-proof smartphone in Puerto Rico in 2015, but that was cancelled. It later announced that the device would be available to the masses in 2017.