Google has cancelled Project Ara
Google has cancelled Project Ara
One of Google's most high profile 'moon shot' projects is officially over; Google has confirmed that its Project Ara modular smartphone has been cancelled.
Google had been working on modular smartphones since it acquired Motorola's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team back in 2011. It was one of the few pieces it held onto after selling Motorola to Lenovo in 2014.
The project has been repeatedly delayed, despite Google's initially ambitious forecasts predicting consumer devices hitting the market way back in January 2015. After some setbacks, an initial test phase was scheduled to commence in Puerto Rico in mid-2015, however it too was suspended indefinitely.
Now with Google announcing new Pixel phones, a Chromecast 4K and Google Home, Project Ara itself has been suspended indefinitely.
What happens to the tech that was developed on Ara? Currently, there are rumors that Google might license some of the technology to other companies in order for the modular phone to live on. Alternatively, there have also been rumors that Google would like to see Project Ara modular tech extend to IoT as well. Google hasn't confirmed anything yet though, so we'll have to wait and see.
Source: Venturebeat & Reuters