Here's good news for those looking forward to customizable smartphones, Google is set to unveil its range of modular smartphones come March.
The phones, developed under Google's Project Ara, focus on giving customers more power over the kind of features and design they want for their mobile devices. The new Google Ara phones make it easier to custom-build and later upgrade these devices.
Project Ara strives to create a modular ecosystem for mobile phone hardware, said Google on its website. The modular structure is supposed to make it easier for users to customize their phones according to their preferences about aesthetics, functionality and features.
The modules are reported to be user-replaceable at any time, even when the device is switched on. Users have the option to purchase a complete Ara handset, customize one on their own, or acquire additional modules of their choice from the Ara marketplace.
The "limited market pilot" Google is rumored to come at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona early March. Up to 50 modular Ara components could be on display, according to IBNLive.
Early estimates suggest the modules might be priced between $50 to $500, with discounts to make the purchases more cost-effective for users.
Toshiba, one of the many third-party manufacturers working on the Ara modules, has finished development of the Ara Spiral 2-- a hot-swappable 5 megapixel camera module for the project.
The module and similar ones will allow users to add features or upgrade their phone camera by simply replacing the existing module with a new one.