Google ATAP's Project ARA modular smartphone is placed on a table (Photo : YouTube / Google ATAP)
Google's Project Ara has reignited the long-gone excitement from fans that have been waiting for the modular smartphone, but Phonebloks' Dave Hakkens does not share the same opinion.
In fact, Hakkens believes that there can be so much more to be done for Project Ara. Google has recently unveiled the updates for the modular smartphone which now has a working prototype.
Hakkens said that he was disappointed of the search engine giant's decision to include the essential specs such as the processor, antenna, sensors, screen and battery in the core skeleton of the phone. Other external modules include the speakers, camera and projector.
Phonebloks is a similar concept for a modular smartphone. The difference is that it is still stuck in a concept and it has no actual product yet in sight.
Hakkens collaborated with Motorola and Google on Project Ara, Engadget reported. Phonebloks was supposed to help reduce electronic waste due to the continued purchasing of new phones instead of simply upgrading each part that the user wants.
Project Ara does have the same vision. Google's ATAP has recently shown that they already have a working prototype and they are now down to figuring out how to make the modular smartphone look better rather than being a plain blocky device.
Hakkens said that the system Google implemented for their modular smartphne encourages competition instead of collaboration, Phone Arena has learned. He added that the smartphone should have been an "open system" that would allow developers and other companies to help improve the end product.
"However it isn't truly open. Everything happens under the umbrella of Google. They are in charge, they make the rules. They can decided to suddenly change the connectors, or design," Hakkens said in a blog post.
The Phonebloks designer said that Google did well in actually pushing through with the Project Ara modular smartphone. However, he believes that the search engine giant can do better.
Hakkens also said that the company should not focus their efforts on making a smartphone that would sell, but rather a smartphone for the future. Google's Project Ara is still under development and a lot could still change.
