
Google shelves plan for phone with interchangeable parts - _pius
http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-google-smartphone-idUKKCN11806C
======
xenadu02
Anyone paying the slightest bit of attention knew this was the ultimate result
on the very day they announced it.

To make something modular you need to wrap each piece in its own case, add
bulky connectors, etc. Both weight and volume are at an extreme premium in
mobile devices. All that metal/plastic going in to making the pieces modular
is stealing volume and weight from the battery.

The only realistic way to make the power envelope is to use an SoC, which
means the CPU, GPU, and RAM must all be in the same module. That doesn't leave
a lot worth upgrading... maybe just the radio module. Jumping up in screen
resolution would mean replacing the SoC to get a better GPU too.

Modularity worked in desktop PCs because they have gobs of space and an AC
power connection.

~~~
peterjlee
First thing that came into mind when I heard about project Ara was that,
laptops aren't modular because the increased size and weight will out weigh
the benefits. Seemed like the same situation applies to smartphones, only
worse.

~~~
fnord123
They used to be modular until companies started to follow Apple down the
current path. I had a Dell Inspiron with removable battery, removable DVD
drive, and PCMCIA slot for modular functionality.

Now we have come somewhat full circle with Apple's Macbook which has meagre
hardware functionality and relies on USB-C to provide the missing
functionality in a modular fashion. However it means a nest of cables so it's
probably not what anyone wants when they want a modular laptop.

~~~
djsumdog
I remember the old mid-2000 MacBooks. I had one with an easily accessible hard
drive and ram right under the replaceable battery (which I did have to replace
once too).

People forget Apple was sued, and lost, in the 1990s for telling people to buy
new iPods instead of selling replacement batteries. They started moving to
user serviceable stuff briefly, but then went back to their own ways and
people haven't challenged them since.

~~~
Jtsummers
Re iPod:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc._litigation#iPod_bat...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc._litigation#iPod_battery_life_class_action)

It was the 2000s, 2005 was the settlement date, iPods didn't exist in the
1990s. They didn't lose, strictly speaking, they settled (which is not the
same as admitting fault). Settling lets them save face, even if they may not
have had a liability, by not dragging their name through the muck with regards
to the poor performance of the batteries and iPods.

------
IBM
I've speculated for a long time that basically anything interesting Google
says they're doing is essentially meant to be a jobs program to keep employees
from leaving, PR for external stakeholders like investors, media, being
attractive to potential employees, etc. They seem to have lots of formal ways
to keep employees from leaving/close as well including investments off of
Google's balance sheet (not GV or Google Capital) into ex-employee startups
and just flat out paying people not to leave (which is the arrangement I'm
guessing that Matt Cutts is under). It all seems very Microsoft of old.

Can anyone at Google (or ex-employees) tell me if this is true?

~~~
ChuckMcM
Flip it around, would anyone want to apply to Google if they weren't doing big
visionary things? I've met a lot of people who want to work at Google, not
because anything they want to achieve in life is only possible if they do it
with Google's resources, but simply because "It's a magical place." as Phil
Coulson would say.

So whether or not it keeps people from leaving, if it is effective at getting
people to apply to Google first, it meets its goal right?

From my experience working there some of the "moonshot" type projects were
rather hit or miss in terms of retention. Some, like the self driving car one,
attracted a lot of great talent, some of the more interesting power related
ones were only interesting to people who cared about power efficiency. But the
feeling that anything is possible is intoxicating until you realize what you
have to give up to make something possible. Then its sort of hit or miss.

~~~
xiphias
Most of us at Google are not working on on moonshot projects, and still have a
happy life. Still, most non-moonshot projects that people are working on are
growing nicely, have a long term view, and making lots of impact. Also having
free good quality, healthy food with big variety all day long makes a huge
impact in life quality.

~~~
ethanbond
I don't think Google's perks are anywhere close to a differentiator in the
market these days.

~~~
eitally
But even the things that aren't "perks" are still way beyond what most non-
valley companies offer as benefits (insurance, retirement, education, leaves,
parental benefits, internal training/development, etc). None of that is
uniquely special, and many non-tech companies have pieces of the puzzle, but
imho Google is unique among companies it size with the breadth and quality of
employee benefits it offers.

------
apatters
It's really sad to think about how far we've fallen in terms of hardware
customizability since the desktop PC era. It was once a given that you could
build your own device from scratch and change out any part you wanted to. You
could keep systems usable for 10+ years this way and we got a generation of
hardware hackers and enthusiasts who went on to make cool things.

Now our corporate overlord announces a way to let you replace a few basic
components like your camera and battery and when they later cancel it the
dominant reaction is "no big surprise there." Replace the magic candy bar in
your pocket every 2 years, don't look inside, don't think about how it works,
just embrace your new role in the modern tech industry as part of the top 1%'s
recurring revenue strategy.

The big money won, consumers lost, hackers lost. Sure it's business and you
can never expect corporations to be altruistic, they have a profit motive. But
that's never meant that you should give an anti-consumer attitude a free pass
either. Every year that goes by now drives me deeper into the open source camp
and Stallman's welcoming embrace.

~~~
usaphp
> "You could keep systems usable for 10+ years this way"

Every custom PC maker friend keeps telling me that but realistically - have
anybody ever used the "upgraded" pc for 10+ years? By the time the cpu needs
an upgrade - there is a new motherboard needed and your case and power supply
also becomes obsolete, never mind graphics card, so you end up getting a whole
new pc instead.

~~~
omni
> your case and power supply also becomes obsolete

I've never found this to be the case, maybe it's because I try not to skimp on
power supplies during my initial build. The last time I upgraded my CPU/mobo,
I didn't change my case, power supply, video card, RAM, SSD, disk drives,
sound card, SATA cables, or network card. Plenty of my "old" computer still
works just fine.

------
beambot
There are too many tangible benefits to close integration between CPU, screen,
battery, and antennas -- the latter of which is probably the most difficult to
modularize.

A much better tactic would've been 1-2 expansion ports for specialized
hardware modules -- everything from credit card readers (a la Square), medical
sensors, portable oscilloscope, etc. A standardized peripheral interface for
hardware expansion slots across all phone variants could've really enabled a
whole bunch of new applications (and industries). I'm sad to see it abandoned
entirely.

(I wonder if there weren't some strong personalities that kept the "100%
modular or bust" mentality?)

~~~
modeless
Motorola did exactly what you're asking for. It's called Moto Mods and if it
isn't abandoned as a failure within 3 years I'll eat my hat.
[https://www.motorola.com/us/moto-mods](https://www.motorola.com/us/moto-mods)

~~~
jessriedel
Yes, this is the rough idea, except that it was "designed exclusively for the
moto Z". The fact that one proprietary mod standard didn't take off is hardly
strong evidence against the general idea, and especially the viability of an
open standard.

------
pronik
Meanwhile elsewhere: Fairphone 2 is available, is modular and user-repairable
(iFixit: 10/10:
[https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Fairphone+2+Teardown/52523](https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Fairphone+2+Teardown/52523)).
Ara looked cooler, but I guess I should cease any high hopes for Google
innovation or market disruption. Which is sad, but probably the way things go
in this world.

~~~
mintplant
It's also still stuck on Android Lollipop, unfortunately. Otherwise it looks
really, really cool.

~~~
voltagex_
Pretty much forever - drivers/BSPs won't be released any more for the
Snapdragon 801.

[http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/why-isnt-your-old-
pho...](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/why-isnt-your-old-phone-
getting-nougat-theres-blame-enough-to-go-around/)

~~~
pronik
Which only means it will be stuck on Marshmallow, not Lollipop -- until
Fairphone releases a core module with another chipset on it
([https://shop.fairphone.com/spareparts/coremodulefp2.html](https://shop.fairphone.com/spareparts/coremodulefp2.html)).
At least that is the promise. Might even use something from Mediatek which
will probably drive the price down.

~~~
voltagex_
I hope they do go for a cheaper SoC - that core module is more expensive than
the entire phone that's in my pocket alone. I get that the price reflects
ethically sourced materials, but they're gonna have to do something about the
price.

I wonder how they'll handle software and retaining data through a cross-
platform upgrade - a build for Android for the msm8xxx series won't run on a
Mediatek SoC.

~~~
Nullabillity
> I wonder how they'll handle software and retaining data through a cross-
> platform upgrade - a build for Android for the msm8xxx series won't run on a
> Mediatek SoC.

At worst, ask people to reflash to another Android ROM when switching. User
software and data is on another partition anyway, and you can force Android to
recompile all user applications by clearing your cache partition.

------
electic
It is 2016 and a lot of people are still not very good with computers, let
alone mobile phone components. We live in Silicon Valley so it might be hard
to understand this very simple fact. I invite everyone to go to an Apple store
and just sit there and watch the scores of folks come in and have to be sat
down and explained, slowly, about the simplest concepts for macOS or iOS. I
have mad respect for Apple Geniuses.

Now, imagine a phone that has all these components and imagine the overhead of
supporting that. Now you might say it is for tech people..that market is not
big enough to warrant the R&D and support. Right call Google.

~~~
pcurve
ios has gotten rather complex and big over the years. Just look at the
Settings. About as bad as Android settings.

I'm a computer guy and it's a struggle to find things.

~~~
paublyrne
I just switched to iOS after being Android for a while. Current Android
Settings are great, at least in stock Android. They've finessed them over the
years. They were poor two or three versions ago for sure.

~~~
flukus
>Current Android Settings are great, at least in stock Android.

They still won't tell you what drives an app is using data on. I need to free
up space somewhere but can't tell where.

~~~
Nullabillity
Huh? The user data partitions were merged years ago.

~~~
flukus
The space the app is using on SD is being lumped in with the internal space.
It's telling me audible is using tonnes of space but that's all on SD.

And don't get me started on the shitty Google apps that can't be removed or
moved to SD.

~~~
digi_owl
Sadly the Android storage terminology is a mess.

These days what comes up as the SD is more correctly a folder on the emmc
(internal storage).

Its just that for legacy reasons it is treated as the primary removable
storage by Android.

There is a Android/data/"app vendor uri"/ tree within that simulated SD that
is used as a dumping ground for various files.

~~~
flukus
So apps that think they're storing things on SD are actually using internal
storage? How do I actually use the SD card then?

------
source99
Whenever I saw articles about this my first thought was always that it didn't
make any sense. 1\. Why do consumers need to decide what goes in their phone.
Are my needs really different that someone else's? 2\. Building hardware is
hard. Building consumer hardware is really harder. Making it modular is just
batshit crazy.

I never once thought this would see the light of day.

~~~
dingaling
> Are my needs really different that someone else's?

Absolutely. I'm looking for an IP68-certified phone with a 3" 400 PPI
polycarbonate screen and _without_ a camera.

Such a thing doesn't exist, but Ara gave me a vague hope that one day I might
be able to obtain a phone that fits my needs instead of those of a
manufacturer.

~~~
shimon_e
If there isn't enough volume for whatever component you are looking for get
ready to pay an arm and leg.

------
flukus
I've learned to completely ignore anything launched publicly at google IO
(wave, ara, glass, etc).

~~~
kyrra
Chromebook was a Google IO announcement, and I'm sure there are others that
have succeeded.

~~~
flukus
Turning a previously open category of computing into a locked down experience
never particularly excited me in the first place.

~~~
digi_owl
At least they have an official, documented, method for unlocking the product
once you bought it.

------
mmastrac
Disappointed about this one - I guess this was just too early (like glass).
They had to create a lot of both hardware AND software to make it work.
Expensive and risky work for a single company to take on.

I was honestly holding off on a cell phone upgrade hoping to get my hands on
the developer version of this early 2017.

~~~
throwaway2016a
I had to scroll half way down the page to find someone like me... I'm
disappointed as well.

A lot of people here talk about performance and size. We seem obsessed with
them in cell phones but at what point does performance and size become good
enough and we can focus on things like sustainability and repairability.

------
ori_b
I'm not surprised. I can't think of any way for it to actually be better for
day to day use than a monolithic smartphone.

My biggest surprise is that it was still chugging along until now.

------
wibr
I always thought that Ara might be a useful platform not so much for
smartphones but for all those hand-held custom devices, you could plug in a
credit card reader, laser, special cameras, voltmeter or whatever you need.

~~~
Retra
But next to nobody needs those things.

~~~
Nullabillity
But just about everyone has _some_ such need, as well as components they
couldn't give less of a shit about (the camera comes to mind, for me). The SoC
is the expensive part that would need the economies of scale, but sadly there
don't seem to be that many options in that space anyway.

------
optforfon
If it came out tomorrow it'd be 10 years too late. Cellphones seem to have hit
a plateau. All the parts are now good enough in a cheap phone that no one
really needs this.

I got a $150 aluminum phone with a huge battery, nice enough camera,
fingerprint scanner, 3GBs of RAM, expandable storage, etc. etc. ... I don't
feel like I need expansion options. What can the higher-specs really offer now
a days?

Samsung has the right idea, maybe we'll need better phones for VR. Or maybe
built in picoprojectors will be a game changer. But for that you'll need a
whole new phone - not just a module snaps on.

~~~
cubano
We need phones that are basically indestructible and last 3 full days on one
charge.

~~~
ahoka
Do you really think so? I have an impression that the market is kinda OK with
short battery life. Otherwise there would be a trend in this way. Maybe after
other specs reach their practical limits?

~~~
flukus
Has anyone released a decent phone with a long battery life? You can't tell if
the market wants something if it's not on offer.

~~~
ebalit
I just bought the Xiaomi Redmi 3 [1] with 4100mAh. The battery life is
excellent. 2 to 3 days of battery is a comfort I missed from the "dumbphone
era".

1: [http://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-xiaomi-
redmi-3s-3gb-3...](http://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-xiaomi-
redmi-3s-3gb-32-gb)

~~~
clarry
For me it was 2 to 3 weeks of battery. Smartphone batteries are just
miserable, and I'd happily take a heavier & thicker phone to get better
battery life.

~~~
macintux
There are plenty of well-designed battery/protective enclosures for
smartphones. Thus those who want the extra battery life and are prepared to
deal with the extra thickness and weight can do so.

Now if you want 2 weeks of battery life on a pocket supercomputer, well, good
luck with that.

------
ihsw
> Axing Project Ara is one of the first steps in a campaign to unify Google's
> various hardware efforts, which range from Chromebook laptops to Nexus
> phones.

Their new phone line will be called _Pixels_.

[http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/09/01/exclusive-googles-
ne...](http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/09/01/exclusive-googles-new-phones-
will-be-called-the-pixel-and-pixel-xl/)

~~~
colemickens
I can't help but wonder if they're co-opting the Pixel name to push ChromeOS
on a phone form factor with the built-in Android runtime.

It seems _very_ unlikely, but there's a part of me still wondering.

~~~
roymurdock
Check out their efforts on the new Fuschia OS. I'm fairly certain it's
Google's attempt to design a mobile OS from scratch to get rid of some of the
overhead introduced into Android as a function of it being a Linux derivative.

~~~
flukus
What overhead is there from linux? Most of it seems to come from there own
API's.

~~~
pjmlp
Not sure, but contrary to what many think, the Linux kernel on Android lacks
many APIs and the set of allowed stable libraries is quite small.

With Android N, they took the extra step to kill native apps that dare to link
to Android native libraries, if not part of the stable list, like libpng for
example.

Regarding Fushia the overhead seems to actually be anything under GPL.

------
seanwilson
It was an interesting idea but I could never see it working myself. It looked
like a solution in search of a problem.

So you're meant to buy a phone shell and separate components to plug into
this, where you can upgrade different components over time? Ignoring technical
issues, wouldn't the shell get out of date quickly as well as the components
(with some components being incompatible with other shells and components)?

It doesn't sound cost effective considering how cheap phones are getting and
how often we are seeing physical hardware changes still (e.g. fingerprint
readers, screen size, thinnest).

~~~
mindcrime
> It was an interesting idea but I could never see it working myself. It
> looked like a solution in search of a problem.

Modularity worked out pretty well for the PC. When you make things open,
there's no way to imagine ahead of times the things people will come up with.

~~~
umanwizard
A key advantage of mobile phones is that while a PC is around 50 liters, an
iPhone 6 is 0.06 liters; almost 1000 times smaller.

You are relying on the assumption that the "modularity" is independent of the
form factor; that if it worked in the PC, it can work in a mobile phone.

Maybe the success of mobile phones is _because_ of their lack of modularity,
not in spite of it.

~~~
mindcrime
_Maybe the success of mobile phones is because of their lack of modularity,
not in spite of it._

It's possible. But all I'm saying is that, in terms of it being "a solution
looking for a problem", there is a historical precedent showing that
openness/modularity can have powerful benefits. It would be hard to say for
sure if that can/would/will apply in the mobile space as well. But it's not
something, IMO, one should write off out-of-hand.

------
rajeshp1986
This project was longed to die. It should have died 3 years back. I wonder why
the project team didn't understand or realize the dynamics of smartphone
market. The equation is simple, there is no market for phone with
interchangeable components. period. Chinese companies are manufacturing dead
cheap smartphones. Indian market is flooded with cheap phone options. An
average life cycle of android phone is now less than 2 years. People throw
their old phone and buy a new one because new phones are cheap and easy to buy
plus they get an overall upgrade. Maybe they didn't realize because the
project was carried out in US where there is not much competition from phone
manufacturers and Apple takes away major share of the market.

This interchangeable components idea is much like Assembled computers back in
early 2000s. Most people went for assembled computers because it was easy to
upgrade single components/pieces. They should have realized that people don't
do that with computers these days either. Only may be few enthusiasts and
geeks, but definitely not by a common man.

One more project dies at Google...

------
Animats
That makes sense. All those connector pins and latches were inherently going
to be troublesome and fragile.

There's a market for various instruments one could attach to a phone, but it's
not a mass market. You can get USB devices which give you a spectrum analyzer
or an OBD-II connector, and there are apps to drive them. They're not
something you get at phone stores.

------
karma_vaccum123
As the Moto Z will likely confirm, no one is really interested in modular
phones.

------
funkyy
I am quite surprised, that instead of allowing users to change modules (and
thus are forced to build it up with casing and connectors) they didn't release
certification on doing it and let people drop their phones to the mobile
service points all over the world for free or small fee like $1 (including
vacuuming insides to add extra value). Such shops would make money on selling
modules. Modules could be less protected and delivered without the casing.
Changing modules would take ~1-2minutes since the store clerk would be trained
to do it and use 2-3 universal tools to open the phone and change the modules.

Those 2-3 tools would be also available to buy, so owners could change the
modules themselves. But since it would be quite advanced - same as with
changing PC parts - it would void the guarantee for whole phone.

------
rch
So a modular phone is a bad idea, but what about the spec? I could imagine
widgets that connect to mountain bikes, toasters, and ski helmets; the phone
is just enabling.

> the company may work with partners to bring Project Ara’s technology to
> market

...vague, but maybe.

------
yladiz
This doesn't surprise me. I feel like the concept is nice, but they have to do
a kick-ass job as making sure everything goes together well and can't just
randomly fail -- I would hate if my phone's data got corrupted because a piece
of it randomly fell off my phone or accidentally spilling some water on it,
which would not affect a normal phone but may seep into between a pair of
component edges. But beyond that, and more importantly, it has to make
economic sense. Would it have been cheaper than a random cheap phone,
especially in the developing world?

------
perseusprime11
I never saw the potential of this project given how slim the phones are
getting and how the hardware is literally attached to screen. The design and
aesthetic would have to be compromised for these modular phones. The two
places where this would have been useful are camera and battery but there is
literally no innovation happening in these two departments so expect for the
next 2-3 years, our batteries and camera specs will not significantly change
due to technology limitations and size constraints.

~~~
clintonb
> The two places where this would have been useful are camera and battery but
> there is literally no innovation happening in these two departments...

From what I see in headlines the camera and battery are the two areas with the
most innovation. Apple has a major ad campaign featuring photos shot on
iPhones. Almost every new phone release mentions improved battery life.
(Admittedly, these energy improvements may come more from decreased
consumption than improved storage.)

I see most marketing discussing the following features:

1\. Camera 2\. Battery life 3\. Screen size/resolution

This makes sense given that there aren't many other areas to radically
innovate. Someone's already tried adding decent speakers, a kickstand, and
various exclusive apps.

~~~
perseusprime11
Unfortunately I don't see them. Nokia Windows phones were far more advsncedin
terms of cameras than current iPhones or Samsung galaxy s7s. Anand tech said
as much about this in their reviews. I don't see any improvement in my battery
life from iPhone 5S to iPhone 6S. Do others see any improvement?

------
johngalt
Of course. Something like that would be a compatibility and testing nightmare.
Users aren't going to be content dealing with PC style driver issues with a
mobile device. And to gain what? The ability to upgrade or customize a phone?
Why? Do your mobile device needs change that often?

A better idea is to attack the areas where apple and samsung are retreating.
Replaceable batteries, memory cards, peripheral connections etc...

------
jasonkostempski
Phones are at the point desktops hit about 10 years ago, they're good enough
to use for general purpose until the end of time. Everything people typically
want can be done instantaneously, cameras are way better than anyone really
cared about and screens are perfectly clear. The only thing stopping us from
having a phone for life is forced obsolescence. All we need back is removable
batteries and storage.

------
ilaksh
Modular smartphones or computers are still a great idea. They may have had
trouble easily capitalizing at this time without interfering with other
products.

------
xg15
> _“This was a science experiment that failed, and they are moving on,” he
> said._

Semi-seriously, but I'd like to know where exactly they are moving on now.

------
justinlardinois
I was excited about this, but after going dark for nearly a year and then
resurfacing with a model that had most of the important components integrated
onto the board, the writing was on the wall.

It's a cool concept, but I don't think current technology would allow this to
work in a reasonable way.

------
YZF
There was an Israeli startup that tried to do this (
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modu) ) and
apparently Google acquired some of that IP. I wonder if this effort is
related.

------
crbelaus
It may shound harsh, but why should I want a modular Android phone? To update
my hardware over the years to come while still running the same Android
version without receiving updates.

Google, your Android updating system is fucked up. Fix it first, and then we
can talk about exending the life of hardware.

~~~
clintonb
Limited updates are more an issue with the carriers than Google.

~~~
voltagex_
I don't think so. I'm still on the May 2016 security patch on a 2015 Moto X
Style. No carrier involved - it's an unlocked LTE phone. Updating the existing
phones doesn't make Lenovo any money so I doubt it will happen.

------
ungzd
You can add new camera or bluetooth controller but you can't (sanely) update
firmware to latest Android version. Great.

(I mean sanely if it was like installing Windows or Linux and not specific
build for single phone model made from hacks and insane backmerges)

------
clumsysmurf
I had high hopes for this, but seeing how fragmentation is harming Android
when the phone is a single integrated device - seems unrealistic they would be
able to get all these components to play well together among various OEMs.

------
jordache
This is my attitude regarding Red camera's lauded modularity.

Ok so you can keep your handle and grip, and the little viewfinder. The sum of
Those useless pieces doesn't mean you've "upgraded" your camera

------
erikb
No Google! That is not acceptable! You can not always make people hope for
years and then just drop it. When you start with marketing you take on some
responsibility. You lost someone who believed in you.

~~~
bmer
I think your naivete is as beautiful as the freshest spring rose.

I wonder what this move has to do with what phone manufacturers are doing in
general: hiding away components like the battery that were once open to the
consumer, making it difficult to do anything but buy a new phone if the
battery alone dies out. One can't get more anti-modular than that, and the
Nexus 5X has the same deal:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYFbSpvSE-w&feature=youtu.be...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYFbSpvSE-w&feature=youtu.be&t=74)

~~~
voltagex_
I know what you're saying about the 5X, but it's not _impossible_ to replace.

>The battery isn't immediately user accessible but isn't too challenging, or
too adhered, to replace.

[https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus+5X+Teardown/51318#s112...](https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus+5X+Teardown/51318#s112139)

~~~
bmer
Does it void your warranty though?

------
eva1984
I am not surprised either. It is more of a gimmicky idea, than a revolutionary
moonshot one. It is somehow hard to picture where is the market and how to
convince customers to buy it.

------
jacquesm
Finally. The first modular phone prototype I saw in Logitech HQ in 1999 or so
was shelved for the exact same reasons.

I'm expecting a similar announcement about project Makani.

~~~
majewsky
I just heard about Makani for the first time, and after a quick glance at
their website, it doesn't look absurd. Can you elaborate what is problematic
about it?

~~~
jacquesm
Yes:

[http://jacquesmattheij.com/makani](http://jacquesmattheij.com/makani)

------
ngold
Speaking off the cuff here. I think google wants ideas that might work then
put a team on them. Close it down and aquire a company that makes it
successful.

------
Scirra_Tom
Isn't software the best interchangeable parts for a phone? Modular add-ons
were doomed to fail from the go and no idea why they got any traction.

------
ankurdhama
Its all about money -> Do incremental "innovation" but make people pay for the
whole thing again and again each and every year.

~~~
umanwizard
You know, you're not forced to buy a new phone, if you think your old one does
the job just as well.

~~~
Retra
My old phone was perfect, but my provider killed it by making it download
trash until it was unusable.

------
wnevets
Everyone always knew this was never reach the mainstream consumer but I
would've liked to seen something released.

------
DropbearRob
I think its cool that they at least gave it a shot, but in the process it used
up their stocks of unicorn blood.

------
barnacs
At least this time they killed the product _before_ rolling it out to users.
Google is improving every day!

------
wslh
What is the strong reason behind nodularization if we can have almost every
component in place for cheap?

------
stonogo
This is a Fuchsia casualty, and it won't be the last. Google cannot afford to
innovate with hardware until they are done replacing the open-source kernel in
Android. Once that's done, and OEMs are accustomed to writing Fuchsia drivers
instead, they can use increased leverage over manufacturers to drive hardware
innovations in directions they want.

~~~
cpeterso
Why are hardware innovations not possible with Android's Linux kernel? OEMs'
concerns about the GPL?

~~~
pjmlp
Yes, the kernel is the only GPL component on the stack.

Google just deprecated gcc and will only offer clang on future NDK versions.

Native apps are so constrained in Android that they could replace Linux with
something else and only OEMs writing drivers would notice.

Fuchsia takes this further by not having any GPL component at all.

------
Uhhrrr
I hope some of this reappears eventually as a scheme for a modular tiny
desktop computer.

------
antoniuschan99
Have they released anything? Or was the lg g4 the closest thing to a modular
smartphone?

~~~
Sylos
The FairPhone 2 is also pretty modular.

------
source99
Can anyone name other modular products in high volume production.

~~~
jeeyoungk
Lego.

------
rado
Surprise.

------
stevenwiles
Ever since the idea of a modular phone was first introduced "Phonebloks, or
whatever it was" I have known for a fact that it was a fundamentally flawed
concept and would never see the light of day, despite the enormous hype and
support it received.

Is this proof that I am more intelligent than everyone who believed in this
idea? I think so?

~~~
OnlineCourage
> Is this proof that I am more intelligent than everyone who believed in this
> idea?

No.

------
cloudjacker
Finally I can say this was a stupid idea

and by stupid, I meant economically infeasible, no product market fit

words we associate with waste of time, in this sector

