Database Users

Upgradable hardware for phones as a new technology

This would be great for future mobile phones..,being able to replace the processor with another, add more RAM etc.
I was thinking...it can't be that hard to implement, may just take a little more space though.

Id love this also, my first upgrade would be the new processor from the SIII, its faster and it uses less power according to samsung.

RudiRulez said:
Id love this also, my first upgrade would be the new processor from the SIII, its faster and it uses less power according to samsung.
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Click to collapse
With the current climate and state of the world, it would make more sense to think along the lines of the environment, all you need is one phone and the replacements can be bought.
I would easily keep my phone for 5 years this way rather than 1-2 years if my phone could be upgraded.

SealsNavie said:
With the current climate and state of the world, it would make more sense to think along the lines of the environment, all you need is one phone and the replacements can be bought.
I would easily keep my phone for 5 years this way rather than 1-2 years if my phone could be upgraded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And thats exactly why phone manufacturers would never allow upgradable hardware unfortunately

I see no reason for opensourcing hardware lmao. That or transition it all in the cloud so no newer hardware is needed altogether
Need some serious batteries thought for the constant streaming
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

It would be nice, the most likely upgradable parts would be the CPU, GPU, RAM, and maybe sound DAC, and possibly an internal expansion port, with similar upgrade principles of a laptop computer.
Everything would have to be standardized, manufactures would be limited to whatever the standard specifications (size, voltage, power) of the components are. They can't use better proprietary or non standard components.
Example, all phones have RAM, but they all don't use the same type of RAM chip, they're all different, with different sizes, pins, voltages etc. What if that had to be standardized, and what if and the industry standard for phone RAM isn't as good.

there is nothing new about having upgradeable hardware..the PC has been doing that since the 80's.. but there is the space to do it.
This makes zero sense in the mobile space. The economics and physical sizing needed to support anything like this, in addition to the massive increase in support costs simply defy any rational possibility of this ever occurring

Mystic38 said:
This makes zero sense in the mobile space. The economics and physical sizing needed to support anything like this, in addition to the massive increase in support costs simply defy any rational possibility of this ever occurring
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Click to collapse
Why would the costs be irrational?
If the manufacturer has the will there would be a way. Like cars that share their platform/engine etc. I do not think it's costs that is prohibiting this development from happening.
I am happy to go through links that support your claim, though.

It will never happen so get real. What's the incentive for phone manufacturers as they're not making the actual chips?
Also everything on a phone is surface mounted - to put it in sockets would increase the size three times, so it's completely unrealistic.
Sent from my superior GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

You can't swap CPU/GPU in 95% of laptops out there, how would you expect this to ever happen with a phone?
Besides the fact that it would kill manufacturers profits, standardizing everything would never happen. They would also have to design sockets to allow for this which would make for thicker heavier devices.
Keep dreaming
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

this would never happen as the whole point of a mobile phone is for it to be portable
if there were specifications on the dimensions of different components so that we could swap them out with other hardware, it would limit how small we could make phones
the whole reason we solder components to a motherboard and not have everything connected with cables and sockets is to reduce space and weight

This would be the stupidest thing a company would do. Would it be nice in la la land yes, but why would any company do this. For the fans? lol people are funny.

Funny a lot think from a company perspective like they are the only stakeholders.
Think from a consumer perspective, how would it benefit you.
I like the environment point too
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

RudiRulez said:
And thats exactly why phone manufacturers would never allow upgradable hardware unfortunately
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Click to collapse
"allow" lol they are not your parents lmao
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baz77 said:
Funny a lot think from a company perspective like they are the only stakeholders.
Think from a consumer perspective, how would it benefit you.
I like the environment point too
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, in an ideal world companies would only care about customer satisfaction and ignore profits and growth. In the real world this doesn't happen.
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The problem is the cpus used are totally different in terms of sizes in dimensions etc and considering the size of mobile technology in terms of chips etc both the parts and paying for a professional to fit them would far outweigh the benefits gained
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Also to make the parts accessible to be user friendly plug and play would make the phone huge not to mention the firmware for our phones is mostly hardware specific
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this will never happen, because it would kill manufactories profits ;D

This is possible with PC's because they have a lot more room. Everything is so tightly packed in mobile phones that there isn't any space for connectors, slots, etc to make things like RAM or SOC's user replaceable. Have you seen how much space a CPU socket takes in? Quite a lot more than just soldering the damn thing to the board.
I could see it being possible for tablets, though. But if it ever happens, I doubt we'll see anything more than expandable RAM or hard drive. But even laptops are moving away from such things, so don't get your hopes up!

pboesboes said:
This is possible with PC's because they have a lot more room. Everything is so tightly packed in mobile phones that there isn't any space for connectors, slots, etc to make things like RAM or SOC's user replaceable. Have you seen how much space a CPU socket takes in? Quite a lot more than just soldering the damn thing to the board.
I could see it being possible for tablets, though. But if it ever happens, I doubt we'll see anything more than expandable RAM or hard drive. But even laptops are moving away from such things, so don't get your hopes up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well to start, PC's are not compact & portable, thats why you have laptops & in modern day laptops you cant change 80% of the hardware.... Phones are like laptops, compact, portable, small, built for a purpose, so if you want a phone that you can change hardware on i suggest buying a Neverhappening 3000 starting prices at £/$0
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Pocket Android SMART TV

So who's going to get one of these bad boys??
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/484889112/the-pocket-tv-makes-any-tv-a-smart-tv
They look pretty sweet. Especially those air remotes. If I wasn't broke atm I'd jump in on this kickstarter deal. I travel a lot and it'd be awesome to have one of these to plug in wherever I went.

yeah that is awesome!

Well, this is nothing new. There's already the FXI CottonCandy, and a Chinese equivalent that is slight less powerful in specs. The main differences between this and the CottonCandy: it uses the exynos 4 dual processor (same one as in the GS2), and also includes a full size male USB 2.0, so a computer can also boot from it as well. That little piece of awesomeness goes for 199. This one though has that nice air remote. Wonder how much this one costs...
FYI, I fully believe that these thumb drive Androids are going to take off very soon...the market is very young, but they are so versatile.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

squshy 7 said:
Wonder how much this one costs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Prices here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/484889112/the-pocket-tv-makes-any-tv-a-smart-tv

Confused on choice sony smartwatch.. motoactv.. i'm watch?

Hi everyone
I am considering a smart watch for multiple reasons but mainly so i know when somebody calls me at work.. must say though I LOVE customizations like everyone else on XDA
I have researched up on the following three watches
sony smartwatch
motorola motoactv
i'm watch
all three of these watches are nice and have their ups and downs.
i loved the motoactv because of its customizations however after reading up on the size of the actual thing i was a little more sceptical about it!
my wrist is not the biggest at about 47mm.. the motoactv is 46mm and quite bulky from the images and wanted to know what people think about its size. the i'm watch is a little bigger than the motoactv and bulkier however it is curved.. what do you guys think of that? the sony smartwatch would seem to be the best option thanks to its slick design and size however its functionality makes it more of a half smartwatch.
what do you guys think would suite my needs and wrist size? what are your opinions on the watches and what do you have and why did you pick it?
Just to say the pebble watch does not interest me because it lacks rich functionality.. i use whatsapp.. phone.. sms.. calendar.. music as my core apps and i would expect most of these on the watch (understand if whatsapp is not useable as long as there is notification)

Motoactv is my choice.
Yeah, it's kind of big, and my wrist is tiny, like girls wrist tiny. I personally don't give a crap about the looks, and it never feels in the way or like it's weighing me down, in fact I forget I'm wearing it sometimes.
The very few people that actually do make a comment or a little joke about the size have always eaten their words when I either show them or tell them what it does. And I work at a building supply store, so if anyone would think it was dorky it would be them. Yet they still always leave blown away, or asking where to get one.
I mean sure, sometimes I wished it was curved slightly to fit my wrist a little better, but out of all the smart watches out there currently this one is definitely the most capable.

Yeah I get where you're coming from.. functionality wise you don't have to take your phone out of your pocket! The only reason I am considering the sony smartwatch is because it is a size my wrist can cope with.. is there something out there like the motoactv but more ergonomic and a tad smaller or landscape?
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aadil7 said:
Yeah I get where you're coming from.. functionality wise you don't have to take your phone out of your pocket! The only reason I am considering the sony smartwatch is because it is a size my wrist can cope with.. is there something out there like the motoactv but more ergonomic and a tad smaller or landscape?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, at least not one as functional. All the smaller ones don't do anything by themselves but tell time. Out of the 4 you can get that run full fledged Android and as such can perform as independent Android devices, the Motoactv beats them all for me.
The other three being:
WIMM One - developmentally dead, uglier than the motoctv, lower res screen, and was never able to be modified to use as a full android device. Good CPU and RAM though, and always-on screen is nice
I'm Watch - Looks nice but lacks wifi, slow CPU and little RAM, no hardware buttons and Android 1.6 limit app compatibility
Z1 Smartwatch - A fully functioning watch Smart phone with cell radio, but MASSIVE, way bigger than the Motoactv, also very slow CPU and little RAM

Hmm I see thanks for that.. being able to use android on your wrist is an amazin pheat however I am still contemplating my uses for the device.. its a real shame I cannot see these in person.. that would greatly help!
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I honestly dont think this market has been struck with THE device of all devices just yet.. in the neptune pine I see the future
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aadil7 said:
Hmm I see thanks for that.. being able to use android on your wrist is an amazin pheat however I am still contemplating my uses for the device.. its a real shame I cannot see these in person.. that would greatly help!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I like about it, customization. I can change SO many things on my Motoactv to make it mine. I mean, a plethora of clock widgets, wallpapers (static or live), custom lock screen with apps like widget locker, calender widgets (DAMN handy on a watch), and apps. Oh man apps. I've installed a notepad with widget support, awesome for reminders or other things. Also a calculator (reminds me of the old casio watches), Poweramp for an amazing music player with custom equalizer, Gameboy emulator for simple RPG games, MXPlayer for videos...I can make my watch essentially what I want it to be, thanks to the nature of Android.
I've got videos of it on Youtube if you're interested. Just search my username, it's the same as on here.

My smartwatch comparison
Feel free to check out all the stats there. MotoACTV for my vote of course.

imho... at $18 with free shipping on ebay, the sony liveview mn800 (NOT THE SMARTWATCH)
is badass! it's tiny, sips power, can run all day, runs standard CHIBIOS RTOS on oled screen.
There's a custom firmware/rom functioning and under active development; an OPEN source app manager for the phone; an official app from Sony still being updated... tons of support and devs. Over 50 plugin apps available at the moment. AND liveview takes standard micro usb power so no proprietary cables and chargers.... use your phone charger if you must.
I agree it's not anywhere near the power of the motoactv (which is my second favorite but good luck finding motoactv below $160ish !almost 10 times as much!) and while it does have a degree of independence and I LOVE that it runs fullblown android... it's wifi/bt only ... so for most things you are still tethered to phone anyway. And it's mini usb... so plan on carrying around an additional adapter or charger.
Liveview is tiny, extensible, and dirt cheap and universal.
imho that's hard to beat!
if motoactv comes down to $80 I'll reassess.
---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------
I want the motoactv... I lust after it.
BUT. It's discontinued. Before sinking close to $200 and then more on the accessories in to something... I'd wonder how many more charge/discharge cycles the battery statistically has? MTBF type stuff.
Is the battery replaceable? Can you get a suitable replacement battery at a reasonable price?
If the screen breaks... can you get replacement screen or digitizer? Is the device easy enough to tear apart and operate on?
Is there an Open motoactv client app for phone? Will moto/google release this to allow extensibility? Will it remain compatible with future android versions/apis? What kind of a power drain will you get maintaining a connection btw phone and motoactv?
But if you have cash to burn - go for it It looks awesome.
Otherwise. $18 on ebay for the liveview lets you wade into the water slowly and if it breaks... **** order two!!! This thing is awesome!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Ericss...er_Cell_Phone_Accessories&hash=item589938963b
I'm in the process of trying to build a solar watchstrap for it with this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thin-Film-L...675?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8132e5db
and this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-DC-DC-...420?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd02d1204
if this works... battery should run forever!!!
---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------
But the biggest feature for me is that at $18 with free 2 day shipping from NYC... this thing is cheap enough with enough functionality that people will impulse buy it and then want more features... so the DEV community is set to grow exponentially as the price continues to fall.
As we've seen time and again - there are no feats the XDA community is unable to traverse. With an exponentially growing DEV and lay community... this thing is going to continue to become sicker and sicker.
PS if you google liveview, don't be turned off by negative reviews... Imho they are older, by unsophisticated users on older android versions and older firmware and app versions. In my experiences across the evo 4g, evo 3d, and note 2, this watch is solid. The connection and battery issues have largely been obviated by the new firmwares, new phone companion apps, and 3rd party app solutions. I love this little watch. I've bought 4 of them and donated to the local hackerspace until my primary breaks - but it's been several years already and she's still ticking.

I've got both, they're both microusb and both use my regular sgs3 charger.
I like my liveview, just not nearly as much. Can't play music on it or do anything standalone really. Can't even keep time without being tethered.
Hell, I can play angry birds on my actv lol.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons

ClearD said:
I've got both, they're both microusb and both use my regular sgs3 charger.
I like my liveview, just not nearly as much. Can't play music on it or do anything standalone really. Can't even keep time without being tethered.
Hell, I can play angry birds on my actv lol.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New Sony firmware or the open firmware allows to keep time even without connection to phone.
Motoactv is MICRO? same connector as liveview? man, apologies. my search, though cursory, showed mini. Good save. thanks.
I agree Motoactv is awesome; especially if you are will be in wifi areas.
But at $200ish vs. $20ish...
If you don't like it... makes a great gift to a geek when/if you want to upgrade.
Any advice on where to get a cheap motoactv?

EBay, for sure. I've seen them there for under $150, but they're still in high demand after they discontinued them, sadly.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons

Damn I never knew someone would rate the tiny sony watch so highly I may have to look into it.. maybe even buy it to try it n see what all the fuss is about!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

willfck4beer said:
so for most things you are still tethered to phone anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the exact opposite. The connection to the phone feels much more like an extension than a reliance. In fact there was a period i hadn't connected it to my phone for months. This was due to Android 4.2.2 having bluetooth issues on the GNex. I've since downgraded to 4.1.2 to get my text messages and caller ID function back, because it's damn handy at work. Otherwise, everything else runs right on it. For what I use it for mostly I don't need an internet connection most of the time.
willfck4beer said:
I'd wonder how many more charge/discharge cycles the battery statistically has? MTBF type stuff.
Is the battery replaceable? Can you get a suitable replacement battery at a reasonable price?
If the screen breaks... can you get replacement screen or digitizer? Is the device easy enough to tear apart and operate on?
Is there an Open motoactv client app for phone? Will moto/google release this to allow extensibility? Will it remain compatible with future android versions/apis? What kind of a power drain will you get maintaining a connection btw phone and motoactv?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery is replaceable, and available last time I checked. Screen/digitizer will be hard to find. Lots of people have opened this thing up and worked on it. There are tutorials online even. No open client, but people have found ways to communicate with it despite this. It uses Bluetooth 4.0, which is only just now being introduced to Android. The only thing that could stop it in the somewhat near future is companion app compatibility, and that's only if a new Android version breaks it. It wouldn't be hard for motorola to update the app with a simple compatibility update either.
I had my motoactv connected to my phone for 8 hours while I was at work today. It's been on for a total of 12 hours from when I unplugged it this morning, and I have 77% left right now.

Happen to have an extra Moto actv laying around?

willfck4beer said:
Happen to have an extra Moto actv laying around?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I almost want one as a backup...then again by the time this thing is kaput there might be something better out

Oh fxuck sony just opened up dev on smartwatches. Loving them fir the first time since the nineties right now! Smartwatch 1 and 2 just became much more attractive! OP, buy smartwatch2 when it hits $70ish for full touchscreen... buy smartwatch1 mn800 live view if you can only afford $20ish ... but no multi touchscreen imho. Anyone else know the added features delta betwixt the two smartwatches?

I want to make an Xperia Play 2

xp2 is on hold.

i'd better go with the new HTC one as a base, because of the stereo front speakers and the better hardware

This sounds like a really cool & Fun thing to do, but even if anything were to go ahead and happen sony would shut it down as "Xperia Play Gamepad - Slideout" is patented...
So their would have to be some other mechanic other than a slide out!
But if this really happens, We would all be the ones LAUGHING in Sonys Face about THE COMMUNITY Creating a V2 of their successor!, They dont want to make a v2 because of the "PS Vita" Sales, I mean that thing was TERRIBLE!
So if this does conntinue on, im glad to contribute on the software side!,

but using galaxy s3 as base means that he cant do it
he should use xperia z as base so he can port sony framework to it and get all xperia play games work on that with jb

Beat me too it.
I was also beginning to do research of my own to begin on my own build (I was waiting till It was finished to post) also I agree with pedyvirus that the xperia z would be a better base.
QUESTIONS?
What specs are you hoping to have? (minimum)
What major changes are you hoping to integrate into your xperia?
Lastly wouldn't the slide out keyboard be fine as long as you don't try to make money off of it?
GOOD LUCK AND PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED

You could even try and make a phone case which could also be a gamepad
Just an idea
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app

ILikeTheWayYouMove2 said:
You could even try and make a phone case which could also be a gamepad
Just an idea
Personally I like the gamepad being part of the phone this way there are no connection errors, no need for Bluetooth, or compatibility issues. That's what makes the xperia play so amazing, its there when you need it with no hassle. If we were to have a gamepad case we would just be another smartphone.
ALTHOUGH if you are interested in game cases the best I've seen at the moment is Bladepad. It is only for iphone at the moment but it will be coming to android by the end of this year or beginning of next. Just go to Bladepad.com to check it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

man
just look at my signature ...
i'll by your xperia play 2

Wow this is amazing. Maybe tegra 4 base and massive amount of ram. 5inches or more display. For controls if slide out is patended use on side (psp like) and clampshell (3ds like).
Im considering getting nvdia shield once released, but with this, with phone function i think this will be much better.
Sent from my R800i using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2

Hi guys,
an update:
looks like there is only one guy who is interested in making this device a reality. I won't say, but he's "pretty" well known in the mod scene.
I am still looking for people who are good at electronics
If you feel you have the talent, email me and I will support you

I'll definitely buy an Xperia Play successor, but I'm not that good in micro-scale Electronics. I really hope the best for this project.

I do hope for the best of this project. My suggestions are for the minimum spec it can run PSP games smoothly on PPSSPP. Has its own Game Keyboard, but still affordable
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app

Various For said:
I'll definitely buy an Xperia Play successor, but I'm not that good in micro-scale Electronics. I really hope the best for this project.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless he obtains the rights to use the hardware and goes through all the other legal issues, I dont see this available for sale. Maybe donate 'x amount' and receive a free phone but still, the undertaking of this project is likely the most ambitious on all of xda. I wish him luck but I won't be holding my breath.
Sent from my R800at using xda app-developers app

korrectmethod said:
Unless he obtains the rights to use the hardware and goes through all the other legal issues, I dont see this available for sale. Maybe donate 'x amount' and receive a free phone but still, the undertaking of this project is likely the most ambitious on all of xda. I wish him luck but I won't be holding my breath.
Sent from my R800at using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm still breathing, bit I love to dream too!

I really like Thea idea of this.
I think the specs shouldn't be too
powerful(snapdragon 800 etc ).
They minimum I'd like to see is dual core clocked at 1.5hgz
I don't know why but I prefer dual then quad core and gpu of
Snapdragon 300.
But I don't really know alot on develoing phones but I would love
get my hands on xperia play 2 even if it had a dear price

I'd buy it
13mp camera 1080p
vita analogs
Nice clicky buttons like the old play maybe two separate pads that slide out to the side?
Exmor r
Bravia
1.7Ghz
Kickass snapdragon
2gb ram
To some up make it a ridiculously kickass phone.
Sent from my LT28i using xda app-developers app

You could always ask Ben heck if he would give it a go hes already made some pretty awsome things haha
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insane5125 said:
ILikeTheWayYouMove2 said:
You could even try and make a phone case which could also be a gamepad
Just an idea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I like the gamepad being part of the phone this way there are no connection errors, no need for Bluetooth, or compatibility issues. That's what makes the xperia play so amazing, its there when you need it with no hassle. If we were to have a gamepad case we would just be another smartphone.
ALTHOUGH if you are interested in game cases the best I've seen at the moment is Bladepad. It is only for iphone at the moment but it will be coming to android by the end of this year or beginning of next. Just go to Bladepad.com to check it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is there actually an android version of the bladepad? cuz it is exactly what i had in mind 1 or 2 years ago when i saw the play the very first time and immediately knew the pad had to be portable over to another device as the hardware evolves faster than a successor would be created.

Flaîm said:
is there actually an android version of the bladepad? cuz it is exactly what i had in mind 1 or 2 years ago when i saw the play the very first time and immediately knew the pad had to be portable over to another device as the hardware evolves faster than a successor would be created.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet there should be one by the end of the year though but the problem is there's so many android devices it would be hard to support so they're probably only going to support certain popular phones or else theyll make a general one for certain sizes that clips on the back
Sent from my Xperia Play (r800x)

Questions for everyone.
Just for fun lets have hear some opinions on xperia play 2.
Q#1
What are your 3 must haves for an xperia play 2?
Mine are #1 Physical analog sticks. I don't care if they are psp nubs, ps vita type analog, or real playstation analog sticks.
#2 Awesome sound quality (loud and clear) xperia play did this great and I hope they continue with this.
#3 An amazing screen I'm talking about HD to the extreme with the quality of games being so high now we need something to back that up.
Q#2
What design would you like Clamshell, slider, or candybar.
I would prefer a clamshell design with 2 screens one on the inside and one on the outside. This to me would be the best way to incorporate the analog sticks and massive speakers. also it would cool if it paused what you were doing on your first screen so when you were done gaming you can go back to what you were doing as soon as you close it. I like the xperia for the fact that you can hide the controls and hopefully the xperia play 2 will also have this business on the outside gaming on the inside.
Q#3
lastly, this is random but what color/material would you like?
If it was a color option it would be red all the way.
But if there was an metal one like the htc one that would be so awesome

ARA/Phonebloks doomed from the start?

I have been somewhat following the whole Phonebloks and ARA scene, participating in the Dscout missions, and generally have to say that there is a lot of buzz and hype with very little meat behind it. The general populace is thinking legos, colors, fancy shmancy materials, and other appearance related nonsense. There seems to be very little technical content, and the majority of the crowd seems to be lured by key words such as "eco", "reusable", "repairable", "customizable" and so on.
Certainly, in terms of driving sales, this is good attention, something Motorola needs.
The downside, however, seems to be that people do not understand how things work, have no patience for it, and want things to "just work."
I highly doubt that this will be something that is user friendly out of the box.
The biggest misconception seems to be that you will be able to build anything you want out of this. If this idea is not curbed, this project will fail. People will become disappointed. Already they seem to think that they can have an espresso maker and a telescope added to the thing.
On top of it all, Motorola has a track record of taking good ideas and executing them poorly. Think Atrix lapdock.
So what is the clear mission of this project?
Ease of repair? That can already be done using current production methods. Look at the iPhone vs Galaxy series in terms of screen replacement. Its night and day.
Reusing parts? What could you reuse from an iPhone 4 when building a 5s? The headphone jack? Batteries die, radios, memory, sensors, processors, become old news by the time they hit the assembly line, and screens evolve at a fast pace.
There is no mention of a core device with expansion bays, the project seems to suggest you could swap all basic components on the fly. This is nonsense. Is it really worth taking steps back to make separate little bricks for Bluetooth, Wifi, NFC, GSM radio, etc., when current production methods can squeeze these into a single system-on-chip design at a fraction of the cost?
Imagine for a minute if Googorola took the Moto X approach to hardware: You log into your Motomaker account, and at checkout you pick your options. 3 choices of screen size, 3 choices of processors, 3 choices of storage capacity, an 8, 13, or 16 Mpix camera, 3 different battery capacities, cdma, gsm, or global radio, etc., then once you select your hardware, you customize the case colors, and you're done.
I know this rant is way into the TL;DR territory, but there are other factors to consider, perhaps profitability being paramount. Open source phone, with open source modules, etc. How will Motorola make $ on this? How long till knock off modules hit the market? What is the pricing scheme, etc.
I would love to get a serious discussion going, touching on some of the things I brought up.
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I wouldn't say they're doomed from the start but their social network app and stuff seems pretty gimmicky to me. I definitely think that modular phones are in the future but they need to spend more time talking about the actual hardware and open sourcing drivers and stuff instead of their weird Instagram clone in my opinion. I'm still staying optimistic if they don't do it someone else will.
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Nice idea, but people here at xda would have a nightmare with such a thing, meaning rom development for every and each component combination.......

Lets ask ourselves, when would it be appropriate or papamount to upgrade a hardware component of any of our phones now? The reasoning now is more like, 'it would be cool if we could'. I cant think of any necessary reason now for needing to change harware unless it needs repair. I believe necessity should be a starting point for this whole concept. Necessity often drives truly good design.

I personally think that this would be good because of the fact that technology advances at such a rapid pace that being able to upgrade your components when a better version comes out would be good. Obviously there would be some compatibility issues between some parts that would be unavoidable. It would be more for the person who wants the high end device. Take me for example, I have the S4 and I love it but next year when the S5 comes out it wouldn't be the latest and greatest and I can't upgrade for two years. I could love a Moto X but I don't wanna pay the off contract price for it. So I think this is the only time it would be good and efficient, not a huge game changer but a slight game changer.
Also about the knock off or cheap parts, if they have the drivers and protocols open source than it shouldn't be to big of an issue, not anymore than buying a knock off replacement screen. Still something to look out for when buying modules.

I think that the idea from Phoneblocks or Ara are really good but I think that the project will prospere

Project Ara.
Being a modular design, brings complications, but with those complications comes new opportunities in the hardware section as well as the software side of the development.
The metric is quite valid and tangible, even more so today, wth the manufacturing techniques available, this idea actually makes far more sense than feeding the giant a steady diet of the same old thing.
You save money if all you require is a modified version of the RF section, you install that block.
The same goes for the remainder of the phone, easy upgrading, no downtime, and lower overall cost for the entire market, not to mention the lowering of landfill garbage from dumped devices that could not be upgraded.
The engineering end of this is wonderful, I wish it arrived years ago. A 'Lego-Phone' you build and upgrade as you need to, no more buying an aircraft carrier, when all you require is a shuttle.
We can finally drive the market, provide for ourselves, push manufacturers in the direction we need them to head, instead of driving us with their own thoughts on what is necessary.
I don't use much in the way of media, so anything more than 720P is of little use, but I do appreciate an HDMI-type format screen.
The RF section is far more important to my needs, and of course, a micro-SD card slot.
I prefer a sensitive front end, high dynamic range, and a superbly augmented IP3(third intercept point) as a basis for my receiver design.
I have grown tired of matchbox quality RF systems, and when in poor signal areas, or in a heavily wooded area with sparse cell tower penetration, i prefer my phone have the ability to connect with a site even if the RSSI indicates no signal, at least a data channel should be able to 'hear' a short text message for help if sent.
If the phone can't hear well, it can't talk well, either.
Most subscribers assume that cell signals are routed through the power lines*!*
I have had customers that actually said this...But this is the basis of my most desired and important 'want', a solid RF system, receiver and transmitter section that works!
High density areas have few problems with dropped calls, if the site loading is low, but in rural areas, loading is not an issue, it's accessibility, and sites spaced 10 miles apart, can actually have users drop calls even near by, due to dense foliage or hilly/mountainous terrain, even though the tower is within eyesight, you still drop a call. This is where fresnel zones come into play, and where a good RF section makes the difference.
If you think rain kills RF signals, see my pic I just snapped from my door, of the trees filled with heavy snow!
Poorly designed RF systems can't decode signals properly, the B.E.R suffers, causing message failures, call time-outs as well as just lousy QOS due to noise, echoing, raspy speech processing and a host of other problems.
The memory subsystems are important, as well as the GPU and video systems, but you can still make a call if the video drops, not so much if the RF section dies.
We all have our own desires, as well as what is most important to our needs, but overall, i do believe that project Ara is a great step in the right direction for a change....Where the customer drive the market, not the manufacturers!

Now I don't know if you were aware, but Google only owns Motorola's Research Lab. The actual company was purchased by Lenovo a few weeks ago.
Besides, I sort feel the same way, because, besides the hubbub, it doesn't seem like a very user friendly process in my mind. That's why I think it feels like nothing more than a research project with a couple of news reporters locked inside their facilities.
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Don't forget to hit thanks if I helped!

In the beginning, they will have to offer options in a controlled environment like one poster abive said. It will be similar to
1. CHOOSE YOUR PROCESSOR:
a. Good
b. Better
c. Best
Etc etc....
The first question probably will be "Choose Your Carrier". Then all of the module choices will be pre-screened to function together on that network.
Samsung Galaxy S4 "Fort Knox Edition"

Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
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PenguinStyle said:
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
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Just making sure it wasnt a misinterpretation but google did not create android, Android Inc founded by andy rubin(correct me if im wrong) http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...e-phones/a-complete-history-of-android-470327

PenguinStyle said:
Guys, believe in Google. They made a search engine wich is now the most used engine. They also made a very good browser, an operating system for mobiles, an online map wich has street view and many other good things. Why they couldn't make project ara?
Sent from my LG-P880 using xda app-developers app
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All those things you mention are software, that runs on high performance computers. What ARA requires is a total rethinking of the hardware and engineering of today's mobile phones.
Can any module be swapped for some other type of module? How do they interface? What bandwidth limitations do these interfaces introduce?
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SynGates said:
All those things you mention are software, that runs on high performance computers. What ARA requires is a total rethinking of the hardware and engineering of today's mobile phones.
Can any module be swapped for some other type of module? How do they interface? What bandwidth limitations do these interfaces introduce?
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Click to collapse
The ARA developers conference already answered most of this, so its possibility is not the question. Its availability and adaptability is the question. Will people flock to it or despise it?? Will it make people feel more in control?
If google can advertise this thing as something that gives people more power it will definitely catch on. Plus if Google is truly looking to start their own mobile network as rumoured, then they could start in that manner and make others envious to catch on.
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It's going to be a wait and see what happens on release thing I think. I don't personally don't think it's going to explode instantly onto the mobile scene but give it a year or two and hopefully it will start changing the game. With everything being open source it might pave the way for smaller companies to get into the handheld scene where they don't have the money or resources to develop full devices but can focus on just a single module. Much like the way of the custom pc market.

replicamask said:
It's going to be a wait and see what happens on release thing I think. I don't personally don't think it's going to explode instantly onto the mobile scene but give it a year or two and hopefully it will start changing the game. With everything being open source it might pave the way for smaller companies to get into the handheld scene where they don't have the money or resources to develop full devices but can focus on just a single module. Much like the way of the custom pc market.
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My sentiments exactly.

Koreans will really fight against this project. They won't be willing to loose the cellular market to Google. ARA has a lot of potential in developing countries, provided the prices for modules will be adequate. But yes, even with adequate pricetag such innovation will require a drastic change in marketing-infected minds of people.
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I hope it could work really well. I'd like to see the ability to transfer all the core modules from one endo 'frame' to another - SIM, WiFi, ROM, storage plus camera and perhaps CPU/RAM from a larger 'everyday' frame to a smaller 'night out' frame. I'd like an 'everyday' camera and a 'holiday' camera. I might carry a speaker module, but would swap it in against a torch module only for those occasions I'd need it. I'd carry spare battery modules and expect to see external chargers for them.

Didn't read the whole thread, but I'd say the whole "eco friendly" concept is BS from the beginning. People will start buying new components everytime they are out, thus generating MORE electric waste.

till22 said:
Didn't read the whole thread, but I'd say the whole "eco friendly" concept is BS from the beginning. People will start buying new components everytime they are out, thus generating MORE electric waste.
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This is possible and a good point. I think they could counter this by placing some inherent value on modules so you could trade them in for cash or credit towards other modules.
I think this will work much better than trading in phones since all modules should work for all ara phones.

What you all need to remember is that the microcomputer revolution didn't really become a mass market phenomenon until the IBM PC arrived with its open "Industry Standard Architecture". This allowed the rapid emergence of third party expansion cards and other "PC compatible" hardware, and "PC clones". Not only did this accelerate the pace of technology development it also pushed prices down significantly. If IBM had not made the PC architecture both expandable and open, general purpose computing would have remained an expensive and specialised tool available only to business and the very rich. Imagine the effect that wouls have had on the development of the worldwide web a decade later.
If you are of the generation who grew up uaing laptops you may not have realised that modular technology is cheaper and more flexible, and it means longer hardware lifecycles.