New Smartphone with Interchangeable Parts

This sounds pretty intersting:

A new project from gadget maker Motorola is seeking to develop modular smartphones that feature interchangeable parts.

The endeavor, called Project Ara, is described as an “open hardware platform” where developers create smartphones with parts users can easily swap out.

Paul Eremenko, a member of Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group, says the goal of the project is to give users “the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks, where and what it’s made of, how much it costs, and how long you’ll keep it.”

The phones would consist of a frame, or endoskeleton, that holds a variety of modules ranging from a processor or display to a camera. So, for example, let’s say you own this smartphone but want a better camera. Users would simply buy an upgraded camera module and replace the older version without getting a new phone.

Motorola will partner with the modular smartphone project Phonebloks to help design the devices. Developers’ kits will be available starting this winter.

Souce: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/10/29/motorola-project-ara/3296887/

New Smartphone with Interchangeable Parts