Are electropermanent magnets to blame for Project Ara’s delay?

August 19, 2015

Editorial Note: Talk Android may contain affiliate links on some articles. If you make a purchase through these links, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

project_ara_scattered_parts

The future of Project Ara is slightly unclear but at least we know it is not going away. Even after canceling the market pilot in Puerto Rico, Google's Advanced Technology & Projects (ATAP) group remains set on debuting the modular phone in the United States sometime in 2016. The delay to next year may have to do with the way Project Ara handles drop tests.

We are testing a signature experience to attach/detach modules. #ProjectAra #HopeYouLikeIt

— Project Ara (@ProjectAra) August 19, 2015

Project Ara uses electropermanent magnets in order to attach and detach modules; however, based on the tweets above, they are not capable of managing drops. What happens when a Project Ara phone is dropped? That hasn't been specified. Either the modules get severely damaged or they are knocked out of place completely. So now the team has to find a way for modules to be locked into place yet easily interchangeable.

Source: Project Ara (Twitter)

Justin Herrick Author

Born and raised in New Jersey, Justin is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University where he studied marketing with a focus on digital marketing. He's very talkative and enjoys discussing anything from technology and sports to video games and television. As for Justin's current device rotation, he carries around the Google Pixel and Nexus 9. In the rare case that his phone or tablet is not in his hand, he is either flicking through cards on his Moto 360 (2015) or typing away on the Microsoft Surface Book. Justin is patiently waiting for the day that Google replicates the Galaxy Nexus with modern day specifications.

1 comment

gopadge says:

August 19, 2015 at 5:06 PM

Idiots. Absolute idiots. Drops are INEVITABLE, they should have planned for this and tested MUCH sooner.

Reply