Google’s Ara Got Delayed Because It Kept Breaking

For a while it seemed that Google’s Project Ara will be the next big thing in smartphones. With its removable components and no limits set on ambitions, it had the potential to be the phone that would have fit everyone’s need.

That dream came to a pragmatic halt earlier this year when Google announced that the project has been delayed indefinitely into 2016. It seemed that Google had too high hopes for its own good.

But now we know why. The reason, while it might seem miniscule and even absurd is totally understandable: the constant breaking of the phone.

“No more electropermanent magnets”, the tweet said on the official page yesterday, followed by the hashtag #FailedTheDropTest. Another tweet said “We are testing a signature experience to attach/detach modules” later on. In other words, the prototypes aren’t tight enough to survive the ruthless drop tests found on YouTube Dailymotion.

The issue is understandable since the different components of the Ara smartphone are magnetically attached to a single exoskeleton. It is literally a sum of its (much) smaller parts. Hence, it is not a option for the phone to fall on the road and you to lose your camera.

We are awaiting more clarification on that second tweet, however. More details should be coming on it soon.

The Ara provides a radical take on the modern smartphone. It is easily the most customizable phone ever, thanks to its swappable hardware components. Google is also targeting an early $50 price-point for it, which will make it even more accessible for people, with the ability to upgrade later.