Project Ara news from Google I/O 2015

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

At Google I/O 2015, Rafa Camargo, Technical and Engineering Lead, showed off a fully functioning Ara prototype at the end of the ATAP keynote.

Google’s lead system engineer demonstrated just how easy it’s to create an Ara phone. He assembled the smartphone, added 2 speakers, the AP module (the Application processor with Soc) and battery, before powering the device up. He turned it on and then added a camera module and took a picture of the audience!

Camargo did not provide new information about the development status of Ara but, probably, a market pilot test will begin in Puerto Rico later this year.

After two years and several Ara prototypes later, Paul Eremenko, head of Project Ara, will leave ATAP. Eremenko will be the founding CEO of the new Airbus Group innovation center in Silicon Valley.

