Google announces Spiral 2: the first smartphone modular trade
Spiral 2 is the first prototype of a modular smartphone in the world, coming in the second half of the year in Puerto Rico. Spiral 2 was officially announced Wednesday in the second Ara Project Developers Conference. It’s not the most beautiful smartphone on the market. It is clear, but somehow it is probably based on the concept that most captivated fans in recent years. It is modular smartphone, project born from startups Phonebloks and brought to reality by Google, after being acquired from Motorola.
The smartphone is composed of a series of modules, all interchangeable even when the device turned on. The hot-swap is also possible with the battery module, with Google that promises a range of up to 30 seconds of time to perform the operation. Spiral 2 is the second ” milestone ” in the development of the smartphone modular introduces support for 3G networks, and a store where users can purchase additional modules.
The prototype shown by Google is composed of a display module in resolution HD (720p) and a module for receiving the front, while eight modules are installed in the compartments on the back. Among these, we find a 5 megapixel camera and a battery that, like all other modules, can be inserted and removed through a system of electro-permanent magnets. In the prototype shown, according to report’s TheVerge, the modules slide inside without any magnetic support (which should be integrated on the structure).
The user can choose between two processors: Marvell PXA1928 and a more powerful NVIDIA Tegra K1. To date, the real Achilles heel of the device is still the battery life on a single charge: Paul Eremenko, head of division at the base of Ara, has already drawn up a few guidelines that the company has in mind for Spiral 3, including support to LTE networks, the availability of different modules 20/30 and an operating range of at least a full day.
Spiral 2 will be marketed in the second half of the year, initially only in Puerto Rico as an experiment. In this period, Google will work with the FCC on the project in order to receive the certification or change something about the first of a launch on a wider scale.
