Today has been busy with Project Ara news. We have already heard about the updated specs of the new Spiral 2 prototype of Google’s Modular smartphone. If you missed them then in short, Spiral 2 comes with a 1280 x 720 display, a 5MP camera, WiFi and as you would expect swappable modules. Speaking of which, we also heard this morning of the way in which Ara expects modules to be managed, activated and installed once they are inserting into the device. This will happen from essentially the brain of the smartphone and in the form of the Ara Manager app. Well, moving on from those new pieces we are now starting to hear details on the ordering process of Ara.
It seems Ara will employ a build-it-yourself type of interface for ordering the modular smartphone. In any way, the process sounds, looks and feels like the Moto Maker, Motorola already use for their Moto brand. Once you log on to the Ara website you are essentially presented with your base smartphone. From here you will be able to choose the elements that make up your modular device. These include the outer shells, the modules themselves and even the endoskeleton. According to the reports, the website comes with a material Design feel and allows users to pinch the screen, zoom in on modules and click on them to see what is installed etc. Once your device is fully customized, the device is presented as a whole unit along with the price as is (including your added-in modules) and you can then finally checkout. So it seems the process of ordering a modular smartphone will be a much more lengthy one but also probably more fun too.
For those that don’t like the idea of having to customize or spend so long making their device their own, then the reports are also suggesting you will be able to simply order pre-built options using what is being dubbed the “simple phone maker”. This presumably will come with all the ‘as standard’ modules which you can later upgrade when you are ready. So what do you think of the Ara ordering process? Let us know.