Phonebloks founder disappointed with Project Ara

Dave Hakkins, the founder of Phonebloks isn't happy with the latest Project Ara developments. He applauds Google for sticking with the project, but the latest iteration of the phone means that customers will still need to spend a lot of money every few years to upgrade their devices since the display and processor will be tied to the phone's skeleton. He also takes issue with that fact that Google has full control over Project Ara and can decide to change the connectors and skeleton of the phone at any time, making older modules obsolete.

 

[Myles Jarman]

They've probably put off a large portion of their potential customer base by doing what they have done. I avidly followed the project from conception to now, excited by the prospect of not having to buy a new phone but simply keep upgrading it, much like a computer. I even sparked interest in a few devout iPhone users after showing them the design, pre-I/O 2016 reveal. Now however, I'm saddened by the fact they have dropped one of the most appealing aspects of the phone. Don't get me wrong, I think it'll still be a great phone, but for those that knew what it was intended to be, I can't help but feel we will sit and think "what if..." and never truly enjoy the device.

 

[ArthurZakaryan]

Yeah the original concept and what was presented at IO were too different. I will still be watching and following the progress but it's a shame they had to strip away many of the features that made the initial concept so appealing.

 

[ErichW]

We haven't even hit v1 who's to say that after v1 they won't allow it to be even further customized such as processor, screen etc..