We know some of you were disappointed when Google finally announced that they were letting the modular dream of the Project ARA smartphone go. It feels like that has been a long time since, and no one has taken up the mantle to continue the fight for modular phones even though Google has opened up the technology they have for licensing. But just yesterday, the developer prototype of the ARA phone surfaced, and we now have a good idea of the specs.
You remember that prototype Rafa Camargo – then lead engineer for Google’s Project ARA – was waving around at the 2016 Google I/O Conference? Well, the guys at Phandroid seem to have gotten their hands on it (or one exactly like it), and now they’re able to tell us what the specs are and how the feel of the device is. They’re saying that we can expect an in-depth Q&A article soon, but for now, we’re getting the specs.
Project ARA (model A8A01) specs:
Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994)
RAM – 3GB
Storage – 32GB internal
Display – 5.46-inch, 1080 x 1920 (403 dpi), TFT-LCD OTM1906C
Rear camera – 2.1 MP (16:9 aspect ratio), fixed-focus lens, 1080p video capture
Front camera – 5.0 MP (4:3 aspect ratio), fixed focus lens, 1080p video capture
Battery – 3,450 mAh
Dimensions – 152 x 74 x 12.5 mm (without camera module)
Weight – 190 grams (approximate)
Connectivity – WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), NFC
Sensors – GPS, barrometer, light, gyroscope, proximity, accelerometer, magnometer, pressure, gravity
Ports – 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C
Audio – Front-facing mono speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual microphone
Buttons – Power, volume rocker, module release
OS – Android 7.0 (NMR1), API Level 24, Security Patch 2016-08-05
As you can see, the specs don’t read any different than any 2015 flagship, except that it’s running Android 7.0 Nougat. But Phandroid does intimate to us that this prototype is “60% thicker than most 2016 flagships.” We would assume that the market-ready product would have been thinner than this, but as per Phandroid, the prototype “feels like a brick in your hand.” We’ll watch this space and see what new info we can get on the prototype.
SOURCE: Phandroid
