TL;DR
- A user on TikTok has acquired three prototypes of Google’s cancelled modular Project Ara phone.
- The user has shared multiple clips and images of the device and its modules.
Google has worked on countless projects over the years. While some see the light of day, others aren’t so lucky. Take Project Ara, for example, an Android-powered modular phone with interchangeable parts. What could’ve been the first truly modular phone on the market ended up getting cancelled before it could launch. Although the company abandoned the device, there are still prototypes out there wandering around. In a blast from the past, a TikTok user has posted new videos and images of Ara prototypes they were able to get their hands on.
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A TikTok user who goes by “Racoondetectionsquad” has somehow managed to acquire three Project Ara prototypes (via 9to5Google). In a series of video clips and images, the TikTok user gives us a new look at the forgotten handset. Not only do we see the device from all angles, but we’re also shown the spec sheet and the various modules.
One video shows the device being turned on, allowing us to see the homescreen and app drawer. Another video demonstrates the process of removing the modules from the phone. It appears that the modules can be removed either physically with the help of a SIM card ejector tool or through the software by going to a page where you can press eject.
Project Ara was first publicly introduced in 2013, over a year after Google had started working on the project. The tech giant showed off the first prototype at Google I/O in 2014. However, the project was cancelled in 2016 to streamline the company’s hardware initiatives.
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