myTuner Radio brings thousands of radio stations to Windows and Windows Phone
Radio app myTuner Radio is now available for Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1. myTuner lets you listen to radio stations from around the world, with 30,000 stations from 120 countries available.
Bloc & Roc Galvanize headphones review
As a college student, I see a lot people who use earphones and headphones. Of those that use headphones, a good majority of them use Beats by Dr. Dre. This irritates me immensely, as it goes to show that most people these days will buy something because it’s a brand name they know and they “look cool” as opposed to doing research to look for the best product. Also, having been to Thailand and bringing back faux Beats headphones (cost me $20), most people don’t hear the difference between those and real Beats headphones. Bloc & Roc hopes to bring not only a great looking headphones, but headphones that sound great and are comfortable to wear and use, and are durable enough to last. Note: I reviewed the Galvanize S1 headphones, however the S2 are exactly the same except for the design on the outside of the earpieces.
Bloc & Roc Galvanize S1
Build Quality
The first thing that strikes you about the Galvanize S1 are their design. There is no loud branding, but just a sleek, minimalist design that I think is largely absent from headphones these days, and something that I appreciate greatly. The outside of the earpieces have a circular, almost spin metal, design that are premium looking, but still minimalist. The insides of the earpieces are padded with a comfortable protein leather that I could wear for long periods of time without getting the painful feeling on my ears that I normally get with other headphones I have used (and that has led me to usually use earphones instead). The padding on the top has a nice high-grade faux leather that is comfortable while wearing. They are light, but feel solidly built. Whether on my head or around my neck, I would hardly notice they were there except for when music was playing.
The headphones just feel premium and well made, as they should be. Each set of headphones are hand-built in Britain with all of the core materials coming from Britain. Here’s the process from their website:
The Galvanize series consists of two distinct designs; S1 and S2. Each speaker chamber has been crafted from a single piece of British 6082 aerospace-grade aluminium. Once machined, these are hand prepared and then anodised in either black, red, grey or plated in 24-carat gold. All models come with soft protein leather ear pads and the 24-carat gold Deluxe Editions also feature supple British-sourced lambskin leather headbands.
So each set you know have been examined closely by someone before being sent to the consumer. Much like how a Ferrari is built.
The case the headphones come in is really nice, and immediately makes you feel as though you’re dealing with a premium product. Along with the case is a canvas travel bag (below) that are just big enough to fit the headphones in to keep your headphones protected while being stowed in a bag.
The auxiliary cable (below) is covered in a fabric that keeps it tangle-free, which is a nice touch. It is also only plugged into the left earpiece, not only making it less likely for you to get tangled, but also makes it easy to differentiate between the left and right earpiece (though that is labeled on the inside of the band).
Performance
Bloc & Roc says that the 40mm dynamic drivers took over a year to develop, and boy does that show. I happened to have these while I was home for the holidays, and had my family all check these out. Each person that listened said they had a very pleasant experience, and not just heard but felt the music well. My uncle even said these were better than his Bose earphones!
My experience was much the same. I have found myself reaching for these headphones as opposed to my previous favorites even while not reviewing them. Whenever I’m listening to a song, I can clearly hear the highs, mids, and lows, and while the bass is present and felt, it is not over-bearing so that it takes over the sound, but rather complements it (another thing that irritates me about Beats-loving audiophiles).
Voices are crisp and clear, and I can hear them through any music and sound. While watching movie trailers and other non-music videos, I can hear the multi-directional sounds working well for as close to a “surround sound” experience you can get with headphones.
To be honest, there isn’t much to say about the sound performance of these headphones, but that’s a good thing. They work really well and they are a pleasure to use, and there has not been a time where I have felt disappointed because I didn’t hear something from these.
The only other thing to note is the in-line mic and button on the cord. I actually received a call before going to test it myself, and the person on the other end heard me clearly and well. The button also works, allowing you to pause your music and play it again without having to reach for your phone (this is on a 2013 Moto X using Google Play Music).
Price
One of the best parts about these headphones is its price. Most well-built, good sounding headphones that are durable and comfortable run over $250. On blocandroc.com, these will go for $180 (includes S2, but excludes the 24k gold headphones, which are $360). For the entire package, that’s a great deal. Considering you’re getting headphones that are hand-built Ferrari style, great sound, and will last awhile, this is one heck of a deal.
The post Bloc & Roc Galvanize headphones review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Virgin Mobile USA announces data sharing pre-paid plans exclusively through Wal-Mart January 17th
Shared data isn’t a new concept, it has been around for quite some time on multiple carriers from AT&T to Verizon. However, shared data plans have traditionally always been for post paid, or contracted, consumer accounts, not for pre-paid non-contract users. Today Virgin Mobile USA has announced that they are bringing that shared data option […]
The post Virgin Mobile USA announces data sharing pre-paid plans exclusively through Wal-Mart January 17th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week – Google Play Weekly
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Welcome back to Google Play Weekly! Here are your headlines for this week:
- Samsung has announced that Android apps will run on Tizen using OpenMobile ACL.
- New stats reveal that Google Play grew faster than the App Store and Amazon Appstore in 2014.
- Google Classroom is now available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
- An update to Google Maps finally allows for navigation sharing.
- Facebook at Work is now a thing that exists.
And now here are five Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week!
Google Translate
[Price: Free]
Google Translate got a huge update this last week. Included is a new word lens feature that lets you point your camera at something and have it translated in real time for you. The other big feature is instant voice translation where, much like word lens, translations happen on the fly. If you need translation, Google Translate proves again that it is king on Android.
AcDisplay
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
AcDisplay is a popular lock screen replacement app that recently updated to version 3.0. The new update brings support for Lollipop, a new Material Design inspired interface, and a host of bug fixes and performance improvements. It’s one of the better apps that emulates the Moto Active Display with the notifications and clean look. It’s free to try if you’re interested.
Google Now Launcher
[Price: Free]
Google Now Launcher was updated this last week. The update includes some Material Design elements to those running Android 4.1 through 4.4 and that includes animations, button changes, and other minor aesthetic changes. It’s not a huge update but those who want a more Lollipop style experience that don’t already run Lollipop should appreciate it. It’s rolling out right now.
Falcon Pro 3
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Falcon Pro 3 was released this last week. It improves on prior iterations of the app by including boat loads of Material Design, improved performance, easier navigation, and more. It is a brand new release and that means there are bugs so if you try it out, do keep that in mind. If you don’t want buggy software, give the developer a couple of weeks to fix up the problems and give it a try then.
Adobe Lightroom mobile
[Price: Free to download but requires Creative Cloud subscription]
Adobe released Adobe Lightroom mobile for Android and pretty much any major name-brand release from Adobe is good news. It has a pretty decent set of features including desktop syncing and considering it’s an early release, it works pretty well. The bad news is that you’ll need a Creative Cloud account once the trial expires and that sucks for those who bought the software.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps and games news, let us know in the comments!
Designers Envision Concepts for Apple Watch Apps Like Uber and Instagram [iOS Blog]
Digital agency Huge yesterday released a set of renderings showing off their concepts for how existing popular apps like Fandango, Foursquare, Chase Bank, and others could take advantage of the Apple Watch when the smartwatch launches in the coming months.
Breaking down the major new features of the Watch, including the Taptic Engine, Voice command, and the Digital Crown, Huge reminds readers that none of the renderings are based off any confirmed apps from the companies or Apple itself, but they do offer an interesting look at the possibilities.
Huge also smartly points out that the success or failure of apps on the platform lies in developers embracing its smaller-scale and not just shoehorning existing iOS user interfaces and features into the Watch but making something new and unique. Interaction between the Apple Watch and the iPhone will of course be key, however.
Features such as native voice control, haptic feedback, and a digital crown that can be used to magnify, scroll or zoom within apps crack open a whole new world of design requirements and opportunities. The smartest companies will do more than offer facsimiles of their existing apps; they’ll create custom experiences that exploit the watch’s unique interface.
Tackled first are “existing apps” that the company reimagines for the wearable platform, namely Uber. Pointing out Uber’s dependency on tracking a car, Huge thinks possible voice control, a quick messaging system between the user and driver, and easy peeks at real-time car tracking would push the app to be even more popular on the wrist.
On the banking side, the company takes a look at the possibilities for an app like Chase, thinking the transfer of money, checking balances, and alerts for bills due and deposits made could provide even more ease-of-mind for customers banking on the go.
On the more social side, Huge mocks up an idea for movie-going app Fandango consisting of electronic ticketing, alerts for movie times, and, of course, theater time listings for movies nearby.
Perhaps most questionable, but also one of the most interesting, are Huge’s ideas for Instagram on the Apple Watch. Though most users probably wouldn’t mind taking out their iPhone to check the service, Huge envisions the Watch version of the app as more of a companion piece: alerting users to photo comments, tags, and likes, with possible photo browsing relegated to the digital crown. The company also points out the significant gain any news outlet, like The New York Times, could receive from having alerts and breaking news sent right to their readers’ wrists.
Next, the company looks at “new use cases” the Apple Watch will enable, thanks to the release of WatchKit to developers a few months ago. Though iBeacons have been the source of some questionable developments about the possibility of location-based advertisements hitting the Apple Watch, Huge points to a few clever alternatives, like the watch notifying a user passing a grocery store that they have milk or bread on their shopping list, for example. More broadly, Huge envisions a native to-do list app in the vein of Apple’s Reminders but which could easily best its iPhone counterpart due to its easier-to-access location on the Watch.
The Apple Watch launch is rapidly approaching, although a rumored March release date has yet to be confirmed by Apple. Apple has promised it will share more information on the Watch as its launch nears, and third-party developers have been hard at work on their Apple Watch projects for some time now. But for the time being, readers can see the possibilities outlined above, as well as others including a kitchen assistant, haptic feedback-fueled navigation, and a sports-focused news app, in Huge’s feature published at Fast Company.
Facebook, people, and arguing: my social network experiment
I refuse to “unfriend” people on Facebook.
Well, okay, that’s kind of false. I will unfriend you if we’re not actual, real life friends, and I eventually forget how we knew each other. But that’s not the point. The point is that my Facebook friends list is made up of people I know, or knew, in real life. They may not be people I speak to every day, or people I see in person with frequency, but they are or were a tangible part of my life: part of what makes me me. To put that more eloquently:
“I see it as my network: a digital representation of my network. An archive of the people I’ve encountered and come across. If I want to understand my story, my history, all of the ways that I’ve come about, this is one of those vehicles. It’s almost like this weird digital therapy space where you can get to the heart of where you are via the people you’ve interacted with.”
That’s WNYC contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin in a December episode of the radio show/podcast “New Tech City“. I fully agree with that sentiment: for me, Facebook is the one bastion of personal space left online. I’m only friends with people I actually know (unlike Twitter — shoutout to my man Mike Isaac for the hilarious tweets despite us never having met).
I’ve carefully curated my Facebook friends list (431 strong) from real life: It’s a virtual directory of my actual life since sophomore year of college (2006!). That is intentional. I’ve lived in a variety of places, worked a variety of different jobs, and gone to several different schools, so it’s a pretty broad mix of people. I lived in Barcelona for a year in college, so there are a handful of folks who live in and around Barcelona. I lived in Philadelphia and attended Temple University, so there are a few dozen folks from Philly and many of them attended school with me. I grew up in Connecticut and worked in a Tower Records for several years, etc. You get the idea.
Most of the time, at worst, Facebook is boring — a time-wasting dalliance of “I’m eating this fancy thing!” or “look at my baby!” or “Which Sex & the City character are you?” (I’m such a Samantha). The occasional friend I haven’t seen in 10 years might post a link to the National Report with accidental outrage, or maybe someone gets heated about guns; nothing that elicits anything beyond an eye roll.
Sometimes I add a comment, maybe even argue a bit. But always — always — it’s a discussion. These are real life friends after all.
2014 changed Facebook dramatically for me.
In early August, when an 18-year-old black man named Michael Brown was shot dead by a 28-year-old white policeman named Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, months of protest ensued. While the majority of the protests were non-violent, some involved looting.
This drove a wedge into my normal feed, as was assuredly the case with many other Facebook users. Instead of occasionally posting something I disagreed with, friends were suddenly posting things I found outright concerning. People I know to be not jerks — people who have shaped my life and the person I am — were saying all variety of ignorant nonsense. Not just any kind of ignorant nonsense, but the kind of base level, overtly racist junk that makes you ask what century you live in. Were these the same people I knew in real life?
I had a decision to make: whether to cut folks from my Facebook feed solely because I disagreed with them, or to engage folks I consider friends on contentious topics.
Given my stance on Facebook — of curating a list of people I know in real life — I felt obligated to respond. These are people I respect, who respect me. Perhaps more importantly, I don’t want to surround myself with an echo chamber. Studies have repeatedly shown that people who surround themselves with other people who share similar political views will become galvanized in those views (read: less likely to consider other points of view).
As the abstract of a 2006 study on political polarization puts it (the emphasis is mine):
“This essay reports the results of a kind of Deliberation Day, involving sixty-three citizens in Colorado. Groups from Boulder, a predominantly liberal city, met and discussed global warming, affirmative action, and civil unions for same-sex couples; groups from Colorado Springs, a predominately conservative city, met to discuss the same issues. The major effect of deliberation was to make group members more extreme than they were when they started to talk. Liberals became more liberal on all three issues; conservatives became more conservative. As a result, the division between the citizens of Boulder and the citizens of Colorado Springs were significantly increased as a result of intragroup deliberation. Deliberation also increased consensus, and dampened diversity, within the groups.”
I’m happy to report that the results have been largely positive. The vast majority of Facebook discussions I have which involve “contentious topics” (read: equality, racism, gun rights, abortion, etc.) turn out well — or at least amicably — with both people having learned something.
But few people take this approach. Facebook provides two different options for making your news feed experience more comfortable. These tools aren’t a bad idea, but they’re easily used (by accident, I’d guess) to virtually isolate yourself from different perspectives.
The first option is “I don’t want to see this,” which limits the number of posts you see from the user in question; the second is “Unfollow,” which is reserved for people you’re friends with (rather than, say, publications you follow). You remain Facebook friends, which removes any potential impact from a real life friend thinking you’ve unfriended them, but you stop seeing their posts in your news feed. It’s one step below the nuclear option (unfriending). Both options are just two clicks away.
I asked my Twitter followers (which pushes to my Facebook feed) how they handle “inflammatory stuff from real life friends” on social media. Of the twenty or so responses I received between Twitter and Facebook, less than a quarter said they engage friends when they find statements offensive or wrong in some way. Most answered like this (warning that the example status below the response text is racist / awful):
This was December 3rd, 2014, just over one week after the announcement that a Missouri grand jury chose not to indict Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown; The New York Times reported that “hundreds” were protesting outside the Ferguson Police Department that night. December 3rd was also the day that a grand jury in Staten Island, New York chose not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, a 29-year-old white man, in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed 43-year-old black man.
In other words, it was peak timing for engaging with friends and discussing societal issues we often eschew in conversation — especially social media conversation — in favor of discussions about Kim Kardashian’s provocative magazine cover, or John Travolta’s hilarious mispronunciation of Idina Menzel’s name. Sadly, though understandable, many folks instead used Facebook’s built in tools to make their online lives a bit more digestible.
So, where am I going with all of this? Nowhere in particular — there’s no grand point — I’m just fascinated to hear how you handle these issues. Maybe I’m unique in how I use Facebook, but I doubt it! I’ve set up a poll to get a better idea of how you folks deal with similar issues, and I’d love to talk about it in the comments (or on Twitter, of course). Consider this one of those rare times that I’ll end a piece with, “Head into the comments below and tell us what you think!” At least it’s for a good reason!
How do you respond to inflammatory/offensive content from friends on social media?
Unfriend/unfollow/block/muteEngage in conversationTry to ignore itMessage that friend privatelyTalk about it in personOtherVote
Cyanogenmod 12 nightly builds now including the CM Theme Engine
One of the coolest features that Cyanogenmod offers is a fully fleshed out theme engine built directly into the OS for your Android device. There are tons of available themes on the Play Store and the internet that can completely change the look of your phone on the fly, and it’s one of the biggest things that’s been missing from Cyanogenmod 12.
Fortunately, looks like most of the hard work is over, as CM 12 nightly builds now have the theme engine baked in. The drawback here is that many, but not all, older themes have issues running on the newer theme engine, and some of them don’t actually work at all. As it stands, a theme won’t be able to have cross-compatibility between CM 11 and CM 12, so it’s going to be one or the other. T-Mobile’s older theme engine support is completely gone as well.
The theme engine should make its way into the next stable build of Cyanogenmod, but if you flash nightlies, you can go ahead and get a taste of applying some themes to your Lollipop device.
source: Clark Scheff
Come comment on this article: Cyanogenmod 12 nightly builds now including the CM Theme Engine
How to instantly purchase an iTunes gift card using Siri
Siri is useful for all kinds of things, including quickly sending an iTunes gift card. Wait, what? You didn’t know that? Well, neither did I, not until this week! Whether you forget that birthday or just want to give a random gift of kindness, Siri can help you do it quickly and easily. All you have to do is ask!
How to send an iTunes gift card using Siri
- Press and hold your Home button to launch Siri.
- Say something like “I want to purchase an iTunes gift card.”
- Siri will automatically launch iTunes and bring up the iTunes gift card option.
- Fill out the required information, select an amount, and tap Next in the top right corner.
- Select the gift card theme you want to use and tap Next again.
- Confirm everything looks okay and tap Buy in the upper right hand corner.
- Enter any iTunes account info to finish the purchase and you’re done!
How to instantly purchase an iTunes gift card using Siri
Siri is useful for all kinds of things, including quickly sending an iTunes gift card. Wait, what? You didn’t know that? Well, neither did I, not until this week! Whether you forget that birthday or just want to give a random gift of kindness, Siri can help you do it quickly and easily. All you have to do is ask!
How to send an iTunes gift card using Siri
- Press and hold your Home button to launch Siri.
- Say something like “I want to purchase an iTunes gift card.”
- Siri will automatically launch iTunes and bring up the iTunes gift card option.
- Fill out the required information, select an amount, and tap Next in the top right corner.
- Select the gift card theme you want to use and tap Next again.
- Confirm everything looks okay and tap Buy in the upper right hand corner.
- Enter any iTunes account info to finish the purchase and you’re done!
Project Ara: Can it find success, or is it just too ambitious?
Earlier this week Google held its latest Ara developer conference, showing off the new module development kit, the new spiral 2 hardware and they even revealed their initial plans for a pilot program in Puerto Rico sometime later this year. Despite how ambitious Project Ara is, it is clear that Google is pushing forward with the idea and is almost ready for a commercial rollout. With this in mind, for this week’s Friday Debate we ask do you think that that modular phones can find success in the market? If not, what will hold it back?
As is our recent custom, we start out the Friday Debate by hearing from our community, followed by members of Team AA and finally we’ll give our readers the opportunity to voice their opinion in the comments section. For those interested, our Friday Debate podcast will also be coming down the pipe a little later today — so stay tuned to AA for that.
Shawny
When google announced Project Ara, I was excited. The idea of constructing a phone to your preference is crazy and something that could be leading the market in the future I think. Why? If you think about it, looking back at all the phones created last year, a lot of them left consumer’s wanting something more or occasionally, less. Take the HTC One m8; amazing build, good specs, sense 6 and so on, there was just one problem, the duo 4 ultrapixel cameras left many questioning whether that would be the right phone. This is how Ara would be able to resolve such a misfit, changing the camera or just the specs of the phone means that consumer’s can’t complain about a missing feature.
I’m not sure if this is true, but I’ve heard that the body for the Ara phone is around $50, I’m not certain about the price, but that’s brilliant (assuming the parts aren’t expensive). It’s a very reasonable price if it all adds to just around $100 in a developing market. With the current state of technology at hand and the target for all markets, it may seem like Ara is ready to enter its era. Now we’ll just have to wait for the response from Puerto Rico.
Mewtwo
While yeah, it’s a great idea in concept, it wouldn’t work in real life.
First of all, you need to have parts to actually pick from, so you’ll need to have manufacturers making parts for the phone. You’ll (presumably) be swapping parts in and out often. This will probably wear down the connecting mechanisms over time or screw up something if you put something in the wrong slot. And in the long-term, how will it stand up? My DS Lite has the stylus holder becoming loose, will it be a similar situation for the phone? Will parts fall off easily? Will they stay too stuck and be very hard to swap parts in and out? And again, support. Who’s going to manufacture the parts and will they support or just push out one update and abandon it? And how about compatibility? If one module won’t work with the other, that could be a problem. And will it be future proof? If it’s native resolution is 1080p, can it handle a 2.5K screen? A 20 MP camera?
While it is nice to have such a cool concept, I don’t think it’s ready for mass-production. Google will probably keep it like Google Glass, like an alpha of a product.
What Team AA has to say
Now that you’ve had a look at what community member Jayfeather had to say, it’s time for Team AA to weigh in:
Gary Sims
Whether Project Ara is a success or not depends on how we measure success! If we look at Google Glass then I think we can call it a success and a failure. It was a success because it explored new ideas, not only in terms of technology, but also socially. I think it taught us that we don’t want people wearing gadgets that can record everything we do and say. Since Google is taking it back to the drawing board then it was a failure, as it didn’t work over the long run.So for Project Ara we need to define what we mean by success. I would like to propose three criteria. First, will it change user’s expectations about their mobile devices? Second, will it still be available in three to five years time? Third, will it make any money?
If Project Ara succeeds in any two of these criteria then I think we can call the project a success. But let’s look at those criteria in detail.
Will it change the user’s expectations? This is important, not only for mobile devices, but also for all areas of technology. Because all technology is ultimately driven by revenue there are levels of compatibility and interoperability that we don’t reach.
What Project Ara shows us is that you can have technology from one vendor that works in co-operation with another. The consumer becomes the decision maker. As Neo put it, “Choice, the problem is choice.”
A phrase that a friend of mine and I used to say often was, “the computer won’t let me.” It was an epitaph to the freedoms we have lost with technology. Don’t get me wrong, technology has given us much, but we have also lost some things.
Moving swiftly on… Will project Ara be available in three to five years time? Or in other words, will it fail to gain momentum and like Google Glass be called a good experiment and cancelled. I hope not. I think there is enough about Ara that will make it attractive to a certain category of people. I think the concept is interesting enough that it will gain a sizable following, but the key will be price. At the end of the day if I can have a phone which is completely non-customizable, but it costs half the price of a customizable one, then a lot of people will save the money and go with a “standard” device. If it is going to cost me $1000 to buy all the modules and build an Ara phone, then forget it. But if Google can make it happen in the $300 to $500 range, depending on what modules I want, then it will work.
And that leads me to the final criteria. Money. Will it make money? Not only for Google, but also for the module makers. It doesn’t need to make billions, it just needs to make a profit for Google and for the module makers. I think that is possible. And if I am right then a whole new industry will be created!
Robert Triggs
I’d be pleasantly surprised if Project Ara ever makes it into the mainstream, but I can’t see the average consumer mulling over which camera module or processing package they would prefer. However, there is a strong, albeit smaller market of smartphone and gadget enthusiasts that I’m sure will jump at the opportunity to customize their own hardware, myself included.
Early module options and the skeletal frame are looking good and I think it’s about time the hardware made its way into the hands of a small number of consumers. If nothing else, simply to test the waters, check for early issues, and stir up a little interest from developers who can flesh the product out with additional modules and software which Ara’s engineers may not have thought of. Third party support is going to be key, so I think it’s time to engage with the market.
Of course, pricing is going to be the decisive factor. If modules are reasonably priced and a basic unit can be put together for cheap, then Ara could end up as a viable alternative to the budget smartphone. The option to upgrade to a better camera or display in the future is much better than knowing you’ll have to throw your whole phone out for a new one in a couple of
I’m eager to try it out, but I’m certainly not expecting Ara to replace traditional smartphones. That said, there’s certainly potential for success here.
Eric McBride
Project Ara is an extremely interesting concept that in my eyes could go 3 ways: 1. It will be a complete and utter flop…2. It will revolutionize the smartphone game as we know it…3. It will exist, be interesting, but won’t appeal to the mainstream. I’ll quickly break down each reason and how I feel about it.
Scenario 1: Complete and utter flop, and the second most likely scenario. This could happen for a number of reasons, including: If the design looks too nerdy and complicated, if manufacturers don’t take developing interchangeable modules for it seriously, if it’s fantastic and smartphone OEMs cry foul, if the modules or “frame” are too expensive, if the software isn’t updated in a timely enough fashion to play nice with new modules (buggy with tons of crashes), and if it’s not marketed in a VERY clever fashion. Those are just a few reasons why this thing could simply crash and burn when it arrives. While the concept is fantastic, remember that the majority of people would still opt to buy a new PC instead of simply upgrading the components. While updating components for Ara would (hopefully) be a lot simpler than that, consumer minds will really have to be tailored to getting used to the concept.
Scenario 2: It will revolutionize the smartphone game. Third most likely scenario. Highly unlikely at THIS point in time, but the potential is there depending on how well it works, pricing, how the end product looks, how easy it is to use for non tech savy consumers, and how seriously module makers take creating components for it. Let’s just say that they nail the design, the price point is right, and component makers are feeling it. If all of these things would happen, and if it would be marketed in a way to where consumers see the benefits of it, how could it NOT change the industry completely? A phone that you could custom build and upgrade on a whim, while possibly even swapping out components with friends, which is even bundled into a sexy looking device that could in essence kill the concept of buying a new phone every two years? Every OEM and their mother would build their own frame and components for it if that happened, with an entirely new consumer category/base being created in the process. Depending on the quality of modules, health organizations, athletes, engineers and so many other professionals could find uses for this device. The possibilities on paper are mind boggling.
Scenario 3: It will exist but won’t appeal to the mainstream. This is probably (sadly) the most realistic scenario. The device will come out, component makers will think “meh” and develop some decent modules for it, it will be priced in a way that won’t be realistic enough to turn mainstream consumers towards buying it, and it won’t be marketed in a way to see the true benefits of it’s amazing potential (I’m looking at you Microsoft Surface Pro). Because of that, it won’t be taken seriously enough to get the massive amounts of attention it would need on a software level to run smoothly, which will result in very buggy versions of it being released, which would turn people away from it immediately. It would also have to be priced in a way that makes sense for a consumer, and bundled in a very sexy design. Those 2 things don’t often go together, and with a concept this huge, I don’t see anyone taking it seriously enough to get it right anytime soon.
Maybe it’s too ahead of its time, but I simply can’t see it being a hit, as its success depends on way too many factors that I don’t trust anyone to take it seriously enough. OEMs nowadays don’t even update their flagships regularly. Could you imagine how lazy they would be with a device like this?
This device is booming with potential, and I for one will buy one. But unless some company takes it more serious than they have ever taken any previous smartphone they have ever released (it will need that attention), or unless a new company enters the market that makes Ara its main focus, then this will remain something for tech enthusiasts only. It’s sad and I hate to admit it, but that’s how I see this playing out.
Matthew Benson
Project Ara is quite possibly the most interesting thing to hit smartphones since…well perhaps ever. For everyone who has ever complained about their device being “almost perfect” to those seeking to modify and modernize, it’s like a dream come true. I’m actually somewhat confused how people could not like Ara, if only for the fact that it can be anything and everything to anyone and everyone.
At the most basic conceptual level, I can easily see kids in schools trading the parts like they might cards, toys, or other items. Especially if the parts are indeed cheap and come in a variety of different shapes and colors, it makes even more sense. Likewise, I can see others swapping parts and pieces on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps one day, someone needs to take some high resolution photos and needs a large camera module. Then the next they don’t need any camera whatsoever and simply remove the part and apply something else instead.
That’s what makes Ara so exciting: you can seemingly customize it as you please. Instead of OEMs dictating what you want, much like carriers do with software or firmware, you can have total control over your digital device. Think of the battery saving element alone if you could suddenly swap out the (possible) Snapdragon 810 CPU and replace it with a 400 simply because you don’t need to have such power and performance. Or what about for those who don’t have the money up front to buy a premium product and need something now, but want to buy one later on: why bother purchasing an all-new device entirely when you can just swap a few pieces?
Perhaps my interest in Ara is a result of growing up with Legos and various toys and action figures that had swappable parts. The idea just seems perfectly natural, and everything I’ve seen so far, in terms of the look and feel of the hardware itself, just reinforces my optimism. While I hardly think Ara will be anything other than a novelty item or fad in the grand scheme of things, it allows for so much more than a final fabricated piece of circuit board could ever do, and in a way that makes it immediately accessible to the masses, unlike say, modifying a PC.
Now it’s your turn
You’ve heard from our community and Team AA, now it’s your turn. What OEM handsets are you most looking forward to? What other kind of Android-related devices are you hoping to see this year? Tell us what you think in the comments!
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