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City-based IT solutions provider eInfochips has entered into an association with technology giant Toshiba to jointly build and design Google's first ever modular -- customisable smartphone -- Spiral-3 for the masses.
Spiral-3 is a third edition of the modular mobile phone prototype under Project Ara being undertaken by Google. The mobile phone will provide the ease of modifying hardware parts as per the preferences of the consumers. The first modular phone for the masses is slated to be launched during 2015 and may be priced around $ 50 onward.
Ahmedabad-based eInfochips is at the final stage of developing a Starter Kit or Module Developer Kit for engineers and small companies that are engaged in IT and hardware solutions.
"These kits will be useful for module developers to design and develop modules for Spiral-3. So far several companies have shown interest for the Starter Kit, which would cost around $ 40. With the help of this kit, engineers would be able to develop innovative modules for Spiral-3," said Pratul Shroff, CEO and Founder, einfochips at a media briefing here.
On Google's Project Ara, Shardul Kazi, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Toshiba USA (TAEC) informed that it was aimed at providing cheap and customisable smartphones to the masses. "Modular smart phones would allow user to adopt different modules on a smart phone. These can be bio-censors for doctors, additional speakers for entertainment and modules for industrial use and consumer use too," said Kazi.
According to Kazi, in the emerging economies like India, China, Puerto Rico among others the need for customisable smart phones was higher. Different set of users required different modules on a smartphone. A concept phone named Spiral 2, was presented at the Project Ara Developers Conference in Puerto Rico recently.
The customisable smart phone will have basic configurations similar to every other smartphone. For additional hardware features or to upgrade the features, the magnetic plate-based modules will be required to be inserted.
"This will enable companies and individuals to design and innovative modules. This will be much similar to what emergence of mobile applications did for millions of software developers," said Kazi.
The smartphone will have Android platform and will come in three different sizes. The modules, categorized in three dimensions with 1x1 inch, 1x2 inch and 2x2 inches, will be certified by Google. The patent and IPR rights of the phone will remain with Google.
Already 20-30 large global corporations are working for different modules including camera, memory, display, speakers among others.
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