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(at least in Android) existing phone selection gives a pretty wide range of possibilities No, it doesn't. None of the following exist with an up-to-date versio
by Zak 13y ago
(at least in Android) existing phone selection gives a pretty wide range of possibilities
No, it doesn't. None of the following exist with an up-to-date version of Android (at least 4.3) and medium to high specs (comparable to a Moto X or better):
* A slider form-factor with a physical keyboard. I have one friend who keeps buying old phones to have that, and another who kept her Droid 4 until it broke despite the option of a free upgrade.
* Something roughly iPhone-sized; the Moto X and Sony Z1 Compact are small by Android flagship standards, but considerably wider than iPhones and hard for anyone with hands smaller than the average American male to use one-handed.
* A ruggedized design. I don't mean simply dust and waterproof like recent models from Samsung and Sony, but capable of withstanding significant abuse. Some cases partly compensate, but what I'm thinking of would probably require a thick layer of tempered glass over the screen and a digitizer intended to compensate for the reduction in sensitivity.
I know people who would buy each of these. I'm almost certain that a smartphone manufacturer outside of the top 3 that did a good job making any one of these three options would increase its profits significantly.
- nwienert 13y agoI don't think a modular phone factor like shown here solves any of those problems though... * A sliding keyboard requires pretty intense engineering within the body * It seems ara is targeting very large and very small sizes, but not something like an iPhone. Even if it does, it doesn't solve the "I want a phone thats size X", it still limits your choice of size. Further, I wouldn't call this[0] "considerably wider". * These phones are guaranteed to be much more fragile than current phones, that's a tradeoff of modularity. So really, though I understand your desire, in the context of Project Ara all of these requirements are met better by current available smartphones. [0] http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Sony-Xperia-Z1-Compact,Apple-iPhone-5s/phones/8283,7710 http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Sony-Xperia-Z1-Compact...
- Zak 13y agoI don't think a modular phone factor like shown here solves any of those problems though It may not, though I'd be surprised if nobody hacks together a sliding keyboard for this thing. It'll probably be bulky. The fragility issue can be solved by putting a good case over the whole thing. Assuming the overall platform works out to a limited number of sizes, I'd likely offer to sell cases made of various fiber-reinforced polymers[0] with cutouts in user-specified locations. The Sony Z1 Compact is approximately the size of a Moto X despite having a smaller screen. I think the waterproofing adds some bulk. The Moto G also has a 4.3" screen and is so close to the Moto X in dimensions that it fits comfortably in a case molded around a Moto X, though some cutouts don't align correctly. All of these are a bit too wide for me to use comfortably one-handed, while the iPhone is not. I don't expect modular phones to address that problem effectively, but I wanted to point it out as a segment the current market does not address at all. Based on totally non-scientific anecdotes I've collected by talking to people online, it's the largest of the three segments I mentioned. [0]http://i.imgur.com/wcLcKqG.jpg http://i.imgur.com/wcLcKqG.jpg
- Alphasite_ 13y agoHow would cases work for a modular design? It might be okay for small modules, but the moment it gets bulky, the phones entire profiles changed, and any normal cases are out.
- Zak 13y agoIn the photographs shown, no module other than the extended camera lens sticks out very much. A case that's roughly a rectangular prism, open on one side will be able to enclose many possible configurations.