Samsung and HTC will not be the only companies present at the Mobile World Congress to showcase their smartphone offerings. Google, which is known for its ambitious projects, ranging from Project Loon to smart pills that can supposedly erase cancer traces from the body once ingested, Project Ara's modular smartphones are another one of the advertising giant's plans to change the mobile computing industry. It is expected that fifty modular components will be present at the event and while not all of them will be in working condition, there will be separate functional handsets at display in order to demonstrate their functionality to the surrounding audience.
It has also been reported that tech firm Toshiba will be partnering up with Gujarat chipmaker Einfochips in order to produce chips that will be powering up the modular smartphones. Toshiba's Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Shardul Kazi says:
"Chips for Google's revolutionary modular smartphones in project 'Ara' is provided by Tech giant Toshiba and its partner Gujarat-based Einfochips. Google is designing modular smartphones in which different modules can be assembled as one smartphone. Toshiba will make chips which can be used in modules and in the base plate, and will give idea on what kind of modules can be developed. On Ara, consumers can design their own Smartphone according to their demands or they can upgrade with new features which they want to set in modular phone."
The head also stated that there will be two different versions of the Project Ara smartphone; one will be named the Spiral One and the other will be named the Spiral Two. The Spiral Three is currently in the midst of being released. In addition, Kazi stated that both the Spiral Two and Spiral Three will be available for consumers to purchase, but did not disclose a starting price of the modular smartphones.
However, it has been known that the cost of the modules will range from $50 to $500, and as the price of that specific component goes up, so will its overall performance. In 2014, it was reported that Project Ara smartphones will be stamped with a starting price of $50.
