TORONTO – Google has delayed the release of its modular smartphone until next year.
Known under the codename Project Ara, the smartphone was slated for release in Puerto Rico later this year. However, in a series of tweets sent on Monday, Google revealed the smartphone would be delayed until 2016.
“Why? Lots of iterations… more than we thought,” read a tweet sent from the Project Ara Twitter account.
The company has not elaborated any further on why the project is being delayed.
The idea behind Project Ara is to create smartphones with individual components – from the processor, display unit, or the camera – that can be swapped out at any time to create a customizable device.
READ MORE: Google unveils ‘Project Ara’ modular smartphone prototype
The device starts with an “endoskeleton” – the structural frame of the device. The user can then add modules to the endoskeleton to build out the phone’s functionality and features.
Modules have removable shells that allow the user to create custom designs on the body of the phone.
The goal is to keep the phones low-cost in order to target users in emerging markets.
Google originally planned to launch the device in Puerto Rico, thanks to its high mobile Internet usage rates. The company has also said it is exploring a few locations in the U.S. to launch the phone – however, it hasn’t provided any additional details.
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