Project Ara and what could Microsoft do about it

[startrunner]

Project Ara, previously known as PhoneBlocks is now in late development stages and is a great implementation of a concept that was around ever since mobile devices exist. Building your own smartphone. Unfortunately, the original creator(s) are now working with Google and PA will probably only support Android so I think it would be a serious threat to Windows phone unless Microsoft does something about it. What do you guys think about Project Ara? Would you jump ship? What could Microsoft do about it?

I hate Android so I wouldn't switch. One possible solution is Microsoft allowing users to flash Windows Phone to existing Android devices, including Ara. This could happen with the help of CyanogenMod's creators who Mr. Nadella met last year. Maybe he was up to something? Letting users flash WIndows on other devices would help the ecosystem a lot. It wouldn't be a great user experience but we are going to have more users, recognition, developers and apps. Those of us with first-party Windows phones could only benefit from it.

 

[jmshub]

I could be short sighted, but I cannot see Project Ara seriously changing the mobile phone landscape. A phone that snaps together won't be as thin, light, or reliable as a manufactured smartphone, and thin, light, and reliable are some of the biggest markers for smartphone purchasers. And I think that the explosive technological growth of smartphones has slowed, so there is less incentive to have this SoC compared to the previous edition.

 

[Visa Declined]

A phone that snaps together won't be as thin

The writer at The Verge said that the latest Ara phone is a tad thicker than an iPhone 5s. So it's pretty thin already.

 

[theefman]

Think the over 80% android marketshare is more of a threat to WP.....