Build your own smartphone as you like with Motorola's latest Project "ARA"

A new project from gadget maker Motorola is seeking to develop modular smartphones that feature interchangeable parts. Project Ara is an attempt to create a third-party developer community around hardware as it has done successfully with Android in the operating system segment.

The endeavor, called Project Ara, is described as an "open hardware platform" where developers create smartphones with parts users can easily swap out.

“Our goal is to drive a more thoughtful, expressive, and open relationship between users, developers, and their phones,” writes Paul Eremenko of the Motorola Advanced Technology and Projects group in a blog post. “To give you the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks, where and what it’s made of, how much it costs, and how long you’ll keep it."

Mr. Eremenko says the phone will have an unchanging endoskeleton or “endo” that would hold the various parts in place. However, beyond that, the phone is totally up to the consumer. Though still in the early development stages, from what can be seen on the blog post right now the back of the phone has nine removable modules, ranging from small squares to long rectangles, as well as a front display screen that can be replaced. 

The phones would consist of a frame, or endoskeleton, that holds a variety of modules ranging from a processor or display to a camera. So, for example, let's say you own this smartphone but want a better camera. Users would simply buy an upgraded camera module and replace the older version without getting a new phone.

Motorola will partner with the modular smartphone project Phonebloks to help design the devices. Developers' kits will be available starting this winter.