

Mobile phones are a bit silly really. We sign up to 24 month contracts to spread their wallet-emptying cost, promising our handset that we won't lust after any new smartphones to flirt the latest tech at us during our 2 year relationship. Then, after months of faithful service, we ditch them.
Motorola are hoping to change all that with Project Ara - a modular phone system in which consumers can simply upgrade or chop-and-change their handset as they like. Want a bigger camera? Bolt it on. More battery power? Add the relevant unit in a Lego-like fashion. Can't be doing with cameras but want a bigger processor? You got it.
The idea first gained popularity when Dave Hakkens started pushing out his Phonebloks concept - a build-your-own mobile revolution that would stop us wastefully ditching our tech after a year of abuse, thus helping save on tech waste and saving us cash. Motorola have been working on Project Ara for over a year, but have now partnered with Hakkens to present his million-strong community of backers with the customisable hardware they've been yearning for.
As Motorola explains on their blog, Project Ara has the potential "to do for hardware what the Android platform has done for software: create a vibrant third-party developer ecosystem, lower the barriers to entry, increase the pace of innovation, and substantially compress development timelines." That means more small tech groups competing to create better modular upgrades, further reducing costs and giving you the chance to upgrade your phone without needing to wait for your contract to expire. It'll also make replacing a broken component much, much easier.
Motorola will provide more details on Project Ara in the coming months. For an impassioned explanation on just how modular phones could change the smartphone world, check out the original Phonebloks video:
(Images: Motorola)
Get exclusive shortlists, celebrity interviews and the best deals on the products you care about, straight to your inbox.

As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.
-
The 10 greatest ambient albums of all time
Kick back, chill out, and let some of the best ambient albums ever take you on a sonic journey of discovery.
-
Coheed and Cambria vs Taking Back Sunday: New Jersey emo legends pick each other’s greatest tracks
From doing favours across the Atlantic to a decade under each other’s influence, Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara and Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez talk their enduring friendship.