Google’s modular mobile phone Ara is progressing nicely and they have recently released an update video that features the working prototype. Join Phonebloks Dave Hakkens as he ventures into the labs to see the latest developments and talk to the people making it all happen.

Presented for your viewing pleasure is the progress report by an insider, a peak into the labs for a progress report on the smartphone of the future. Sit back, relax and prepare to see the not too distant future.

Phonebloks are credited by many as the originators of the idea of a modular upgradable phone, Google were thinking of similar concepts themselves so they joined forces and Project Ara was born. The concept has now progressed out of Google’s ATAP black project lab and is now in the hands of NK Labs.

Dave visits the NK Labs who are helping to bring the product life, refining the prototype into a more production ready design. The Spiral 1 backbone circuitry that networks and controls all of the modules has been upgraded into a single IC by Toshiba; now called Spiral 2. This will drastically reduce the circuit board real estate used to run the modularity. The new production prototype that uses the Spiral 2 IC will be shown at the coming developer’s conference January 14, 2015.

2015 is shaping up be a very interesting year for technology, Ara phones aren’t just a different approach to building your own phone but the technology behind Ara is a technological tour de force.

Reference: Phonebloks