Google's modular smartphone due to launch this year

At a conference in Mountain View, Google presented the Spiral 2, the latest modular smartphone prototype from the company's Project Ara. The first production model could go on sale in the second half of 2015 in one or more test markets.

Built by the American manufacturer NK Labs, the Spiral 2 consists of several interchangeable modules, each corresponding with a different feature or component: a processor, a memory drive, a camera, a speaker, a 3G module, etc. Each of these elements, starting with the screen, can easily be removed and replaced in case of a technical failure, breakage or desire to upgrade the device.

The prototype was developed through Google's Project Ara, which aims to empower end users to build the smartphones they want. In addition to allowing users to save money by making it easier to repair and upgrade their own devices, the initiative is also intended to combat planned obsolescence in the smartphone industry. — AFP/RelaxNews