Eremenko admits that getting Project Ara off the ground will be a tricky proposition. When the phone launches later this year, the company will have to build a user base and a developer ecosystem simultaneously. Google thinks it can do that by building a market where niche products can thrive.
One developer, for example, is working on a battery with three times the energy density of standard smartphone batteries. It’s currently good for only 50 or so charging cycles, though. Ordinarily, Eremenko says, such innovators would be surviving on venture capital while they try to improve the technology. By turning to Ara, this company can sell a high-capacity battery with a limited life span—probably not a go-to power source, but one that some users might be interested in.
That’s the potential power of a modular phone: Because the pieces can be ordered à la carte, hardware doesn’t have to appeal to the masses to succeed. Instead, modules by independent developers and big companies alike can serve just a small community well. Eremenko and his team think there are many products like this looking for a home. With Project Ara, Google is aiming to bring them all into the fold.