Lead:
Motorola's Project ARA program is not that hardware open source is then simple, but changes to the entire mobile ecosystem. Under this idea, all hardware, software in the mobile phone are open source and symbiosis, manufacturing and research and development processes become simple, and users' functions and value will be amplified. However, mobile DIY has huge impact on mobile phone manufacturing, which will impact all aspects of the entire industrial chain, changing the original ecosystem, and the resistance to be imagined. I hope that the mobile phone DIY is no longer a dream.
Mobile phone DIY dreams have been long been
Be
Gao Weiyuan
On the road of hardware open source, Motorola took a key step. Recently, Motorola officially announced the plan named Project Ara, which enables open source smartphones through the program, ie "do hardware like Android software." This is another big action that is another move outside the Moto X mobile phone after the acquisition of Moto X mobile phone. Industry people evaluate, this is a conceptual design of modular smartphones, which is more ambitious than a custom mobile phone.
To this point, Google's Internet thinking about Motorola is obvious, it will marry the spirit of Android open source, open, sharing, etc., and use this method to try to fight against Samsung and Apple. The previous Motorola launched Moto X has changed a lot, such as the color of the phone, the color of the back panel and button, and this kind of customized marketing approach makes a lot of users in front of them.
The Project Ara plans to mention "Doing hardware like Android" further expresses Google's ambitions in hardware. The seriousness of mobile phone homogenization will definitely be a constraint for resource mobile phone enthusiasts, and some of the features in the hardware will not use mobile phone users, this is a waste. According to Motorola's ideas, how to mobile phone can DIY, which is an improvement of performance usage, and the compatibility between major brand phones can also be solved.
The explosive growth of smartphones makes Android, iOS and WP have their own good performance and grades. The industry is more willing to distinguish between different users and fans, or simpler, medium, and low ends. However, everyone never thought of a mobile phone or even a operating system, which is constructed by software and hardware. That is, in mobile phone hardware, we have open source software, but in terms of hardware, there is only "throttle" without "open source."
System is subject to hardware underlying architecture design, operating system configuration requirements, operating mode compatibility, etc., the user can only "seam supplement" on mobile software. However, the user's taste is constantly changing. Different stages have different preferences, so the ills of mobile phone manufacturing industry will appear. For example, I like to play 3D games, CPUs, graphics processors, screens and batteries come to a high configuration; usually browse web pages, watch e-books or use mobile phones, configure relatively low, cheaper, like watching video; It takes a big memory; like the Microsoft operating system, the price is expensive, and the Android user can use it for free. According to the needs of different users, the optional options can be different.
The dream of mobile DIY has long been. Nokia has pushed NOKIA Build service, but only stayed in the personalized customization stage of the shell, Apple is currently following its footsteps, and more changes in the appearance; and HTC extends the open source at the field, such as The HD2 listed in 2009, is well known in the industry, it is pre-installed with Windows Mobile 6.5 system, after modification, you can run Windows 95, you can put popular Android systems, as well as Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 system, and millet MIUI. That is to say, in a mobile phone, you can run the operating system of major vendors. If you can upgrade or modify it on the hardware, then a mobile phone can meet the needs of most users.
If Motorola's Project Ara program is capable, this will be a subversion to the mobile phone manufacturing industry.
Not simple hardware open source
Gao Weiyuan
Google's hardware "ambition" has been clearly revealed. Acquired Motorola, mobile phone and flat, Google does not satisfy the wind and rain in the software field, but extends frequently in the hardware. One thing to be determined is that the major operating systems occupy the number of users, determine the growth rate of profits and the prospects of the platform development. Apple has more invincible with the iPhone and iPad, Google aims to fight against Amazon through the Google Nexus Series Smart Machine and Table, through rich Android applications, and apples in software and service markets.
Google acquires Motorola's purpose is here. With effective control of hardware platforms, Google can build a flagship mobile phone, adjust the situation of the Quality of Android mobile phone, improve the user experience. If you have your own star model, you can concentrate on marketing resources, greatly reduce costs, and form a brand effect.
Follow the Project ARA program, including motherboards and modules. The module can be "anything", such as processors, batteries, and keyboards, etc., while motherboards can combine the modules together and form different shapes. The key to the Project ARA program is not that hardware open source is so simple, but for the change of the entire mobile ecosystem. Under this idea, all hardware, software in the field of mobile phones are open source and symbiosis, manufacturing and research and development process become simple, and users' functions and value will be amplified.
This is undoubtedly a destructive innovation for the mobile phone industry. A large-scale company wants the stock price to skyrocket, only relying on new business that has nothing to do with the main business, before acquisition of Motorola, Google acquired DoubleClick, Adsense, YouTube, Android, Google Map, etc., becoming an accident Core Business. And this effort, hardware, and follow this broken idea, first break the established pattern, and then reconstruct the ecological balance.
However, mobile phone DIY has huge impact on mobile phone manufacturing, which will impact all aspects of the entire industrial chain, changing the original ecosystem, and the resistance to be imagined. The evaluation of netizens is also pessimistic. "The mobile phone is relatively small, so small space can be DIY operability and feasibility is not very high"; "mobile phone hardware brand is relying on mobile phone manufacturers to purchase and integrate, costly has been controlled. The cost-effective price of mobile phone DIY is not high. "" Mobile DIY is related to the mobile operating system and ROMs, and the configuration of DIY can also be slightly thinned ";" The profit of the entire market has fallen, and the brand loyalty of smartphones has been The prospects of cultivating, DIY are not optimistic "......
Although Motorola's open source hardware concept can be promoted to the entire mobile phone manufacturing industry or an unknown number, but a lot of manufacturers are doing this, the last source PC, the motive is because most of the existing PC systems are too bloated. , Full of useless features, users want PC to be light enough. For mobile phone manufacturing, open source hardware has a long way to go, but at least see hope.
Conclusion:
Motorola's Project Ara program is undoubtedly subversive, but whether it will be promoted to the entire phone or an unknown number. This will be a long way.
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