Google shows off Project Ara prototype, launches developer challenge

Google showed off its Project Ara prototype on the second and final day of the I/O developer conference. Paul Eremenko, the head of Project Ara gave a peek about the company’s modular phone project that was announced in February.

The Project Ara is currently in an early stage and hence to spruce it up, Google has announced a contest. Eremenko announced a challenge for developers to work on smartphone module that is different from current phones in the market. Developers who take the challenge will have to build a working Ara module that can do something “current smartphones can’t do”.

Google is offering prize worth $100,000 for a working module along with a trip to Ara’s next developer conference. Also, two runners-up will get priority access to the next Ara developer event due to take place this fall. Reports in April stated that Google will launch Project Ara phone in January 2015. Also, the the modular phones will reportedly be powered by Toshiba chips.