Ahmedabad-based
tech firm eInfochips has tied up with Toshiba to jointly build and design chips for 'Spiral' range of
Google's first modular smartphones. Modular
phones are customisable
smartphones wherein users can add or remove hardware-cum-software modules based
on their requirement.
The firms have jointly
developed chips for the base plate of the smartphone as well as chips for
potential modules. Among the Spiral range of phone, Google is likely to launch Spiral-3, the third edition of the modular smartphones
by mid-2015, it has been learnt. The third edition Spiral-3 is a modular mobile
phone prototype under Google's 'Project Ara'.
They
could add a sensor to test if water is clean. They could have a battery that
lasts for days. They could have a louder speaker, gaming console, or use the
smartphone as their car key. The possibilities are endless. To enable modular
smartphones, eInfochips and TAEC offer the ARTOS12 Google Ara Development Kit
for the 1x2 Module that uses Toshiba bridge chip technology and eInfochips
engineering services.
The kit
features MicroSD and USB slots enabling developers to store data and interface
to external devices. The Toshiba T6WR6XBG general-purpose bridge used in
the development kit supports optional interfaces such as UART, I2C, I2S, SPI,
and GPIO on the 1x2 module. The Ara 1x2 module development kit also includes
high-speed interfaces for connection to the application processor bridge, USB
drivers and quick-start documentation. Engineering services, distribution,
support, release management and product delivery of ARTOS12 Google Ara
development kits is provided by eInfochips.
eInfochips,
in addition to being the development and support collaborator for the ARTOS12
Development Kit, will also offer its expertise on Google Ara modules with
custom design and engineering services. These include platform porting,
multimedia integration, application development, and performance optimization,
among others. Companies seeking first-mover advantage on Google Ara modules can
leverage eInfochips experience in this domain to accelerate development cycles.
Having contributed to over 500+ hardware and software product designs,
eInfochips can address gaps in the development of Project Ara smartphone module
hardware and software.
According
to Parag Mehta, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at eInfochips,
“eInfochips is one of a handful of global engineering services companies with
the experience in hardware, software and system design needed to deliver
world-class Project Ara smartphone modules.”
"This
will enable companies and individuals to design and innovative modules. This
will be much similar to what emergence of mobile applications did for millions
of software developers," said Kazi.
The smartphone
will have Android platform and will come in three different sizes. The modules,
categorized in three dimensions with 1x1 inch, 1x2 inch and 2x2 inches, will be
certified by Google. The patent and IPR rights of the phone will remain with
Google.
Already 20-30
large global corporations are working for different modules including camera,
memory, display, speakers among others.
