Toshiba shows off some of its Project Ara camera modules

Every day brings us one step closer to the launch of Project Ara, Google’s modular smartphone that’s still in development. These smartphones will run on interchangeable modules rather than your regular hardware which means that you can simply replace each individual component when you want to upgrade instead of having to get a new smartphone. These modules will be produced by third parties such as Toshiba which has revealed some of its camera modules for Project Ara. 

Project Ara appears to be moving forward at a steady pace, with some of the first modular components for Google’s highly customizable smartphone expected to be shown off at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. Modules will be made by a number of third-party firms, among them Toshiba, which this week unveiled three different camera components for the device. Of course, for those intent on one day exploring the Project Ara ecosystem, the camera will likely be a key module, so what exactly is Toshiba offering? At the start, users will be able to choose from two rear camera modules – one with 5 megapixels and another with 13 megapixels. At the moment, Toshiba is only offering one front-facing camera component, which packs 2 megapixels. For those not big on smartphone snapping, the cheaper 5-megapixel shooter, which will also eat up less storage per shot, will probably suffice. But for those desiring something closer to what today’s mainstream handsets offer, the 13-megapixel component will obviously be the one to go for.