Google will release the first devkits modular smartphone in a few weeks

Google has announced that it will start shipping devkits for its modular smartphone at the end of July. There are only a limited number of devkits available and interested parties should submit a request to Google for approval.

The devkit consists of a Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 processor running a modified version of Linaro Android and a UniPro switchboard to mimic the communication through the endoskeleton. In addition, the package includes a printed circuit board that developers can use for different purposes and that offers the possibility to tunnel different I/O protocols via UniPro.

Interested parties must submit an application to Google by Thursday, July 17. When assessing the application, the search giant looks at both the applicant’s relevant experience and the concept of the proposed module. A second round will start after 17 July, interested parties then have until 17 August to submit an application.

At the end of the year, the developers of Project Ara expect to release version 0.2 of the Module Developers Kit, then another devkit based on the new MDK will be released. The first consumer version, the Gray Phone, should hit the market in 2015 for about $50.