Google's Project Ara will use a 'modified version of Android L'

Android L is expected to be unveiled with the forthcoming Nexus 6 smartphone, which should sport a 5.9-inch QHD display, but this new mobile OS will be modified for Google's modular Project Ara smartphone.

Google's Paul Eremenko has teased that we are to expect hot-swappable components, so that users can switch out the camera module for example, without having to power off the entire phone. Virtually every single component will be hot-swappable, apart from the display and the CPU. On its Phonebloks blog, Google said: "Project Ara will use a modified version of Android L, developed in collaboration with Linaro. Thanks to this version, the modules, except the CPU and the display, will be hot swappable".

These hot-swappable modules will be made available through the Google Play store, which will open up "a new online store" to sell the modules too. We should expect the modular smartphone to be made available to consumers early next year.