It’s not been a good few days to be one of Google’s hardware projects, with both the modular smartphone Project Ara and 2015 Chromebook Pixel being discontinued or scrapped.

It turns out that Google’s Project Ara might actually be about to turn into a real thing after Google today announced that it would be in a position to ship developer hardware to those who need it as soon as Q4 of this year, with consumer version set for release in 2017.

The first camera modules for Google’s Project Ara modular smartphone have just been revealed by Toshiba. Details and video of the modules in action to follow right after the break.

Project Ara may seem like a pipe dream to many, but since, development has notched up some pace. And now, a video has surfaced showing the device booting up into Android, adding more fuel to the project, ensuring that it’s still alive and kicking.

Google has several innovative projects on the go at any one time, and while the world continues to be fascinating by Project Glass, Project Ara – the company’s endeavor to build a modular smartphone that allows specific hardware features to be swapped in and out at will – has gathered a significant amount of interest in recent weeks. It’s a concept that, if the Big G manages to pull it off, could really change the face of the smartphone market, and with a couple of teasers already having been released by the Project Ara team, we’re now hearing that the first modular handset will be available from January next year.

As well as trying to make significant inroads in the field of wearable technology with Project Glass, Google has also demonstrated how it intends to shake-up the smartphone world with Project Ara. In case you happened to miss the previous coverage, the Project Ara team is currently working on the development of modular smartphones, consisting of a skeletal backbone that can be upgraded by means of interchangeable modules. The product, which will likely be intended for the lower-end markets to start with, could eventually challenge the modern day smartphone as we know it, and today, some new images have emerged of the development process in full flow.

The Motorola / Google connection may have been relatively short lived and not exactly a perfect match, but it clearly gave Google a thirst for innovative hardware. That thirst is still being quenched today thanks to Project Ara and we can now get an additional insight of those involved with building the block based smartphone thanks to a new Phonebloks video.

Google is always looking to innovate, and with the likes of Project Glass well established and Project Tango looking promising indeed, it now looks like the company’s Project Ara range of smartphones could arrive to the market early next year. With prices touted as low as $50, Project Ara, which is looking to forge something of a build-your-own-smartphone market with devices comprised of interchangeable bits of hardware, is weeks away from its first functional prototype, and sales may begin as soon as Q1 2015.