Google has now abandoned electropermanent magnets for its modular "Project Ara" handset. The news was revealed via the official "Project Ara" Twitter account which shed light on the subject alluding that the design was faulty and could not pass drop tests.
While the electropermanent magnets did not work, it looks like the Project Ara team already has something new in mind. Although they did not reveal exactly what this new method of detaching and attaching modules would be, they did say that it would be a "signature experience".
It is unknown for certain, but this could be one of the reasons for the recently reported delay. Project Ara was originally slated to debut in 2015, but yesterday news was revealed that the device would be pushed back until 2016. Although 2016 is right around the corner, it unknown exactly when the project will resurface. The Project Ara team is currently looking at a few locations in the United States to make its debut.
Source: Project Ara