Different types of cameras such as night vision or infrared heat camera. Also laser range finder modules or something capable of stereoscopic vision. Altimeters. Barometric pressure sensors. Communicator modules for other peripherals when Bluetooth isn't appropriate. Temperature sensor. Wind speed device (would have to protrude beyond the phone's edge so wind can pass through). Light sensor for automatic white balance measurements. Chording keypads to enable more interesting input for power users.
Anyways that's just a stream of conscious I came up with in 5 minutes of noodling. There is potential. Maybe not as much for day to day, but definitely options for professionals that make their living outdoors.
Having access to those things sounds brilliant. I'd guess that while we might see Ara on the market one day, we're also likely to see standard Android phones with a single Ara accessory port on the back, perhaps replacing the built in camera. That gives users the swappable modules advantage of Ara with the cost/weight/durability benefits of a typical device.
>but definitely options for professionals that make their living outdoors
My thinking was also that this makes a great platform for professional tools that are currently standalone devices. Multimeters, surveying equipment, thermal inspection tools. Maybe a microscope or even a microfluidics device.
Anyways that's just a stream of conscious I came up with in 5 minutes of noodling. There is potential. Maybe not as much for day to day, but definitely options for professionals that make their living outdoors.