Ubuntu Phone

[beariksson]

[youtubehd]cpWHJDLsqTU[/youtubehd]

 

http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/phone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013 — THE YEAR OF THE LINUX DESKTOP

 

[mcbpete]

Hmm, it's gonna be pretty darn tricky competing against the big boys like Google and Apple in this kind of market (I am right in thinking that this is to be competing against Android right, despite both being a Linux based OS ?). On lappies fine, but phones along with the whole approval system of phone carriers is a different kettle of fish.

[Ego]

I don't like and use Ubuntu for the direction they've taken with Unity but this is really great news. Android uses the linux kernel but not much else of a typical GNU/Linux software stack. If they pull this off and we truly get a completely open an unlocked software stack we might have all kinds of distro's and software stack options available for some phones in no time. I think that's truly exciting because it'll drive mobile OS innovation in hacker communities. I think their choice for QT and web technology to build the ecosystem on is fine. QT has proven it's a competent mobile UI toolkit on the Nokia N9.

 

It remains to be seen if they can get manufacturers onboard and if those manufacturers wont try and lock down the software though.

[beariksson]

You can put it on any Android device where drivers are available.

Here on a Galaxy Nexus:

[mcbpete]

So if this is the case, how are they going to market things towards the end user and phone companies to use this over Android (all the features they mention in the video could easily just find their way to some update to Google's os and/or or by downloading a home replacement screen apk).

Apologies if I'm being so cynical over this, I normally support the underdog - but I really struggle to see at this point to see how they can compete in this kind of marketplace (see for example the commercial disaster that was webOS)

And there's no way the service providers will leave the os unscathed. The more open, the more they have to play with. This Galaxy S3 for example has been tinkered with so much that there's not even a check for os updates menu - I'm stuck on v4.0.4 until I finally get round to flashing Cyanogenmod on it (waiting for a stable build)

[Ego]

I don't think anyone is expecting this to be as succesfull as Android or IOS. Just like it's clear Ubuntu will not take over the desktop or laptop market in the forseeable future. That doesn't mean it's of no use or has no future. Linux on the desktop might not be very popular compared to OSX and Windows, but it has unique strengths and is loved by many.

And there's no way the service providers will leave the os unscathed. The more open, the more they have to play with. This Galaxy S3 for example has been tinkered with so much that there's not even a check for os updates menu - I'm stuck on v4.0.4 until I finally get round to flashing Cyanogenmod on it (waiting for a stable build)

Never buy your phone at a service provider.

[goDel]

Interesting development. I hope it'll catch on. The smartphone market does need an open source element.

 

But I couldn't stand to watch the clip for more than 5 mins. It looked like a satire on Apple adds.

[mcbpete]

The smartphone market does need an open source element.

But isn't that exactly what Android was for - http://source.android.com/index.html

 

Ego - Yeah agreed about Ubuntu not having the market share on desktops/laptops in the foreseeable future though it definitely has it's place there - Even to the complete computer novice when I've told them that they can have an entirely brand new operating system for free with free applications for the rest of their laptops life they instantly get it. But this phone version of the ubuntu it'd be hard work to explain the difference (and benefits) between one open OS to another one on essentially the same hardware.

 

I'm probably missing something obvious - in my eyes it seems like it would be like trying to explain to a relative why to install openSUSE over Fedora (I don't actually know if one would do that - I'm pretty out of the loop regarding distros nowadays)

[Ego]

Point taken. Better interopability with existing GNU/Linux software is certainly not a selling point to end users.

 

I do think there is room for interface improvements and every mobile OS I've seen brought some interesting UI innovations to the table. If they manage to make it as slick and intuitive as it looks and are able to add better connectivity features to turn it into a full mobile computer it might have something to offer over Android. Ofcourse Google wont be resting on its laurels either...

[goDel]

The smartphone market does need an open source element.

But isn't that exactly what Android was for - http://source.android.com/index.html

 

But how open is Android to the end user? You said something about service providers having control over what's actually on end users phones. I'm an i-device user myself, so admittedly clueless wrt the android user experience.

 

A google came up with an interesting piece in the Wired about wether or not Android is open.

http://www.wired.com/business/2010/10/is-android-open/

 

 

The real goal of open software, as Perens and others have help define it over the years, is to ensure that you can do whatever you want with it. As anyone with an iPhone or and Android phone can tell you, that’s not the current state of affairs on either device. Nearly every smartphone on the market is tightly locked to its carrier’s specifications. There are a few exceptions, like the Nokia N900, which runs Maemo Linux.

 

Maybe my hope on mobile Ubuntu is it might be able to break the link between software and providers. Apple did in a non-open way. Android arguably gave the providers a way to unbreak that link, or so it seems. I haven't spent much thought on this, but I nevertheless think it's good to have more competition in this market.

[oscillik]

Ubuntu for Mobile will die the same death that the Nokia N900 did, and Maemo / MeeGo along with it.

 

I see absolutely no reason why Ubuntu for Mobile will be any different from Nokia's stillborn.

[Ego]

Developer preview images are available now for Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10!

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Install

Seems quite barebones for now but I'm going to give this a go on my Nexus 4 this weekend.

Ubuntu for Mobile will die the same death that the Nokia N900 did, and Maemo / MeeGo along with it.

 

I see absolutely no reason why Ubuntu for Mobile will be any different from Nokia's stillborn.

Well there certainly is a userbase that wants a phone with a proper GNU/Linux userland. The Maemo/Meego project may be dead but the community will live on at another project. This thing already has more device support than Maemo/Meego ever had and if Google continues the Nexus line future Nexus phones should be supported as well.