Ubuntu is coming to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus next month
But it's not quite finished yet
Wed Jan 09 2013, 23:37
LAS VEGAS: LINUX VENDOR Canonical revealed today that it will launch Ubuntu for Phones on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in February.
Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Canonical
revealed that it will launch its Ubuntu Linux mobile operating system on
Google's last generation Nexus in a matter of weeks. Canonical said
that it will be available as a download, and that the Galaxy Nexus will
be the only phone that the software will be available on for now.
The company unveiled Ubuntu for Phones earlier this month, offering
users the full Linux experience on a smaller screen. The operating
system has been designed to work with both low-end and high-end
smartphones, and Canonical said that it supports existing HTML5 apps
such as those designed by Google.
Speaking at the operating system's launch, Mark Shuttleworth, VP of
Canonical and founder of Ubuntu said, "Your average Android developer is
already using Ubuntu, as it is the typical developer platform," adding
that he expects these people to have no difficulty in supporting the new
operating system.
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Earlier this month Canonical showed off a new version of its Ubuntu
operating system intended for mobile phones. The Ubuntu for smartphones
operating system is meant to extend the Ubuntu UI and UX to the
smartphone screen. Canonical wants its OS to span from servers to phones
and Ubuntu for phones is the latest step in that plan.
While there is no official hardware yet, the new operating system
will be aimed at both low-end and high-end smartphones alike. It will
support the standard array of smartphone functions–phone, sms, email,
web browsing, and apps–along with the familiar Ubuntu user interface
that is navigated by touch gestures. Ubuntu for phones will run on x86
and ARM hardware and is compatible with the Android Board Suppot
Package. That means that users can actually run Ubuntu on many existing
smartphones which are currently running Google's Android OS. Unlike
Android, there is no Java VM, and the Ubuntu for phones operating system
can run both HTML5 and native applications. At CES, Canonical
demonstrated the OS using a Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
Ubuntu smartphones will feature a familiar Unity-like user interface
with a number of tweaks to make it easier to navigate using a
touchscreen. The OS will use a feature called Edge Magic, which includes
swipe gestures inwards from each side of the phone to open
applications, read notifications, change settings, and return to the
home screen. Users can also use voice and text commands to control the
smartphone. For example, users can swipe left to open the application
launcher, drag from the left side to the right side of the screen to
display all currently running apps, and drag up from the bottom to open
application-specific settings. Swiping from the right acts as the 'back'
function while dragging down from teh top opens the notifications and
device-wide settings. There are no hardware buttons with Ubuntu for
smartphones, and Canonical founder Mark Shuttlework has stated that
keeping UI elements hidden until needed was a priority with Ubuntu for
phones.
Ubuntu for phones is aimed at a wide range of smartphone hardware. On
the low end, Ubuntu needs at least a dual-core ARM Cortex A9, 1GB of
RAM, and 4GB of internal storage. The budget smartphones will run native
apps (ideally) faster than similar code on Android due to the apps
being closer to the hardware. Multitouch will be supported but the
destkop functionality when the phone is docked is not available. On the
other hand, high end smartphones will be able to access a full Ubuntu
desktop when the phone is docked along with a mouse and keyboard.
Additional features of Ubuntu for smartphones include global search
of applications, content, and products, Deep Content Immersion, and
personalized artwork on the welcome (lock) screen. Further, Ubuntu One
cloud storage, enterprise management tool compatibility, and regular
updates are also rolled into the operating system. Ubuntu does include
scopes which are similar in function and aesthetics to desktop Ubuntu.
The scopes include a list of applications, contacts, videos, and music
(among others).
The following chart lists the recommended/referrence specifications
for budget and premium smartphones running the Ubuntu mobile OS.
| Entry Level | High End | |
| SoC | dual core Cortex A9 | quad core Cortex A9 or better |
| RAM | 1GB preferred | minimum of 1GB |
| Storage | 4-8GB eMMC + SD card | min 32GB eMMC + SD card |
| Display Resolution | WVGA 800x400 | 720p or 1080p |
| Multi-Touch | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop | No | Yes |
| Convergence | No | Yes |
Interestingly, users of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone will be able to
test drive Ubuntu for smartphones later this year by flashing their
device with the new OS. As far as retail hardware with Ubuntu
pre-installed, Canonical is reportedly working on developing
partnerships with handset makers. Canonical hopes to being shipping
devices begining in Q4'13 or Q1'14.
From the various video demonstrations of the Ubuntu for smartphones
operating system, it appears extremely slick and user friendly.
Curiously, Canoncial was not willing to let CES attendees go hands-on
with the reference phone, which may mean that the operating system is
not quite ready for prime time. Despite that hesitation, I do think that
Ubuntu for smartphones shows a lot of promise as a mobile,
touchscreen-controlled operating system.
At the least, Ubuntu will need a dual-core Cortex A9 processor with at
least 512MB of memory, and 4GB to 8GB of eMMC plus SD flash storage.
More heavily spec’d handsets will require a quad-core Cortex A9 or Intel
Atom chip, 1GB of memory, and 32GB of eMMC plus SD. Although all
Ubuntu-flavored phones will be multitouch, the higher-end version will
also feature desktop convergence, which is a major feature of the
operating system
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