UbuntuPhone
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Anyone in the world can buy an Ubuntu phone (but shouldn't)
If you were dismayed that Canonical's campaign to launch an Ubuntu-running smartphone crashed and burned, then today might be your lucky day. Spanish smartphone maker BQ has already been selling two Ubuntu devices to Europeans but, from today, it's opening that offer out to everyone in the world. The Aquarius E5 HD and E4.5 both run the much-feted Linux-based operating system and are available for just €199 ($218) and €169 ($185), respectively.
Ubuntu Phone review: years in the making, but still not consumer-ready
The smartphone arena is dominated by two operating systems. Gartner's latest figures show that during the first three months of 2015, iOS and Android devices accounted for almost 97 percent of global smartphone sales. With established alternatives from Microsoft and BlackBerry already fighting for the leftovers, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of opportunity for new players. Canonical, maker of the popular Linux distro Ubuntu, is taking on the challenge regardless. With a version of Ubuntu built specifically for mobile, it's hoping to shake up the current duopoly with a fresh approach to content consumption. That's the plan, anyway, but after spending some time getting to know the OS, it's clear Canonical has a lot of work to do if Ubuntu Phone is ever going to be a viable option for even casual smartphone users.
The next Ubuntu phone is here, but you'll need an invite
Another Ubuntu phone, another unusual launch. After the BQ Aquaris E4.5, which debuted with a series of online flash sales, Canonical is following up with an invite-only handset built by Meizu. Yep, the same Meizu that once hoped to release an Ubuntu phone in 2014. The new MX4 "Ubuntu Edition" has been available to developers in China since May, but starting tomorrow you'll be able to order one in Europe too. At least, you will if you're lucky enough to receive an invite. Canonical and Meizu aren't revealing how many will be available each day, so you'll just have to visit their teaser site, complete the "origami wall" and hope for the best. The company is also staying tight-lipped about whether the invite system will eventually be dropped and if the MX4 will later be sold in other markets.
Canonical narrows timeframe for Ubuntu for smartphones to 'late February'
Our first look at the upcoming Ubuntu phone OS left us excited but wanting for more details, and it seems that Canonical has now indicated when you'll first be able to grab it. According to OMG Ubuntu, engineering manager Alan Pope said that a downloadable image of the upcoming system will be available in late February for the Galaxy Nexus handset. From what we've seen so far, if you're brave enough to grab it you'll be in for a reasonably fluid and hackable experience, although actually doing something with it might be another story, since there's likely to be very few apps available. Still, for tinkerers with the handset who want to give Android a break, it'll be exciting times when a full-fledged Linux distro finally goes small.
