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Home / News / Ubuntu’s first smartphone is finally coming out – next week, in fact

Ubuntu’s first smartphone is finally coming out – next week, in fact

Lower-specced device is an Android variant, but the OS has its own flavour

Back in 2013, Canonical – the company behind open-source operating system, Ubuntu – grabbed headlines by crowdfunding US$13 million (about £8.5 million) to make its own smartphone. But that wasn’t even half of the needed goal.

The planned Ubuntu Edge handset is dead, but now, a year and a half later, Ubuntu is finally ready to launch its first smartphone: the unlocked, dual-SIM Aquarius E4.5 Ubuntu Edition. And it’s debuting across Europe next week via social media-announced web flash sales.

Created by Spanish maker BQ, the Aquarius is actually a variant of the company’s Android handset, albeit now outfitted with Ubuntu’s mobile OS. It’s a lightweight device: a 4.5in qHD (540×960) display, quad-core 1.3Ghz MediaTek processor, 1GB RAM, 3G speed, and 8GB internal storage (plus a microSD slot). You’ll find an 8MP camera on the back, and a better-than-average 5MP selfie shooter on the front.

Unlike the Edge, it’s not designed to also be a portable computer that you can plug into a monitor and use as a proper desktop: it’s strictly a smartphone, but at least it’s an affordable one. The Aquarius E4.5 will sell for €169, or about £125, and as noted above, it will first go on sale in Europe next week via flash sale alerts sent out by Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ accounts.

The Aquarius E4.5 may be just a phone, but it’s not just another Android or iOS facsimile. In fact, the OS drops typical apps and grids for so-called Scopes that collect themed content, and the UI seems to have a strongly swipe-centric design. Check out the video above for a detailed look at Ubuntu on a phone, and keep an eye out for more on this intriguing new low-end option.

[Source: Ubuntu via The Verge]

READ MORE: The crowdfunded Ubuntu Edge is dead, but its spirit lives on

Profile image of Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

Areas of expertise

Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home