Most people who own a smartphone own a phone running iOS, Android, or sometimes Windows Phone. There is soon to be a fourth option.
The BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition will be launching Tuesday, Feb. 10, and is the first phone ever to run Ubuntu, which is largely considered to be one of the best alternatives to OS X and Windows on desktop computers.
"The launch of the first Ubuntu smartphones is a significant milestone," said Jane Silber, CEO of Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, which is based on Linux. "The new experience we deliver for users, as well as the opportunities for differentiation for manufacturers and operators, are a compelling and much-needed change from what is available today. We're excited that a rising star like BQ has recognised this opportunity and is helping us make it a reality."
Those who are excited about getting their hands on the device might have to wait a little while longer, however. The phone will only be sold in Europe, and will be sold through a series of flash sales, meaning that even those wanting to get one in Europe will have to act quickly.
BQ is a relatively small smartphone manufacturer based in Spain, and the Aquaris E4 is normally an Android handset. The Ubuntu version of the phone will only cost 169.90 eruos, or a little more than $190. Followers of @ubuntu or @bqreaders on Twitter will be the first to know when the midmarket device is available to purchase.
The price of the device certainly might seem low, however the specs on the device match the price. The 4.5-inch display has a very modest resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, with a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor powering it. It doesn't allow for LTE connectivity, and there's an 8-GB cap on the onboard storage. The device does, however, have a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
The most impressive spec on the device is the 5-MP front-facing camera, which isn't "impressive" by any means, but it is a highlight of the device. It also has an 8-MP rear-facing camera.
While it might not be the best device on the market as far as specifications go, that's not really the point of the device. The point is the software.
One of the most interesting features as far as software goes is the use of "Scopes." Scopes are essentially homepages dedicated to specific topics. For example, instead of simply using a YouTube app, the video scope pulls in videos from different sources under one user interface.
Only time will tell if Ubuntu starts to take off as a mobile platform, or if the new device gets launched on a larger scale.
