Canonical has revealed the first Ubuntu smartphone, created with Spain’s BQ. Designed to challenge smartphones using existing operating systems such as iOS and Android, the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition ‘puts content at the heart of the experience’.
The new UI is built around ‘Scopes’ – described as a new way to quickly access digital services like music, social media, photos and so on, from the home screen. Canonical describes the experience as ‘a world away from burying content and services inside multiple apps in an icon grid’.
Any kind of content can be presented using Scopes, which should be important for developers. Apps are not downloaded to the phone; instead, they are written in HTML5 and presented as the home screen itself, mixing local and online content. However, it is interesting to note that the Aquaris does not use the latest build of Ubuntu with the Snappy feature, which is designed to simplify app roll-outs. It is also not the Universal system announced last year.
Controls are all via the screen edges. Swiping in from the left shows the app launcher; from the right shows open apps; from the bottom shows an app’s menu; and from the top for notifications.
BQ’s 8GB phone has a 4.5″ display and uses a quad-core 1.3GHz Mediatek processor, with 1GB of RAM.
It boasts a 4.5″ screen, Mediatek A7 quad-core processor running at 1.3GHz and 1GB RAM, with 8GB storage. The rear camera is 8MP and the front is 5MP.
Rather than being stocked in retailers, the Aquaris will be sold through a series of flash sales (announced through BQ and Ubuntu on social media). It will be sold in Europe for €140 ex VAT.
