A smartphone from Chinese maker Meizu has been launched in Europe – in a slightly unusual way.
Rather than standard channel sales, people interested in the MX4 Ubuntu Edition (yes, it runs an unusual OS, as well) can instead visit an ‘origami wall’ on Meizu’s website. Clicking on patterns in the wall has a chance to generate an invitation to buy the phone.
Ubuntu creator, Canonical, did not say how many phones would be available, but did say that most people who want one will get one – and if they don’t, they’ll get one the second time around. So, why bother having such a convoluted sales method in the first place?
Word of mouth advertising, of course! I’ve just spent two paragraphs talking about the promotion. It’s not the first Ubuntu handset to have an unusual launch, either – the BQ E4.5 (BQ Follows E4.5 With Larger Ubuntu Smartphone) was available in a series of flash sales. Canonical told CNet that, at this time, the phone is not planned to be available via more conventional means.
As for the handset itself, it has an ‘iPhone-like’ design, with a single button on the front – all other controls are handled on the 5.2″ screen. Resolution is 1920 x 1152, and contrast ratio is 1,100:1. Brightness is 500 cd/m². The phone uses embedded touch (one glass solution) and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
A quad-core Mediatek processor (ARM-based) runs Ubuntu, with 2GB of RAM. The phone has a 3,100mAh battery and Bluetooth 4.0 and 4G connectivity.
Those who can actually buy the phone will pay €250, ex VAT.
