Canonical Announces Ubuntu For Phones
Canonical announces a smartphone interface for the Ubuntu operating system.
With the new interface, Ubuntu is targeting entry-level smartphones as well as high-end “superphones” that can be docked to become full PCs.
“We are defining a new era of convergence in technology, with one unified operating system that underpins cloud computing, data centers, PCs and consumer electronics,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu and VP Products at Canonical.
The Ubuntu smartphone interface features simple swiping gestures from the edges of the screen that let users access content and switch between apps. For example, swiping from the right-hand edge takes the user to the previously used app, while swiping up from the bottom edge reveals app controls. The handset interface for Ubuntu also includes: Supported swiping gestures from all four edges, disappearing controls, global search for apps, content, and products, voice and text commands in any application, native and web or HTML5 apps, and personalization of the welcome screen. Native apps include: telephony and voicemail, SMS and MMS, email, web browsing, photography, music, and video.
The system requirements for an entry-level Ubuntu smartphone are a 1Ghz Cortex A9 processor and 512MB-1GB of memory. A high-end superphone will require a quad-core A9 or Intel Atom processor and at least 1GB RAM. No phone carriers or manufacturers were named in the announcement.
Issue 39: Getting Started with Linux – /Special Editions
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Microsoft Brings procmon to Linux
The creators of Windows have brought the sysinternals procmon tool to the open source operating system.
-
New KDE Slimbook Available
The makers of the KDE Slimbook have released a Ryzen-4000 powered laptop.
-
PinePhone Now Offers a Convergence Package
The makers of the Linux PinePhone are now offering a model that makes desktop/mobile convergence a reality.
-
Flutter is Coming to Linux
Google and Canonical have joined forces to bring Flutter to the Linux desktop.
-
Purism Launches a Mini PC
The makers of the Librem line of Linux-based laptops have released a mini PC.
-
openSUSE Leap 15.2 Adds AI Machine Learning
With the new release of openSUSE Leap comes some exciting new features, including machine learning.
-
Google’s Nearby Sharing Could Work with Linux
Google’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop feature is rumored to work with the Linux desktop.
-
System76 Launches Ryzen-Powered Laptop
The new System76 Serval WS includes a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU.
-
Linux Mint Drops Snap
Linux Mint has officially dropped their support for Canonical’s snap packages.
-
Lenovo Upping Their Linux Support
Lenovo is now offering full certification and Linux preinstalled hardware.