Why You Should Care About Ubuntu’s Smartphone And Why I Backed It

What are the two things that most advanced users are looking for in a smart phone? If you’re like me then you want the latest technological improvements and advancements while not having to sacrifice support and stability. At this point the market for mobile phones is pretty well split at the divide, if you want stability and reliability you chose iPhone, if you’d like a quicker pace of change with more customizable options, you’ve probably chosen an Android phone. Canonical recognizes the issue and with the Ubuntu Edge phone, there appears to be a happy middle.

The unconventional and probably unlikely choice for a phone that handles both requirements is Ubuntu’s new crowdfunded phone the Edge. Asked why Peter Rojas, VP of Strategy at AOL, backed the Ubuntu Edge he said, “It was for a variety of reasons, one is just that I’ve been an Ubuntu user since 2005 and so am partial to it (and open source stuff in general). Another is that I really like geeking out on new platforms, and the Ubuntu mobile OS looks like it has some interesting UX elements to it, plus having a single device which can be used as both a PC and a phone is intriguing (even if I’m not sure I’d use it for that all that much).” The geek factor is definitely present on the Edge, enough to satisfy the early adopter wanting the next new thing.

Stability and reliability, while still undetermined until an actual production unit ships, looks to also be present with the Edge. Most consumers can’t verbalise their desire for support, but on Canonical’s phone site is this key point that, taken at face value, should instill comfort for buyers.

The ability to update your devices is central to your security and long-term competitiveness. Canonical takes care of all security and critical bug fixes to the base platform offering and provides the infrastructure to support your update management strategy.

Ubuntu on a mobile device offers a new sense of touch design that’s intriguing, similar to Blackberry 10 without the stigma. The ability to dock your phone and get a desktop experience along with the fallback of dual booting Android are all reasons I decided to back the Edge smartphone. It’s a lot more interesting than Firefox’s play for the low end, when comparing alternatives to mainstream options for a new phone. The Edge is the equivalent of Google’s Nexus program (or Google Play edition), where they build a device to display what the OS is capable of doing. The Edge’s hardware is also stunning, though as Rojas says, “I definitely didn’t buy it for the specs. They’re nice, but by May of 2014 they will probably not be all that extraordinary given how rapidly smartphones are improving.”

However unlikely, Ubuntu’s mobile OS may actually find an interested audience if they can successfully market it as both a rapidly moving technical advancement and a reliable and constantly supported effort. It’s just unfortunate that the Edge phone probably won’t hit the insane $32 million funding goal and ever see the light of day.

 
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