Meizu and Canonical’s Ubuntu dream is finally forming in to a solid product, with leaked photos of an Ubuntu powered MX4 hitting the web.
Last week Meizu and Canonical bosses met in Zhuhai to sign an agreement which would see the two companies work together and launch Ubuntu powered phones.
Meizu did let on with any more details about the first Meizu to get Ubuntu, but from a recent leaked photos it looks like it will be the Meizu MX4.
The photo was sent in to GSMarena and shows the Mediatek powered MX4 running a UI decidedly different from the usual Flyme. I’m quite excited to see Ubuntu on the Meizu, but looking at the image it looks like there is a lot of waisted space in the UI. Surely at least 4 icons could have been lined up on the 5.35-inch display.
We are still waiting for a launch date, but rumours have it the first Ubuntu powered phone will launch in the first quarter of 2015.
I use Ubuntu myself instead of win, but I cant really see it taken off on phones. Its a case of been too late to the party(windows phone). People don’t care if its running system is fast lite or anything else.image has a lot to play to with it and the Ubuntu ui just looks dated and boring.people love their apps and services but can Ubuntu deliver that from day one?
From Ubuntu’s point that’s an issue. For Meizu though they have a niche pretty much to themselves, there are plenty of Ubuntu fans out there, more than enough for a single manufacturer to enjoy.a
I’m an Ubuntu user also and I’d love to see it running in the MX4. I mean, this is GNU/Linux: you can change the UI if you like, no need to jailbreak 😛
I’d even consider changing my OnePlus One for an Ubuntu phone like that… depending on performance, battery life and the possibility of dual booting or running Android apps.
But I believe many Ubuntu users will leap to Ubuntu phones when:
1) the full system is ready (16.04-16.10), the real convergence, that would make our mobile devices BE our PC’s,
2) a minimum portfolio of apps is available natively, and hundreds of HTML 5 apps run smoothly over 4G nets, without real need of a native one,
3) phone manufacturers trust the platform and launch Ubuntu quality phones (like the MX4 would/will be).
MS arguely finally managed to do all 3. And people sure flocked all over WinPhone now lol?
There’s not much too argue here until MS officially launches Windows 10… in 2015. And no, I won’t be the one to run to get one copy. I’ll wait for the Ubuntu 16.04 (fingers crossed).
Why? I mean, without going into computer talk too much, underneath it all, Linux is just a hobbyists play thing isn’t it? Usually found dual booted along side a real productive os like Windows…
Are you serious? I DON’T USE Windows since 2010. I use my laptop with Ubuntu 14.04 for work and leisure and don’t regret for a second. Also have an Xbox 360 to play (but mostly play on my phone, not much time left with kids and stuff).
No, definitely Linux is not “just a hobbyists play”. Not for me and maybe some millions of my like around the world.
And… give it some time and we’ll compare the offers, what it means full convergence on Windows and Ubuntu Linux.
I’m really a newbie in these stuff… what’s the difference that there might be in the 2 versions of the phone. Andi?
As you know I ordered my MX4 recently (will be in my hands on 10/12) and I really wonder what/if this Ubuntu has something to offer more than the running set-up.
Please enlighten me! 😀
So far we don’t know, but I hope Ubuntu will be available for all Meizu MX4’s once it is released
do we really need another os? there is ios/android/windows and whatever blackberries are using, i think the market has plenty of choices,
ios is the biggest app market but its iphone only,android is the 2nd largest app market but has tons of devices and is very customisable, windows phones dont have many apps, they were late at the party and that hurt them, now it is even later with ubuntu,
i really think right now android monopolise the non apple market and its very difficult for a competitor to even scratch that surface
So you partly answered it: “i really think right now android monopolise the non apple market and its very difficult for a competitor to even scratch that surface”. The thing is Android is under Google’s claws & Google is not a good Samaritan. As it goes;
1. Android is not fully opened there are Google’s data analytic & other services that you can’t totally strip out & they do invade our privacy.
2. Android is far behind Linux mainline & really slow in adopting some important futures like HSA & OCL thanks to suborned stupidity of whoever plus the strings at Google. I am one of the guy’s that don’t recon that 4-5 pore changes that it has makes it something more than Linux.
3. Their are lots of things that are ill done on Android as Google wanted app ecosystem fast. Java is one of bad things as it’s hard to debug & slow in both compiler forms. As davlik whose really slow & hybrid JIT along with it Google introduced ART to repair situation. ART pre compiled java code is still much slower than GCC compiled native C code written apps like ones Ubuntu phone uses. Do you really need all those stupid apps on play store? The good ones will certainly find their way to Ubuntu.
4. Their is no real productivity app or app package if you like on Android. Now LibreOffice have OCL & HSA support even its buggy still it can do all that M$ office can & much faster what’s really important (HSA) on small not much powerful SoC like phone one’s. Naturally LibreOffice don’t cost a ₱.
This are just some reasons why we need another less adapted & in touch with full distro Linux for our phones, phablets, tablets.
ios is the biggest app market?
and please go back to your cave
It’s probably a customization feature (the app tray) that you can change to have 4 apps instead of three
I think it’s noble and altruistic for people to support phones likes these, even if Canonical doesn’t make any money. Or maybe they do with the Amazon scopes thingie. I am definitely going to buy it if dual boot with Android was inbuilt straight from the factory. iSuppli says last year’s 16GB Nand Flash on the iPhone was only $9.4.