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The Ubuntu operating system (OS) will make its smartphone début next month – on Samsung Galaxy Nexus devices.
At the beginning of January the software development company behind the Ubuntu operating system, Canonical,
announced that a ‘distinctive smartphone interface’ would be entering
the market, but failed to say which specific handset it would launch on.
It has now been revealed that users of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be the first to test out Ubuntu, which is designed to compete with the likes of Google Android.
At a press event held in London last week, Canonical’s engineering
manager Alan Pope, said that a downloadable image of the upcoming system
will be available in late February for Galaxy Nexus users.
Private company Canonical, which was founded by South African
entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, will target the full range of
smartphones, from low to high-end devices, with its Ubuntu mobile OS.
The handset interface for Ubuntu will introduce voice and text
commands in any application for faster access to rich capabilities, both
native and web or HTML5 apps, evolving personalised art on the welcome
screen and a global search for apps, content and products.
Thumb gestures from all four edges of the screen will enable users to
find content and switch between apps ‘faster than other phones’, and
controls will appear only when the user wants them.
CEO at Integrated Computer Solutions,
Peter Winston, said a true open source player has the opportunity to be
a significant player in the emerging markets, as well as with people
already committed to open source.
“Almost all modern phones have a lot of open source components, but
it was only a matter of time before someone created a pure open source
phone, without the strings attached. It’s really exciting to see Ubuntu
entering into the phone market,” Winston said.
In an already saturated and unpredictable market, will Ubuntu be able to lure over users from Apple’s iOS, Android and even the Windows Phone?
