Canonical introduces Ubuntu for smartphones

While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Android and Ubuntu play nice together, this does mark a new era for the platform. Today software maker Canonical announced Ubuntu for phones, which aims to make superphones also be a full PC. They’ve already crammed Android and Ubuntu together for dock webtop like features, but this is their full-fledged OS.

This has been in the works for some time, with us getting our first glimpse back in February of last year. However today this Linux operating system powered by the Android kernel now has its own Ubuntu version for smartphones and looks pretty interesting. That “lockscreen” looks legit.

Ubuntu for phones is more than just a mobile OS too, it also doubles as a full PC experience. Once docked and using a keyboard/mouse this will be Ubuntu as you know and love for desktop users. With quad-core smartphones rocking 2GB of RAM, it’s safe to say the extremely lightweight and efficient Ubuntu will run just fine. They’ve made what they call a revolutionary user interface and here’s what to expect:

– Edge magic: thumb gestures from all four edges of the screen enable users to find content and switch between apps faster than other phones.
– Deep content immersion – controls appear only when the user wants them.
– A beautiful global search for apps, content and products.
– 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.

being extremely open-source we’re expecting plenty of options, features, apps, and customization in the future. This project has been in the works for some time and is finally starting to take shape. As you noticed, the entire video is shot with the Android-powered Galaxy Nexus — running Ubuntu for Smartphones. We’ll be on the lookout for the Canonical booth during CES and will surely get some hands-on time with this as soon as possible. Who’s interested?

[via Ubuntu]