Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu OS is working on Ubuntu Touch also called Ubuntu for Mobile or Ubuntu for phones for quite some time now. Canonical now wants its users to fund a Ubuntu Edge smartphone, it turned to Indiegogo for crowd funding the project. It aims to raise $32 million for building this phone Ubuntu Edge to demonstrate the platform as well as to give a truly open phone to the world.
$32million is a very high amount, it has a month from now on to receive donations. Casual backers can pledge $20 and be a part of the community, except a name on the webpage they won’t receive anything. If you want to receive a phone you need to pledge $600 today only, this is already sold out and closed. You can pledge $830 to receive the phone. If you pledge now you will receive the phone in May 2014.
Ubuntu Edge will run on both Ubuntu Touch and Android as a dual boot phone. It will be a beast with the proposed specifications, and you will be able to run it as a desktop equivalent by plugging it to a monitor. It will also receive regular updates, patches and apps according to the campaign page. It will use a fastest multi-core processor with atleast 4GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage, which is something we haven’t heard in a smartphone before.
It will feature a 4.5-inch screen at 720p resolution, and it uses Sapphire Crystal display which is stronger and second only to Diamond according to the campaign list. Now a days users are craving for a 1080p display, but Ubuntu thinks that 720p is more than enough for the display.
Ubuntu Edge Specifications:
- Dual boot Ubuntu mobile OS and Android
- Fully integrated Ubuntu desktop PC when docked
- Fastest multi-core CPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage
- 4.5in 1,280 x 720 HD sapphire crystal display
- 8mp low-light rear camera, 2mp front camera
- Dual-LTE, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, NFC
- GPS, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, compass, barometer
- Stereo speakers with HD audio, dual-mic recording, Active Noise Cancellation
- MHL connector, 3.5mm jack
- Silicon-anode Li-Ion battery
- 64 x 9 x 124mm
If the campaign didn’t succeed there won’t be a Ubuntu Edge smartphone, but Ubuntu Touch OS will be available in other smartphones from commercial vendors.
What do you think of the smartphone, will you back the project, or $32 Million for manufacturing a smartphone is too much.
