Does the smartphone market, which is saturated with Android, iOS, and Windows phones, as well as various exotic options, really need another competitor in the form of the new Ubuntu phone? Many users are asking this question.

The issue with Canonical's new offspring is about quality and not quantity – even if the Linux distributor itself aims at wanting to address "each user."

A quick glance at the underlying Ubuntu phone [1] technology elicits curiosity: Canonical ensures that applications derive from QML [2], a powerful declarative language for creating user interfaces from the Qt framework.

QML is easily combinable with C++, and other language bindings exist – creating perfect conditions to attract not only many, but also very passionate developers who appreciate the technical advantages. But, how do users view the new Ubuntu phone?

Ubuntu on the Phone

The first official Ubuntu phone [3] comes from Spanish manufacturer Bq and is derived from its Android-equipped Aquaris E4.5 model [4].

Experimentally inclined owners of the Android version report that the Android system of the conventional E4.5 can be replaced with Ubuntu. However, the Ubuntu version of the device is missing the touch buttons at the bottom of the screen, along with some software functions such as a radio application.

The E4.5 has an A7 quad core processor from MediaTek with up to 1.3GHz clock rate. The 1GB RAM and a display resolution of 960x540 pixels should be sufficient.

The Aquaris E4.5 has two SIM cards and an SD card slot that supports SDHC cards with up to 32GB memory. The internal memory is just short of 8GB, of which 4GB are available for images and music. The camera shoots pictures with 8 Megapixel resolution – quality that is impressive at such a low price.

The Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition seems rather light in weight at about 123 grams with its generous 2150mAh battery. As with many other devices, the battery is fully integrated into the phone; therefore, the housing makes a stable impression, even if the plastic does not. The device's design definitely falls into the "simple" category – being somewhat reminiscent of the iPhone 4.

The display, which is surrounded by a wide frame, wins points for its brightness and for the scratch- and impact-resistant Dragontrail glass that feels pleasantly smooth under your fingers. The plastic frame fits well over the top of the glass edge to protect the screen.

In the packaging next to the phone, you'll find a USB loading device, a substantial USB cable, the manual, and a small tool for opening the SIM and SD card slots. Bq dispenses with the obligatory poor-quality headphones that other manufacturers often include.

With a retail price of about 170 euros, the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition is positioned somewhere in the lower midrange. The price-performance ratio on pure technical terms rivals that of competitors with other operating systems in the price range.

Aquaris E4.5 in Detail

Of particular interest to Linux users is the silicon heart of the device: the Ubuntu Touch operating system. Even a year ago, technically savvy users could install Ubuntu Touch on their smartphones. For a development device, Canonical provided the LG Nexus 4, which came very close to the actual Ubuntu phone's performance. The avid developer community unfortunately ported Ubuntu phone to a series of other smartphones [5], thus the quality of implementation varied greatly from model to model.

The Ubuntu phone, unlike Android, iOS, or other smartphone systems, is totally devoid of a keyboard, requiring you to memorize several gestures (Table 1). Depending on which side of the screen you swipe, you can open the application menu, drag in notifications and quick settings, or switch among running apps. Whether you swipe from the left or from the right makes a difference, as does whether you make short or long swipes or drag across the middle of the screen.

Figure 1: Quick settings and messages come down from the top of the screen.

Figure 2: A quick swipe from left to right brings the starter bar into the foreground.

Figure 3: The main view provides access to all installed apps.

Figure 4: A long swipe from right to left pulls the application view into the foreground.

One function especially stood out. Over a docking station, the Ubuntu mobile phone can also be used with the familiar desktop interface [6], or you can seamlessly switch on a tablet between the mobile interface and the Ubuntu desktop [7].

Canonical thereby could achieve what no other manufacturer has done: the full porting of an operating system with interchangeable user interfaces.

The mobile device could thus change its guise – if desired – to a personal computer that you can transport with all its data. Unfortunately, the Bq Aquaris E4.5 is a bit too weak for this function and cedes it to other, more powerful devices.

Apps en Masse

Canonical made sure that at the launch of the first official Ubuntu phone more than 1,000 apps (according to the distributors) would be available. Nevertheless, certain key applications like Whatsapp are missing. Meanwhile, users must make do with alternatives like Telegram [8].

Regardless of what's said about Whatsapp from a privacy perspective, the absence of this and similar apps is a major downside. There is a Facebook application, but it consists of only one web page – more like mere window dressing.

The Ubuntu phone easily synchronizes contacts and calendars from Google accounts, and Ubuntu Touch takes over appointments in a native calendar app.

The Google Maps replacement is a web app with Nokia's Here [9] map service. There is also a web app for Google Mail, with the promising mail program Dekko [10] as an alternative. Dekko is still in beta, but it is showing no more major weaknesses.

A document viewer, assignment and reminder app, video players, and music program are also on board right from the factory. Several good games are also included from the start. All in all, the device makes a well-rounded impression, even if the selections have some growing to do.

A special feature of Ubuntu Touch are the so-called scopes. The basic idea is something like the home screen widgets you get with Android. Unfortunately, scopes with Ubuntu Touch take up the entire screen, are not necessarily associated with an application, and are on the level with the application view as soon as you mark them as favorites. Thus, you can have a scope marked My Music , another one for Vimeo , news, and many other full-screen widgets.

Conclusion

The Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition, based on a price-performance ratio, is on a level with comparable Android smartphones of the class. The new, well-thought out operating system leaves you wanting more – even when a few quirks tarnish the overall impression a bit.

The operating concept using swipe gestures seems more complicated than it really is. The selection of apps is naturally not as full as with established smartphone systems, but the major ones for everyday use are there. Converts from other systems will soon find themselves at home, because Ubuntu Touch borrows various operating concepts from established systems.

The Ubuntu phone is certainly a must for technical enthusiasts, developers, and hardcore Linux fans. However, even regular users who just want a simple yet technically pioneering operating system should consider the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition and its successors.