Canonical unveils Ubuntu phone OS that doubles as a “full PC”

January 2, 2013

Canonical today announced a new version of Ubuntu designed specifically for smartphones to power everything from entry-level handhelds to "high-end superphones" that double as PCs.
The move by Canonical was long expected, although it is coming late to a market already dominated by the iPhone and Android-based devices. Ubuntu for phones isn't a whole new operating system. Instead, it is a "smartphone interface" for Ubuntu. This helps Ubuntu differentiate from other phone operating systems by Voltron-ing itself into a full-fledged PC when docked to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard.

Ubuntu has previously been in the smartphone game with Android devices that become a modified Ubuntu PC when docked. This didn't make much of an impact, as the most prominent such device—the Motorola Atrix and lapdock—has been discontinued.

Ubuntu for Android is a separate product, which Canonical will continue to maintain. The newly announced version of Ubuntu will run on smartphones without any reliance on Android, however. This helps fulfill founder Mark Shuttleworth's promise of having Ubuntu become one operating system from phones to supercomputers....

The Ubuntu interface will feature the following:
1. Edge magic: thumb gestures from all four edges of the screen enable users to find content and switch between apps faster than other phones.

2. Deep content immersion—controls appear only when the user wants them.

3. A beautiful global search for apps, content, and products.

4. Voice and text commands in any application for faster access to rich capabilities.

5. Both native and Web or HTML5 apps.

6. Evolving personalized art on the welcome screen.