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Ubuntu Linux smarthphone coming this year?

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mahesh2k:
More open devices the better. Helps keep people away from brand frustration and monopoly. KDE tablet is coming too.

f0dder:
OK, so I'm pessimistic and it might very well turn out that I'm wrong, but...

"Anything to make it more hacker friendly." - in which way isn't Android hacker-friendly? Sure, individual manufacturer "value" addons might not be open, but core Android is, and there's several custom ROMs. As for being fully open, I kinda doubt that's going to happen, because of patents as well as security issues (radio/baseband code).

"anything to divorce the marriage between phone models and carrier" - I somehow doubt Canonical is going to change that... they're at least partly in it for the money.

"more choices, more software/apps, more options" - more software? Android is already open to write for, for anybody who cares, without any fees to Google. If you think you're going to be able to take any old linux program and run on an Ubuntu smartphone, I think you're going to be surprised... most of the so-called "portable" software is really only "portable to (most) normal linux distros", not something as different as a smartphone, and there's so much crap out there which has a hard time running on anything but x86 (even x64). And even if the code is portable, have fun running something designed for X11 and desktop resolutions on a smartphone screen :)

Oh, and as if current smartphone OSes weren't bloated enough, I really don't like thinking about how bad a "normal" linux distro would be on such a device. And if it isn't somewhat more "normal" (and clunky) than an Android based device, what's the use then, apart from duplicating Android functionality?

"ability for smaller companies to build their own cellphones, and not just the huge brands like apple, ms, samsung, htc." - we'll see about that, but I somehow doubt it. You need some muscle to be able to withstand litigation from the big'uns. And even ignoring patent trolling, putting a phone together is no easy task.

"how about a ubuntu phone made by kingston, that i take to at&t and activate." - OK, you want phone and carrier to be separated, that's something that calls for regulation.

Renegade:
Decoupling the device, software (OS), carrier, and app distribution (app stores) is an absolute win for the consumer, and a loss for the carriers, device manufacturers, and proprietary OSes because then they have to compete harder for consumer dollars. Even for the Blackberry model of secure communications, an open system would create new opportunities for secure communications providers and secure storage providers.

Every open device that hits the market chips away at the closed and proprietary models where freedom is at their discretion.

While Canonical may be profit motivated, it's still a move in the right direction.

Anyways, I'm hopeful that this will all turn out well for people. I suppose that means I hope that it turns out badly for those with vested interests in restricting the markets. :P

"how about a ubuntu phone made by kingston, that i take to at&t and activate." - OK, you want phone and carrier to be separated, that's something that calls for regulation.-f0dder (January 03, 2013, 01:18 AM)
--- End quote ---

I don't know why laws would be needed. It only takes 1 upstart to set the dominoes in motion, and if they weren't set in motion, you could basically be guaranteed that there was an illegal cartel behind the scenes rigging the market. But, it's not like those kinds of investigations are ever pursued - as long as you're a big company, you can do whatever you want with impunity. e.g. HSBC. (Too many examples there.)

Edvard:
My only wish for Android is if I could get root without having to have a custom rom.  DAMN annoying when I can't do a fool task like changing the fecking DNS without rooting it.  Bleah.

40hz:
Telecommunications and the radio spectrum are highly regulated in most parts of the world - both under local law and international treaty.

So while you can easily build any hardware device you like, there's no guarantee it will ever be allowed to access the telcom grid or legally use the airwaves. Because in such a highly regulated environment, all unrestricted devices (and most real innovations) are viewed as potential threats to the stability and security of the network. So a completely open and unlocked smartphone is the last thing that government regulators and telco network security departments want to see come onto the market. Or even be allowed.

And like the TV ad (Verizon?) says: a phone is only as good as the network it's on. Or more correctly: is allowed on.

And with all the patent trolling, vendor lock-in, and infighting going on in the smartphone market, I don't see any of the real players (AT&T, Verizon, Metro Mobile, Sprint, et al.) looking to add to their line of sanctioned smartphones.

To be frank, Canonical is completely out of its league here. And probably more than a little guilty of falling for the "better mousetrap" fallacy.

Exciting? Yes! But as my niece says : This is so not gonna happen.
 8)

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