The phone’s highlights include a 4.5-inch screen (most likely 720p HD), dual-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera with flash, 16GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot, and LTE connectivity support, as well as the gesture-based Sailfish OS that works in a similar fashion to MeeGo and BlackBerry 10 (they all share the same roots). Perhaps more importantly, with Jolla users get an option to run Android apps though I guess there will be some glitches here and there with apps requiring access to specific phone functions.

The Jolla phone consists of two parts, one housing the screen, processor and all other hardware; and the plastic back cover that comes in different colors. The neat thing — which we’ve seen before on some Nokia phones — is that the device can detect which back cover you’re using and react accordingly, changing colors, fonts, backgrounds, favorite media files and so on.

That’s all cool, but is it enough to compete in today’s market? Let’s face it, Jolla is facing some tough competition not just from incumbent players like iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10; but also from aggressive newcomers like Canonical (Ubuntu), Mozilla (Firefox OS) and Tizen (backed by Samsung and some other major corporations). The Finnish company doesn’t seem to target business users (at least not initially) and their recently announced funding round from China Fortune can help it move quite a few units in the world’s most populous nation. Then again, Chinese also have an array of platforms to choose from and I do wonder how many of them are willing to experiment with a nascent platform that still doesn’t have a single major backer.

The Sailfish OS looks pretty amazing but that’s not enough. Going forward, Jolla’s goal should be to amaze developers, media and get more partners to its eco-system. It’s a long ride and we want them to succeed. Alas, we’ll have to try out the first Jolla phone to make our judgment. In the meantime, we’re curious – what you think about Jolla? Does it have what it take to succeed?

At the moment, Canonical doesn’t allow users to download Ubuntu for Android (or perhaps it’s still not ready for prime time), and the company is rather looking for OEMs to license the software. I believe that the “perfect vendor” to take advantage of this software is ASUS, which should offer it pre-installed on its Padfone series. This way Padfone users would get an added benefit when they dock their smartphone to the tablet shell, with the ability to use real desktop apps.

ASUS on its end would finally be able to justify the steep pricing of its Padfone devices which [prices] at present are really hard to swallow. You see, the money that gets you the Padfone 2 could buy you both a comparable smartphone and tablet — and the idea of the combo device is to be cheaper than buying the two devices separately. If, on the other hand, the Padfone 2 (and Padfone Infinity for that matter) came with Ubuntu for Android, the Taiwanese company should be able to entice more users to grab their expensive gadget. With such software, potential Padfone customers would not only buy a smartphone and tablet, but also a full-blown PC that can run many of the apps they’re used to running on their existing computers.

Sounds like a plan and I’m just hoping ASUS’ folks are reading this. What do you think about Ubuntu for Android-powered Padfone? Would you pay a premium for such a device?

So we thought Canonical will make its software available for download. For some reason, that’s not happening and I can’t but wonder why? Are they waiting for their own mobile platform to launch or the software is “still not there.” We can only speculate at this stage and hope that someone from Canonical is reading this.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who would pay for the benefit of having just one computer – my smartphone. And with the stack of Ubuntu apps I would be able to accomplish 90% of tasks. Yeah, I’ll miss few Windows apps but that means I’ll use my Windows PC only in special circumstances.

So Canonical – why don’t you release Ubuntu for Android? Sell it for $50 (or more) if you have to – just give us the goodies. I’m getting impatient…

What about you – do you want Ubuntu for Android? And would you be willing to dump your “regular” computer to have just one device, the one you carry around in your pocket?

According to Dillon, operators have a fear of turning to dump pipes when their margins would shrink significantly, and when the number one question for users will be “where can I get the biggest, cheapest plan.”

He said that to tackle this problem, companies should embrace openness as it can “enable a greater degree of innovation.” Dillon went on to add: “Openness is the new ecosystem, and ecosystem independence is the thing that really is going to drive innovation. A lot of people are scared of open. But openness is not something to be afraid of. There are lots of business models that are available. But openness is also about being open to innovate.”

However, unlike Google, Jolla is working on a more tightly controlled system similar to BlackBerry and Apple, as they plan to merge hardware and software design to ensure the best possible experience. “When you control the whole thing, the software and the hardware, when you are able to contribute an operating system and hardware together, then you can create your own user experience and be very different. You can create your own industrial design, and package it any way you want,” Dillon added…

Perhaps the best part is that the new Chromebook Pixel comes with a Gorilla Glass-protected 12.85-inch 2560×1700 pixels (239 ppi) touchscreen, making it the first Chrome laptop to support touch-based input and also a computer with the highest pixel density of any laptop screen on the market today.

Rest of the specs are impressive as well, and include Intel’s Core i5 1.8GHz processor and a 32GB SSD (64GB on the LTE model). Moreover, there are three microphones designed to cancel out surrounding noise, powerful speakers for crisp sound, 720p webcam, dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity with industry-leading range and optional 3G/4G (LTE) connectivity (that works with Verizon Wireless’ network). Plus, when you purchase the Pixel, you also get 12 free GoGo Inflight Internet passes, and a total of one terabyte of Google Drive cloud storage for three years!

On the downside though, at 3.35 lbs (1.52 kg) the Chromebook Pixel seems kinda too heavy. I would expect it to be lighter than comparable ultrabooks but for some reason – that’s not the case.

Finally, the price and availability information. The Pixel has already started selling through Google Play in the U.S. and U.K., and will also hit Best Buy and Currys PC World (UK). The Wi-Fi version (available for $1,299 in the US or £1,049 in the UK) will start shipping next week and the LTE version ($1,449) will ship in the U.S. in April.

China Fortune has a business unit focused on “fulfillment services, design, retail and logistics” for mobile devices, and is already a partner of Nokia for mainland China.

In a statement, China Fortune said that “since the Group has been in the related mobile phone industry for decades, and the potential for mobile phone related business development is surely enormous and sustainable, mobile phone operating system and mobile internet are the major key business areas the Group is interested in.”

It went on to add that while Jolla Oy is a new company, its team consists of well-experienced programmers and developers of mobile phone operating system.

The deal is being conducted through China Fortune’s subsidiary Express Fortune through a series of transactions worth around 1 million EUR.

[Via: MobileWorldLive]

Before you jump right in and flash your Android device, take heed of Canonical’s description of the software which says this is a “very new and unfinished version of Ubuntu.” Take it from someone who has done this before — don’t install beta software on your mission critical device unless you are willing to miss the occasional email.

All the instructions for installing the software can be found on the Ubuntu Wiki using the link below.

[Via Ubuntu]

“Our family of interfaces now scales across all screens, so your phone can provide tablet, PC and TV experiences when you dock it. That’s unique to Ubuntu and it’s the future of personal computing,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu and Canonical.

Ubuntu will run on existing hardware that is compatible with Linux-oriented Board Support Package. The Touch Developer Preview will be released on February 21 and can be installed on Google’s Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets as well as the Nexus 4 smartphone. The full release of Ubuntu for tablets will be available later this year. A hardware partner which will optimize its devices for Ubuntu will be announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.

[Via Canonical and ZDNet]

• Enhanced Web framework that provides state-of-the-art HTML5/W3C API support
• Web UI framework that includes full-screen and multi-window support
• Additional Tizen device APIs like Bluetooth and NFC support, as well as access to the device’s calendar, call history and messaging subsystems
• Web Runtime framework supporting new configuration elements for specifying the required features and privileges, and providing the basic runtime environment for NPRuntime plugins
• Native framework with support to full-featured application development that provides a variety of features such as background applications, IP Push and Text-To-Speech
• Core and native reference applications including Calendar, Contacts, Gallery, Phone, Settings and Video Player
• Enhanced Web IDE providing WYSIWYG design environment, Chrome-based JavaScript inspector and JavaScript log viewer
• Native IDE providing a project wizard, WYSIWYG design environment, unit test tool and dynamic analyzer

So if you’re a developer, you can download documentation and tools from here. The SDK is can be found on this page.

As noticed by The Verge, Canonical has hijacked Ubuntu’s main webpage and replaced the standard product information with a countdown ticker. The timer is slated to end tomorrow morning at 11AM, when the company (or one of its partners) will presumably announce a new product. The text on the countdown says “Tick, tock, tablet time!,” which strongly suggests Canonical is bringing its Ubuntu flavor of Linux to the tablet form factor.

[Via Ubuntu and The Verge]

Canonical is creating a version of Ubuntu that will be a cross-platform distribution, thus enabling one code base to run on a multitude of devices, such as tablets, desktop, mobile and TV. Ubuntu on mobile relies heavily on HTML-5 applications, as well as a few native apps. Best of all, when a device running the Ubuntu mobile OS is docked to a computer, it will then give you a full-fledged desktop experience.

Canonical team members will also be flashing devices to Ubuntu at the Ubuntu stand at Mobile World Congress this February 25th-28th, and will have various devices running the new operating system.

Press release follows below

Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu to be published on 21 February 2013
Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu for Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 will be available
Daily update mechanism to follow progress in Ubuntu
Canonical will flash phones at MWC for industry, developers and enthusiasts
Preview SDK and App Design Guides already available for developers building touch apps for Ubuntu
London, 15th February 2013: Images and open source code for the Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu will be published on Thursday 21st February, supporting the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 smartphones.

They are intended for enthusiasts and developers, to familiarise themselves with Ubuntu’??s smartphone experience and develop applications on spare handsets. Tools that manage the flashing of the phone will be available on the same day in the Ubuntu archives, making it easy to keep a device up to date with the latest version of the Touch Developer Preview.

Attendees of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, 25th – 28th February can have their phones flashed to Ubuntu by Canonical team members at the Ubuntu stand, booth number 81D30, App Planet Hall 8.1, where Ubuntu will be shown on a range of devices.

The code release is a milestone in the development program for Ubuntu’??s phone experience, and enables developers to port the platform to other devices. “??Our platform supports a wide range of screen sizes and resolutions. Developers who have experience bringing up phone environments will find it relatively easy to port Ubuntu to current handsets”? said Pat McGowan, who leads the integration effort that produced the images being released. ?”We look forward to adding support for additional devices for everyday testing and experimentation.”

The install process and supported device list are maintained at wiki.ubuntu.com/TouchInstallProcess and will be updated as new devices are added.

The release also marks the start of a new era for Ubuntu, with true convergence between devices. When complete, the same Ubuntu code will deliver a mobile, tablet, desktop or TV experiences depending on the device it is installed on, or where it is docked. Ubuntu 13.10 (due in October) will include a complete entry-level smartphone experience.

Canonical has published a Preview SDK and App Design Guides to allow developers to create applications for the full range of Ubuntu platforms. The toolkit provides a range of documented templates to enable native applications to be created quickly and easily. The App Design Guides explain how these templates can be used to design and build beautiful and usable apps. Blackberry Touch developers will be familiar with the Qt/QML environment, which supports rich native touch apps. Developers will not need to cross-compile or package applications differently for phone, tablet, PC and TV. One platform serves all four, a single application binary can do the same.

On Ubuntu, native and web or HTML5 applications sit as equal citizens and so those developers already developing HTML5 applications will easily gain support for Ubuntu.

“This release marks the threshold of wider engagement – both with industry and community.” says Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu. “??For developers, contributors and partners, there is now a coherent experience that warrants attention. The cleanest, most stylish mobile interface around.”

Availability:
Go to wiki.ubuntu.com/TouchInstallProcess to download Touch Developer Preview of Ubuntu from Thursday 21st February.
Go to developer.ubuntu.com to download the SDK to develop applications for Ubuntu.
Go to http://design.ubuntu.com/apps to read the Apps Design Guide giving advice about designing and building beautiful and usable apps for Ubuntu on the phone.
Visit Canonical at Mobile World Congress: Booth Number: 81D30, App Planet Hall 8.1.

[Via: Android Central]