Ubuntu has announced their definitive plans to release their linux implementation for smartphones. It appears that this would exist as a replacement OS for android phones, and eventually Ubuntu would like OEM's to start shipping phones with Ubuntu preinstalled.

What do you guys think about Ubuntu as a new competitor in the phone OS space? With iOS, Android, and Windows already competing fiercely, how do you think Ubuntu will fit into this sphere? Specifically, who do you think they will compete with most heavily? It seems like an OS, to be successful, not only needs to attract consumers but also developers. How do you think Ubuntu will fair in the fight to attract both consumers and developers?

Its all very nice. I would love to try it. There are a lot of novel ideas being brought to the table here, and that can't be anything but a good thing. Any competition will only make my own phone better.

My initial reaction to the interaction and design on the phone: Looks, cool, but un grounded. What I mean by this is that the lack of a specific destination, like a home screen, to be when you are not doing anything, makes me feel a bit disoriented. Its important in any interface to have a starting place. A place that is safe, where you can go back if you get lost. The idea of a "homepage" is central to the web for a reason.

Why is there a character counter on branch?

...continued.
As for aesthetics I'm seeing a windows-esque concept of a uniform typographical system, mixed with the apple Skeuomorphic icons and other elements. The examples of designing to cater to an OEM was to change to color.

The welcome screen had some type of data viz on it? Strange.

The real question is: Why does branch have a character counter on these replies??

Firstly,
The sort of, official-second announcement of Ubuntu for Android happened a few days ago, right before CES - and it's scheduled to be shown there, but isn't just a little too similar to how WebOS was shown at CES?

The OS is this super-progressive gesture-based user interface - which is well-and-good, but there's a near-two year gap between when it's shown and when it'll be on actual hardware.

(here's a like-minded Verge article by Vlad Savov mobile.theverge.com).

Secondly,

Besides the odd timing of its launch - I don't have a problem with Ubuntu for Android at all. I think it's a great idea! It's very similar to what GreenThrottle is trying to do for consoles gaming.

Ubuntu for Android will have a lot of competition: Mozilla's mobile OS and Open WebOS - which both run on the Android kernel, but none of them, I think, will really ever have a future on US carriers.

Also,
BB10 is coming up, WP8 is very slowly gaining and losing momentum, and Android and iOS have a duopoly.

I don't think there's much - if any - extra room for any more mobile OSs.

(I forgot to include Jolla Sailfish and Tizen.)

phonedog.com

I understand Ubuntu to be a mass-integration of various other open source apps/software. If that premise is incorrect, disregard the remainder of this comment.

Open source software is like communism: sounds great on paper, falls apart in practice. Ubuntu's promises of free, fully integrated apps sound really great; but it seems unlikely they'll be able to deliver parity with the paid market. The main problems I'd anticipate with Ubuntu are A) those looking for the low cost mobile OS alternative are likely to be low-tech users, and B) low-tech users will be frustrated with Ubuntu apps bugs/non-intuitive UI (typical characteristics of free software).

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Resulting in C) the developer community is unlikely to develop apps for these low-value users, resulting in D) the app portfolio on Ubuntu OS will be poor, and a downward cycle of disappointed low-value users perpetuates from there.

One additional reason to be bearish on open source mobile OS: mobile operating systems are going to make up such a major part of our daily lives, even a marginal improvement in performance etc. in your mobile platform will be worth paying a relatively higher percentage of your disposable income than would other less daily-life-integral goods and services. So most users who have a little money will be willing to pay for better mobile OS, and thus the paid market will dominate open source.

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Anyway, that's essentially what's happened so far: Android ships a lot more devices, iOS turns a s---ton more cash. I'm not sure atm that there's a compelling reason Ubuntu would encroach on the iOS market. So to answer one of Tyler's questions of "who does Ubuntu compete with," it's clearly Android. Perhaps we can branch off this box to discuss "what is the likelihood Ubuntu replaces Android?"

AND SERIOUSLY WHY DOES BRANCH HAVE SUCH A SHORT CHARACTER LIMIT

I keep hearing more and more about Tizen. My sense is that it has the best traction outside of the standard current mobile OS players. I think Samsung is starting to commit more resources to it and Samsung is kind of a big deal.

Im not sure Tizen will see much traction in the US market, but in foreign markets it has a real big opportunity. Its interesting how Samsung wants to go the route of Apple and really start offering products for which they have complete control over the experience. I mean Google is doing this now as well with their Nexus 4/7/10 devices. There is a real competitive disadvantage when you don't control every element of your product, be it the OS, hardware, packaging, whatever.

But coming back to Ubuntu: beyond just being another OS for phones, they are also marketing it as being able to plug into a monitor and becoming a workstation you take with you. For some developers and other professionals, I think this offering has legs.

yea i've heard some chatter about samsung moving supporting it's devices with a native OS (coulda been tizen?).

strikes me as a massive risk for them tho. clearly things are working out for them on Android. if they use/produce an OS that doesn't perform, their potential losses are enormous. i mean really enormous.

add in the developer environment (ppl use apps a LOT on their devices, and who's making apps for Tizen or Ubuntu?), and the costs of moving to a new OS are truly monumental, unless i'm missing something?

samsung dominates on android, and android is beginning to dominate global adoptions. honestly, how does the cost/benefit prove favorable for an OS change?