The Ubuntu Mobile phone you’ve been waiting for will be here next week

By Andy Boxall February 26, 2015

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MX4 ubuntu — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chinese smartphone brand Meizu will finally be showing its first Ubuntu Mobile smartphone during Mobile World Congress next week, and the good news is, it’s based on the flagship MX4. The only Ubuntu phone so far revealed is the Aquaris E45, which has mediocre specs, and is produced by the Spanish firm BQ – an unknown outside of the country.

Meizu may not be any better known, but the MX4 is worthy of attention. It has a 5.36-inch touchscreen with an unusual, beyond Full HD 1,920 x 1,152 pixel resolution, and a MediaTek octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM. On the rear is a 20-megapixel camera, and inside is a massive 3100mAh battery.

Related: Hands-on with Ubuntu Mobile

It was released last year running Android 4.4 with Meizu’s Flyme user interface over the top, but this new version will use the long-awaited Ubuntu Mobile operating system instead. Meizu hasn’t said whether the hardware will be altered in any way for the new software, or if it’ll offer the OS as an alternative for existing MX4 owners.

Meizu and BQ signed a deal with Canonical early in 2014 to produce phones with the OS, but it has taken a while for the devices to make a public appearance. Even now, the BQ phone is only available in limited numbers. Meizu doesn’t have much of an international presence, but it does sell its phones through an online store, so there should be a way to buy one if you’re interested.

All the details, including price and release date, will be revealed in Barcelona next week. Digital Trends will be at the show, and we’ll keep you updated here.

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