If the smartphone’s design seems conspicuously familiar (and if the “Ubuntu Edition” moniker didn’t give it away), that’s because it isn’t new. Rather, it, much like the MX4 before it, is a rebranded variant of one of Meizu’s Android-powered phones — the Pro 5.
Unlike the decidedly mid-range MX4 before it, though, the Pro 5 features top-end hardware. It’s got a 5.7-inch 1080p AMOLED display, Samsung’s octa-core Exynos 7420 chip, 3GB or 4GB of RAM (depending on configuration), and 32GB/64GB of storage. Rounding out the Pro 5’s internal accouterments is a Sony 21-megapixel and 5-megapixel sensor for the front and rear, respectively, a 3,050mAh battery, and a fingerprint reader.
On the software side, the latest Ubuntu mobile’s been upgraded in a major respect: Scopes, the pared-down search application that supports social media, calendar, message, weather, and call feeds accessible from the
Separately, new apps have joined the Ubuntu ecosystem: Spotify recently launched a client, as did games platform Play Canvas. The new additions don’t quite put
Unfortunately, the Pro 5 doesn’t support what’s arguably Ubuntu mobile’s headlining feature: the ability to transform any old monitor into a fully-featured
If nothing else, the launch of the Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition is a sign that Canonical’s
The Pro 5 will be available for pre-order during the Mobile World Congress next week, and will ship globally. Pricing has yet to be announced, but given the beefy hardware, you can bet it’ll be a good deal higher than, say, the $319 MX4, the $219 BQ E5 HD Ubuntu Edition, or the dirt cheap Aquaris E4.5 UE.
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