Ubuntu for phones has been on our radar since the start of 2013, and since its initial announcement, we've watched it go through development and grow into a full-fledged smartphone operating system. Canonical recently revealed that the first handsets powered by Ubuntu will launch later this year, and now CEO Mark Shuttleworth has revealed how much the initial batch of devices are expected to cost.
Speaking at the CeBIT conference in Germany, Shuttleworth revealed that the upcoming Ubuntu smartphones will cost between $200 and $400. and that the phones "will come out in the mid-higher edge." The exec went on to explain that Canonical chose to go higher-end because it's targeting consumers that want a "very sharp, beautiful experience" since it's working to sell the "future PC." Canonical has previously said that it wants Ubuntu phones to be capable of being plugged into a monitor and used as a functional PC.
The first Ubuntu smartphones will be manufactured by bq and Meizu. Obviously there's still a lot that we don't know about these devices, but the fact that they'll be coming to market with price tags that range from $200 to $400 definitely makes them worth keeping an eye on. To compare, many mid-to-high-end smartphones can cost over $400 when purchased at full retail price, though some exceptions like the Moto X and Nexus 5 do exist.
Do you think that Ubuntu smartphones will be able to gain traction in the wireless market?
Via The Inquirer
