After originally releasing a developer preview of its Ubuntu Touch mobile software for the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 in early 2013, Canonical today announced that it's reducing the number of devices that it supports with its mobile version of Ubuntu.
In an email sent to the Ubuntu-phone team, Canonical has revealed that will cease building Ubuntu Touch software for the Galaxy Nexus so that it can place more focus on the Nexus 4 and its Ubuntu 14.04 software release. Additionally, the company will be consolidating the number of Nexus tablet hardware that it builds software for, cutting support for the old Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. That leaves the Nexus 4 and new Nexus 7 as the sole devices that will be getting Ubuntu Touch support in the near future.
What about the Nexus 5, you ask? Canonical says that it doesn't plan on supporting the latest Nexus smartphone, at least not until it can get Ubuntu 14.04 out the door. The company says that it's currently focused on 14.04 and that the engineering costs associated with switching to the Nexus 5 aren't worth it. That doesn't mean that the Nexus 5 won't gain support at some point in the future, though, so N5 owners shouldn't fret too much right now.
While Canonical's decision to reduce the number of Nexus devices it supports with Ubuntu Touch is definitely a bummer, it's tough to be too upset at the company. After all, it takes time and money to develop software, and it makes sense that Canonical would want to devote as much of its efforts as possible to its new software and the newer Nexus hardware rather than spread itself too thin by continuing to support aging hardware like the Galaxy Nexus.
Have you given Ubuntu Touch a test drive on one of these Nexus devices? If so, what do you think of it?
Via Android and Me, Canonical
