Canonical has announced the latest phone to run its Ubuntu operating system: the Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition. Built in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Meizu, it's the first Meizu device to be launched in Europe. However, rather than being readily available to buy, the Meizu MX4 will only be available via invitation from Meizu's website for a price of 299 Euros.
It should be more accessible than the elusive OnePlus One (another recent smartphone to be available via invite only), though, as Meizu told Expert Reviews that invites will be randomly generated each day (starting today) when users visit Meizu's interactive origami wall on its UK website. If you're not successful the first time, you can always try again the next day. All you need to do is keep clicking on the wall to find out more information about the phone and lucky users will eventually be presented with an invitation to buy.
Available in both silver and gold, the MX4 comes with an impressive set of specs. It has a 5.36in display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and has what Canonical's calling a "sharp premium retina" resolution of 1,920x1,152. There's also a rear 20.7-megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash and a 2-megapixel front facing camera, and it has a 2,320mAh battery. The MX4 comes with 16GB of internal storage and is powered by a 1.7GHz Cortex A17 and quad-core A7 processor.
Of course, Ubuntu is a very different operating system to both Android and iOS, and Canonical is aiming the device specifically at phone enthusiasts rather than the general public. One of the most unique features of Ubuntu's mobile OS is its use of Scopes. Instead of having to open up individual apps to access your music, photos, web browser and social media pages, Scopes presents everything straight on the home screen. All you need to do is swipe to the side to switch between different Scopes. As a result, gestures play a big role in Ubuntu OS and you can read all about how they work in our hands-on Ubuntu for phones review.
"Meizu pioneered the new wave of innovative Chinese manufacturers of high quality, high end devices who have mastered the user centric distribution model that is so popular in China." said Cristian Parrino, VP Mobile at Canonical. "Their hunger for breaking down current ecosystem dynamics make them a perfect partner for Ubuntu."
Li Nan, VP at Meizu added, "We’re proud to be partnering with Ubuntu on our first major smartphone launch in Europe, which is a huge milestone for us. Ubuntu is breaking down new barriers in mobile user experience and ecosystem development, and we’re excited to be a part of it."
