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Ubuntu Edge

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Ubuntu Edge
Preview of Ubuntu Touch on a Ubuntu Edge (render)
BrandCanonical Ltd.
TypeSmartphone
Form factorTouchscreen
Dimensions124 mm (4.9 in) H

64 mm (2.5 in) W

9 mm (0.35 in) D
Operating systemUbuntu TouchandAndroid(Dual boot)
Memory4 GB
Storage128 GB
Batteryrechargeablesilicon-anodeLi-ion
Display4.5 in (110 mm) diagonal
1280×720px (326ppi)
16:9 aspect-ratio
Rear camera8MP
optimized forlow light photography
Front camera2 MP
Connectivity3.5 mmTRRS
Dual-LTE
GSM
GPS
MHL
Bluetooth 4
NFC
Wi-Fi802.11a/b/g/n
Data inputsTouchscreen
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
GPS
Barometer
Digital compass
Proximity sensor
Dual microphonesforactive noise cancellation
OtherSapphire crystaldisplay screen, stereo speakers

TheUbuntu Edgewas a proposedhigh-conceptsmartphoneannounced byCanonical Ltd.on 22 July 2013. Canonical was seeking tocrowdfunda production run of around 40,000 units throughIndiegogo.It had the highest target of any crowdfunded project to date, $32,000,000 over a one-month campaign. The Edge was not intended to go into mass production after the initial run, but rather to serve as a demonstration for new technologies for the industry. The Edge fell short of its funding goal, raising only $12,733,521 with 27,633 backers to purchase the standard model of the handset.[1]

The Edge was designed as a hybrid device, which would function as a high-end smartphone (with bothUbuntu TouchandAndroid), or—when used with a monitor, keyboard and mouse—be able to operate as a conventional desktop PC runningUbuntu.[2]The Ubuntu Edge was also designed to support dual boot, and was to run along with Android.[3]

Fundraising campaign

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Reaction to Canonical's announcement was mixed; while it raised over a million dollars in the first five hours,[4]one commentator has noted the unclear market for the device, with a large number of smartphone operating systems already available, and no precedent showing demand for a "single device" combining the phone with the user's primary computer.[2]The first devices were offered for $600 against a main cost of $825; following the initial launch, this was revised to offer $625, $675 and $725 tranches as earlier ones were filled.[5]Further revisions to the pricing came on 8 August, making it a flat $695 per unit.[6]The first major company to make a pledge was byBloomberg LP,which pledged $80,000.[7]

On 14 August, with 8 days until the deadline, the campaign passed the $10 million milestone.[8]This milestone put the Ubuntu Edge as the secondhighest funded crowdfunding projectat the time, behindStar Citizen,a space trading and combat simulation video game which had raised $15 million that year.[9]

The campaign ended on 21 August with a final sum of $12,809,906, but was not able to meet its goal of $32 million to start the project.[10]

Technical details

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Ubuntu Edge was a proposed smartphone with high-end specifications, often called a "superphone".[11][12]Edge would have been powered by a multi-core processor and at least 4GB ofRAM.[11][13][14]The internal storage would have been 128GB. A micro-SIM slot would have been available. An 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front-facing camera would also be available. The screen would have been a 4.5 "sapphire crystal display (claimed to be scratchable only by diamond) with 1280 x 720 HD resolution. On the connectivity side Edge would have included Dual-LTE, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4 and NFC. GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer etc. would be included from the input side. It would have had Stereo speakers with HD audio and allowed use of a dual microphone recording system with active noise cancellation. Edge would have had an 11-pin connector providing simultaneousMHLandUSB OTG.A 3.5mm jack would have been included and a silicon-anode Li-ion battery would power the device.[11][13][14]

The software would have bootedUbuntu Touchalong withAndroid.The Android part would have also shipped theUbuntu for Androidtechnology, and according to the campaign Ubuntu Edge would have been the first phone todual-bootbetween differentoperating systemsout of the box,[15]it would also have been able to be used as a fully integratedUbuntu desktopPC when docked with a monitor. In physical dimensions, the device would measure at 64 × 9 x 124 mm.[11][13][14]

References

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  1. ^"Canonical announcement on Indiegogo".Indiegogo. 22 August 2013.
  2. ^abKelion, Leo (22 July 2013)."Ubuntu Edge smartphone seeks $32m of crowdfunded cash".BBC News.Retrieved22 July2013.
  3. ^Ubuntu Edge: Bringing Magic To the SmartphoneArchived6 August 2013 at theWayback Machine.Top Net Tools, Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  4. ^Souppouris, Aaron (22 July 2013)."Can the internet raise $32 million to build the Ubuntu Edge smartphone?".The Verge.Retrieved22 July2013.
  5. ^Etherington, Darrell (24 July 2013)."Ubuntu Edge Smartphone Gets A Pledge Price Drop To Keep The Money Rolling in For That $32M Funding Goal".TechCrunch.
  6. ^Dillet, Romain (8 August 2013)."Ubuntu Edge Price Drops Again, Canonical Now Needs Even More Backers To Succeed".TechCrunch.
  7. ^Levine, Barry (22 August 2013)."Ubuntu Edge Smartphone Raises Millions, Falls Short".CIO Today. Archived fromthe originalon 20 October 2013.
  8. ^Koetsier, John (14 August 2013)."Glorious failure: Ubuntu Edge passes $10M on Indiegogo".VentureBeat.
  9. ^Jeffrey Matulef (2 August 2013)."Star Citizen raises an astronomical $15 million".Eurogamer.
  10. ^"Ubuntu Edge".
  11. ^abcd"Canonical Launch $32 Million Ubuntu Phone Crowdfunding Campaign".OMG! Ubuntu!. 22 July 2013.Retrieved22 July2013.
  12. ^Miot, Stephanie, "Canonical Crowdsourcing $32M for Ubuntu Edge 'Superphone', PC Magazine, 22 July 2013
  13. ^abc"Ubuntu Edge".Indiegogo.Retrieved22 July2013.
  14. ^abc"Canonical Reveals Ubuntu Edge Superphone Technical Specifications".Softpedia. 23 July 2013.Retrieved23 July2013.
  15. ^"Ubuntu Edge Will Be the First Phone to Dual-Boot Between Different OSes".Softpedia. 23 July 2013.Retrieved23 July2013.
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