Canonical started their Ubuntu Edge campaign on Indiegogo 8 days ago and went off with a good start. However, things are starting to slow down and the superphone might not see the light of day if this continues.
As mentioned in our earlier article, the Ubuntu Edge campaign needs a total of $32 Million in funds in 30 days (July 22 – Aug 21). On average, it has to receive at least more than a million of pledges ($1.067 million to be exact) daily in order to keep things on track. Unfortunately it’s not happening. By now it should have made at least $8.53 Million but currently stands at $7.44 Million at the time of writing. Take a look at the progress graph below:
Although things are slowing down, it’s still too early to conclude that the campaign will fail. We’re really crossing our fingers that it will push through as we believe that this is really great technology. Abe, aka Yuga, even made an Ubuntu Edge pledge last week. (I was told that if things go south, Canonical will do a refund.)
On the bright side, the Edge project still have 22 days to go and a large window to improve. To those who are interested in the technology, Canonical has posted an update and answers to common questions. Take a look below:
What networks are supported?
The Ubuntu Edge is an unlocked device that works in all countries with GSM/3G/LTE network services. For GSM, which covers a lot of countries but not all operators, the Edge will support the 850, 900, 1800, 1900 and 2100 MHz frequencies.
The Edge will support LTE standard frequencies and multi-band support for roaming. Yes, you can use the Edge on Verizon and Sprint.
Will the phone work with my Mac?
Ubuntu Edge can be connected to any laptop via USB and will appear as a mass storage device. You can transfer files as required.
Will there be an Ubuntu app store?
Yes, you will be able to download free and paid-for applications.
Will the Ubuntu Edge be sustainable and/or hardware hackable?
While we will do our best to keep the hardware as open as possible, these are not the main focus of the project in its first generation. Hardware that’s capable of convergence is the priority.
Have you chosen a CPU/GPU?
We have not chosen a supplier or an architecture yet — whether x86 or ARM. The decision will be taken before production to ensure the fastest available components, and will be driven by benchmarking.
Are you going to make a 64GB model?
We firmly believe that to offer a fully converged experience you need 128GB. Cutting down the specs goes against the ethos of the campaign. You can still access cloud storage and external HDD via USB 3.0.
Why is your screen 4.5 inches and 720p?
At 4.5 inches the move from 720p to 1080p brings little noticeable benefit and puts a greater strain on the hardware and battery. We’re more concerned with photo-realistic colours and contrast.
What are you doing with audio?
With stereo speakers and dual-mic stereo recording, adaptive noise cancelling technology, and a solid DSP, audiophiles should have everything they need.
Where and when is the unveiling event?
We will confirm the unveiling event later this year, subject to a successful campaign.
If they just went with 64gb and ditched the Sapphire gimmick, they could’ve brought down the price which means a lower target *and* more people would be willing to pay/buy.
Overconfidence.
FYI the use of “sapphire crystal screen” is not just gimmick,they will really use sapphire crystal di nga lang siya ginagamit ngaun sa screens dahil sa mahal ang prod costs nito unless gawing mass-produced ito….”If they just went with 64gb…they could’ve brought down the price …” why would they downgrade to 64gig if the price is really reasonable,tignan mo iphone 64gig pa lng 40 k na,kung pagbabasehan mo ung pagpresyo nila if iphone got a 128 gig then its price is now up to 48k TSKA KUNG TITIGNAN MO ANG IBANG PHONES TODAY,ITO ANG MAGIGING PINAKASULIT NA BILHIN CONSIDERING THE OVERWHELING SPECS AS WELL AS THE BRAND’S REPUTATION
GRABEE SANA MATULOY TO KUNG SAKALI BIBILI TALAGA AKO NITO KAHIT PAHIRAPAN PAGIPUNAN HUHUHU
Yung natitira na lang kasi sa pledge ay yung mga mamahalin, kaya bumagal ang funds.
36k sa atin..
halos ka presyo din ng unlocked 32GB na iPhone 5 sa US…
kaso with this you get 64GB more, sapphire glass, android + ubuntu mobile, 3GB more ram, most likely 8-core CPU..
kung may dock lang sana siya…
at, sana hindi lang 30 days yung campaign… hehe’
I had enough of those people who always say “Smartphones will replace computers”. Please take note that operating systems like Android, WP8,iOS or even Ubuntu cannot be developed without the use of a computer. Same goes with the apps.
Computers will always stay for all the developers out there. Although this smartphone is capable of being a computer replacement, its raw power will never be enough to run such intensive tasks like application development, running a server, multimedia editing, 3d modelling and even distributed computing. This kind of smartphone capable of running a desktop OS is just good for basic office tasks.
With the rapid advancements in cpu architecture, one day, this may be the reality. One day, the average user might not be interested anymore in buying a desktop PC. Of course, the traditional desktop PC would still be available for users who rely heavily on computing power, like the tasks you mentioned.
Trends are changing. The common man is more interested on purchasing a new smartphone / tablet, than having their desktop / laptop pc upgraded. I know a few people that would only touch a desktop / laptop when they’re going to write long articles using a keyboard.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to have this as my only smartphone / PC. The risk of losing all my data in an accident or theft, is not worth taking. But, i’m more than happy to accept this as my primary phone / secondary PC.
@someone
What you’ve said is spot on. I was supposed to say that too but I’m just lazy to type longer in my comment because I can’t afford to get caught here at my work…lol.
Yes, the time will come that smartphone processors will be as powerful as desktop processors but it takes a lot of architecture optimization, massive die shrinking and power optimization to achieve such feat. As of now, the barriers in making smartphone processors so powerful are heat issues and power consumption. Not to mention, battery technology should be improved too.
A desktop PC (or laptop of same capabilities, full-blown operating system) will never be replaced by smartphones or tablets by virtue of capability and the sheer form factor.
1.) File system – “Common man” needs his photos, documents, movies, music files to be moved from one folder to another, one folder to another computer, one folder to a smartphone, one folder to a tablet. Granted, Android devices allow you to see / move the files inside the device, you can only move these files efficiently by…PC!
2.) Usage – “Common Man” is only using tablets and smartphones for media consumption, browsing websites and social networks. If he does work, he can’t use the tablet in quick photoshops, editing documents, formatting files. These activities don’t need hardware power capable of 3D rendering, but any mobile OS is totally incapable of providing. E.g. putting a graph inside a Word document from an external source. Now imagine the students’ needs: writing reports, thesis, dissertations, executing programs, and many more.
3.) Technology pace – Yes, the mobile OS tech is moving rapidly doesn’t mean that the PC tech halted its development. By the time mobile OS catches up, the PC is again ahead of the race. Finally a mobile OS can use full-blown Excel! Wait, PC can now use Excel 2.0, a spreadsheet with advance features that were never seen before!
4.) Battery – Power is useless without energy, let’s wait for the battery tech first. And it seems like this would take a long time.
5.) Keyboard, mice, and everything nice: We always forget about the peripherals of PCs.
The PC sales is slumping because “common man” does not buy PCs from OEMs anymore. They are now buying per part. Unlike smartphones and tablets which have ballooned sales figures, PCs don’t need to be upgraded every year. You buy a PC today, you are set for a good amount of time. You buy a smartphone today, you will upgrade next cycle. And of course, every household do not need five PCs, one for each family member, hence the “bleak” sales figure.
WWrong spelling po title.
Wrong spelling din ako. Hehehe