Ubuntu Edge - Ubuntu Smartphone Announcement?

[ekianjo]

830 dollars is indeed very expensive. It's an interesting case study on large projects. 

 

[WizardStan]

And there have been 49 people spending $230 more than they needed to. Bizarre.

 

[kingoddball]

I agree! I want an open phone.


If this works like they say - will be brilliant.


The fact that its an open hardware/software, we can surely tell the phone to open in desktop mode and install another GUI. apt-get should be there. Desktop and mobile OS are built on the same core.


Can't wait - already laid they money down. Worth the risk. I did it with the Pandora. Ordered. Waited for nearly 2 years. (Got mine from ED eventually).

 

[vcoleiro1]

^ Hmm, my only guess is they wanted to kick in extra to help the project. It is strange though

 

[EssoAir]

Why do thwy need 32 million to make rhis, again?

 

[kingoddball]

It's in the FAQs why they want so much.


I'm happy to kick in more - I'd love to place another contrib for the $600. Wife won't let me "order" two phones which may never turn up! She's a little more sensible than me.


If this works like they say (desktop mode). I'll dump my MacBook Air, get an 11" hdmi display and design and print a shell where I can just jam the phone in and use it as an ultra portable laptop!

 

[second exodous]

Hmm, guess my thread was deleted since one was already here.  Oh well.

They need 32 million because that is what it takes to get a phone made now-a-days aparently.  Reading some articles today, none that I can find right now, say that is pretty much the bare minimum to make a high end phone.  One article even said it was short of what they actually needed.  Canonical is probably planning on funding the rest if they don't get the other X million or whatever though.

If this works like they say (desktop mode). I'll dump my MacBook Air, get an 11" hdmi display and design and print a shell where I can just jam the phone in and use it as an ultra portable laptop!

If it looks good crowd-fund it and I'll order one.

 

[vcoleiro1]

^ Not deleted , but merged with this one.  Probably a wise move, it was getting confusing to have 2.

Probably got about 2 -3 hours before the $600 tier is fully taken up. So if anyone is thinking about it, get in quick 

 

[kingoddball]

I watched it move from 1000sold to 3500+ in only 2 or 3 hours

 

[second exodous]

Oh, I see now, I thought my thread was deleted.

If you can get in to the first day sales I think it is worth saving the $230 personally.  All these crowd-funded projects are a risk and it isn't for anyone.  All my friends think I'm crazy for giving money to these projects, they just think they're 'schemes', but so far everything I've given money to has panned out.

 

[dreamer]

They need 32 million because that is what it takes to get a phone made now-a-days aparently.  Reading some articles today, none that I can find right now, say that is pretty much the bare minimum to make a high end phone.  One article even said it was short of what they actually needed.  Canonical is probably planning on funding the rest if they don't get the other X million or whatever though.

Somehow I have the feeling that a large part of the current funding already comes from them indirectly through employees or something.
And besides, the fairphone is making a pretty high-end phone (quad 1.2ghz) and aimed for a much smaller amount and lower prices (nearly half) during their crowdfunding.

I'm not entirely convinced you'll be getting your money's worth with this.

 

[second exodous]

Oh, I forgot about the fairphone, I have to look into that again.

It seems $600-$700 is the norm for a high end phone right now, without a contract that is.  The S4 Google edition cost $650 but it doesn't necessarily use the latest tech, no phone does, so if this phone pulls it off it is worth a premium.

EDIT:  Also, I'd be surprised if 'a large part of the current funding already comes from them indirectly through employees or something'.  I have seen a few games barley reach their goal with crowd-funding and then the last little while it is up they promise a Linux port for X-amount and they go way way over that just for a Linux port.  Linux people are funding this I bet.  Linux is growing and crowd-funding is more or less proof of it.

Also, iPhone5 is $850 for 64GB.  And it isn't unlocked(jailbroken for iPhone?)  I doubt that there is a phone for less than $850 with 128GB in 10 months.

 

[kingoddball]

In Aus an iphone 64GB is $1000!


$900 for the 32GB. My wife's galaxy s4 was $900. So for an Aussie, $600 for a super phone is a BARGAIN!


Australia gets terrible princes and to make it worse, conversion rates make importing not worth the effort.

 

[EssoAir]

I payed $300 for my Galaxy S4 off contract... Perks of being a US Citizen?

 

[WizardStan]

How did you manage that? T-Mobile is selling it for $600 so it certainly isn't a perk of being in the US.

 

[second exodous]

I payed $300 for my Galaxy S4 off contract... Perks of being a US Citizen?

How did you manage that?  Through ATT it is $200 with a contract.  I'm probably never going to buy an Android phone that isn't directly through Google though, I just hate looking at the new Android and wanting it.  This phone hopefully will get the latest from Canonical.

 

[EssoAir]

In the US, we have contracts (not sure if they have those other places). These contracts allow you to upgrade your phone ever 2 years for $200-$300. I live in an area of the country that breeds dipshits faster than rabbits. So, people here will buy new phones at the cheap price instead of feeding their kids or paying their bills. So, I go on Craigslist and find people that are like "oh ya, I forgot to buy food - anyone want my new phone for the same price I payed" and I buy it from then. So, for $300 I get a new phone. So new, it had never been activated. it still had the clear plastic film on it. I didnt even have to pay for gas. The dude drove to my house to sell it to me.

 

[WizardStan]

That is sad. Technically it isn't out of contract, just YOU aren't under contract. The person you bought it from is still under contract to pay it off. And that's not a perk of being in the US, that's a perk of being near people who can't control themselves.

 

[second exodous]

In the US, we have contracts (not sure if they have those other places). These contracts allow you to upgrade your phone ever 2 years for $200-$300. I live in an area of the country that breeds dipshits faster than rabbits. So, people here will buy new phones at the cheap price instead of feeding their kids or paying their bills. So, I go on Craigslist and find people that are like "oh ya, I forgot to buy food - anyone want my new phone for the same price I payed" and I buy it from then. So, for $300 I get a new phone. So new, it had never been activated. it still had the clear plastic film on it. I didnt even have to pay for gas. The dude drove to my house to sell it to me.

I think you might have a stolen phone.  This happened where I lived with iPhones, it turned out the guy stole a whole box of them in transit to somewhere.  Dude, you probably bought a stolen phone.

I don't think you should hold this against the Edge though, kinda not fair comparing a phone at second hand price to retail.

 

[EssoAir]

I like it here It has its faults, but living here is very home-y I guess. Lots of meth heads, but they're easy to ignore. Wow, im getting off topic.


Question: Will the Edge be able to use the Ubuntu desktop in Android?