Ubuntu Phone Glimpse: Developers

Today as an Ubuntu Phone insider I got some more news on Ubuntu Phone, it's about Developer entry points, here it is:

Hi Insiders,

Within this Phone Glimpse we'll be looking at Developer entry points with the Ubuntu phone.

Developers can use scopes as a way to build an app-like experience at a fraction of the cost, but unlike apps, scopes become an integral part of the device's experience.

The platform barrier for developer entry has been lowered, minimising the investment to have to deliver first class experiences on the Ubuntu phone from day one. Scopes allow developers lightweight integration opportunities directly into the core OS.

There's also fully integrated support of mainstream HTML5 and mobile web sites that allow reuse of existing assets as the fastest and cheapest path to deliver an experience on the Ubuntu phone. Native apps remain an option for experiences that are unlikely to ever be suited for scopes, one example being games.

All this as we continue our goal of making Ubuntu development as streamlined and powerful as ever with the community.

Best,

The Ubuntu Phone Team

#ubuntuphone

Specs of new bq Ubuntu Phone revealed by Canonical

Today, form Canonical, we got the specs of the new bq Ubuntu Phone that will be launched in February, just in eleven days:

Hi Insiders,

Hope all is well.

Next up in this Phone Glimpse, we'll be shining the spotlight on our hardware device for the Ubuntu phone.

We are confident and excited to be partnering with Spanish mobile device manufacturers bq for the Ubuntu phone. bq is dedicated to designing and manufacturing multimedia devices. It's six directors only formed seven years ago where they met as telecommunications students who would repair computers in their spare time. Today it's one of the top-selling tablet, e-reader and smartphone brands within Spain that is continually spearheading innovation notably with their entry into 3D printing and robotic kits. The company developed the DIY: My First Robotics Kit in an attempt to demystify technology by stimulating kids to start building their own robotic models. And their entry into 3D printing with bq Witbox has been commercially impressive where they've recruited leading professionals from Spain's printing and robotic sectors.

A strong innovative brand who operates in Europe with over 600 staff. With mobile, in 2013 bq shipped almost 1.5 million devices and in less than a year has become Spain's second biggest seller of unlocked smartphones. The Aquarius E4.5 Ubuntu edition will be available in Europe and can be purchased soon via the bq site.

Here are the core specs which you can see for real soon, at the Insider event!

Screen
4.5" qHD (960x540)

Camera
5MP Fixed Focus+13MP Autofocus
Dual Flash

SIM
Dual micro sim

Battery
2150mAh

Connectivity
GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSPA+

CPU
Quad A7/1.3GHz

RAM
1GB

Sensors
Gyroscope, Proximity, Light

Not long to go!

Best,

The Ubuntu Phone Team

#ubuntuphone

Aggregated scopes

So here we are with some more news on the new bq Ubuntu phone that's going to be launched on the 6th of February, this time it's about aggregated scopes, read the e-mail I received as Ubuntu insider:

Hi Insiders,

In our initial Phone Glimpse mail we'd introduced scopes for the Ubuntu phone - an integrated approach to delivering content and services. We touched on aggregated scopes that are default scopes valuable to end users. In this mailer we'll be showcasing the default scopes available that provide a full spectrum of rich content categories.

The Today scope let's you see your most important interactions on one screen. Personalise it to see what's most important to you, right at your fingertips.

To see local information, events and services from wherever you are located, check out the NearBy scope. Imagine you're in Barcelona yet don't know where to eat, the NearBy scope will provide you with hidden gems from various sources. A few app partners include: TimeOut, Yelp and The Weather Channel.

The all important News scope aggregates news feeds from your chosen providers that includes the BBC, EuroNews and Engadget.

Bringing music to you. The Music scope allows you to see music on your phone and the web within one place, be it your music library, streaming content from Soundcloud or Grooveshark, and maybe tracks purchased from 7Digital.

There's also the Video scope with app partners that include YouTube, TED and Vimeo, as well as the Photo scope that brings your Facebook, Instagram and Flickr feed into one place.

Every source in the aggregated scopes can expand to give you an app-like experience for that source - and by starring it, they can even become another default screen. That's a great way to personalize your Ubuntu phone so it truly revolves around the services you use most.

There's also a scope dedicated to traditional apps where you can see your downloaded apps in one place.

Voila! A content rich experience brought to you which we can't wait to showcase for real at the Insider event. As mentioned in earlier mails this information is yours to use in anyway!

Looking forward to sharing more insights with you.

Best,

The Ubuntu Phone Team

#ubuntuphone

Ubuntu Phone Glimpse: Experience

Today, as an "Ubuntu Insider" I received an e-mail from Canonical providing fresh details on the launch of the Ubuntu phone.

So here's the news and I am sharing it with you:

"Hi Insiders,
We’re very excited to be bringing you our Phone Glimpse mailers that will provide first-hand information on the soon to launch Ubuntu phone. First up we’d like to share details on the Experience.
The user experience for smartphones has revolved around apps and its icon grid since the very first iPhone. Key mobile services on iOS and Android are delivered via apps in a fragmented manner and controlled by platform owners such as Google, Apple and Microsoft, which has put OEMs and Operators into a secondary role.
Users deserve a richer, faster and unfragmented experience built around the things they do most on their devices.
With the Ubuntu phone we are moving away from the app grid towards integrated content and services. And we do this by providing a user experience that is centered on bringing the key mobile digital life services directly to the screen, which at the heart we call ‘scopes.’
Scopes are a way of delivering unified experiences for various service categories, front and centre to the user, without hiding them behind a sea of apps and app icons. They are created via a simple UI toolkit with much lower development and maintenance costs than apps. There are two types of scopes - aggregation and branded.
Aggregation scopes define the device’s default experience and what makes Ubuntu phones valuable to end users. They allow OEMs and Operators to create a user experience that is unique to their devices such as the NearBy scope that aggregates local services centered around what you’re doing. We’ll go into more detail on the other aggregated scopes in an upcoming Phone Glimpse mailer.
Branded scopes are app like experiences delivered directly to the screen, fully branded. Discoverable through the default store, from a feed in an aggregation scope, or as a favourited default screen. A faster way for developers to build a rich and easier to access branded experience on a device.
We hope this information has given you a sense of the experience. This information is all yours and how you wish to use and share is at your discretion.
Looking forward to sending you the next Phone Glimpse.
Best,
The Ubuntu Phone Team"