Meizu Launches New Ubuntu Linux-Based PRO 5 Smartphone

Ubuntu Linux fans who want to run Canonical‘s open source OS on phones will be happy to learn that Meizu has launched a new phone, the Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition, which offers beefed up hardware and more speed.

Meizu announced the new Ubuntu-based phone on Feb. 17. It features a 5.7-inch screen with 1920×1080 resolution and a Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core processor. The company is playing up the hardware features, which it says make the Meizu PRO 5 faster than many other major smartphones.

Meizu also hopes recent updates in Ubuntu for phones will entice more users to give the device a try. Canonical’s Unity interface has been enhanced with more interactive “Scopes” for popular apps, like Twitter and YouTube, and more apps are now available for Ubuntu.

The recent announcement of the first Ubuntu tablet by BQ, the other major mobile device manufacturer with which Canonical has partnered to bring Ubuntu to mobile platforms, a few weeks ago should also help create confidence in and excitement about the viability of the growing Ubuntu mobile ecosystem.

The new phone is available for preorder now on Meizu’s website, but the company has not yet announced a price. Other phones based on the same family of hardware are priced in the $500-$700 range.

The PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition is the fifth Ubuntu-based mobile device to launch in the past year. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to phones and tablets running other operating systems, but it does signal Canonical’s sustained momentum in this area.