Canonical recently formalized its Ubuntu Edge, a smartphone that embeds Ubuntu. To finance and thus produce, the company has launched a crowdfunding campaign: it seeks to collect not less than 32 million dollars in a month.

To ensure you receive the Ubuntu Edge upon its release in May 2014, you must already pay $600, but in a particular way: it is on the Indiegogo project page of Canonical that you need to checkout.

It is indeed on the crowdfunding platform that the company highlights its smartphone, powered by Ubuntu. As for specifications, there is a screen of 4.5 inches with a resolution of 720p, a 4-core processor undisclosed - because it will be selected among the newer models at production - 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage space. It is advertised as dual LTE-compatible and should have a long battery life.

Finally, the device can be equipped with Android to allow the user to choose between Google's OS or Linux for the ignition. Once connected to a monitor and a USB keyboard, it also allows the use of Ubuntu desktop mode.


The firm is particularly ambitious: it seeks to raise $32 million in 31 days on Indiegogo platform. If it has some big hits to its credit - the Scanadu Scout, a portable medical scanner, that recently raised $1.66 million while it was asking only for 100,000.

Launched just a few hours ago, the project has already exceeded $230,000 and is likely to reach its goal quickly if maintained well. It will take about 40,000 "pre-orders" for Canonical to reach 32 million, knowing that only the first 5000 "backers" will have the Ubuntu Edge for $600: the other will have to pay about 630 euros. To sum this $30 must be added (22 euros) for shipping.

Meanwhile, stay tuned in real time on the Indiegogo project page here.