Ubuntu’s second phone adds an HD screen and a 13-megapixel camera

By Williams Pelegrin June 2, 2015

canonical ubuntu aquaris e5 hd edition — The Verge/Canonical

Only four months after the original Aquaris E4.5 UE was released to the public, Canonical, the mind behind the Ubuntu operating system, is at it yet again with the Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition.

Other than having a longer name than the original, the E5 HD now packs a 5-inch 1,280 x 720 pixel display, which is quite the upgrade from the original’s underwhelming 4.5-inch 960 x 540 pixel display. In addition, you’ll now find a 13-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel shooter on the front, with the rear camera a nice upgrade from the 8-megapixel snapper found on the E4.5.

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You’ll need a respectable amount of storage to save pictures taken with those cameras, and, thankfully, the E5 HD packs 16GB of internal storage. Although it’s not a lot, it is twice as much as what the E4.5 UE came with. Powering the E5 HD is the same quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek chipset we saw on the original, and you won’t find LTE capability. Finally, the two SIM card slots let you switch between mobile operators at will.

Much like the E4.5 UE, the E5 HD is built by Spanish manufacturer BQ, which signed a deal with Canonical back in 2014 to produce Ubuntu phones. The E5 HD Ubuntu Edition will be exclusive to Europe and available only through BQ’s online store for around $219 unlocked in mid June, putting it in direct competition with the likes of the Moto G and the Moto E, among others.

Even with the competition, Canonical believes its gesture-based take on mobile operating systems, as well as its unique home screens, will be enough to stand out from the crowd. The company would be wise to bet big on its operating system, seeing as it’s been pretty slow pushing into the mobile space. Regardless, with today’s announcement of the E5 HD Ubuntu Edition, as well as news that the Ubuntu-powered version of the Meizu MX4 will make its way to Europe later in June, things look to pick up very soon.

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Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

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