Ubuntu vs Android Tablets, Smartphones: Canonical’s Secret Weapon
Apple iOS and Google Android remain the dominant operating systems for smartphones and tablets. But alternatives like Canonical's Ubuntu and Firefox OS are hoping to disrupt the mobile market -- despite the stark reality that even Microsoft and Blackberry are having trouble in the market.
Apple iOS and Google Android remain the dominant operating systems for smartphones and tablets. But alternatives like Canonical’s Ubuntu and Firefox OS are hoping to disrupt the mobile market — despite the stark reality that even Microsoft and Blackberry are having trouble gaining ground. So how do upstarts like Ubuntu hope to grab market share?
Today’s Wall Street Journal offers a compelling look at the debate. The stark market reality: Many vendors are striving to become a viable third mobile platform vs. iOS and Android — which command nearly 88 percent of the smartphone market, according to IDC figures for 2012. The Journal notes that:
- Huawei Technologies, LG Electronics and ZTE Corp. will ship phones with Mozilla Firefox OS later this year.
- Samsung and Intel are working on a system, called Tizen, that will ship on a mobile phone in Q3.
- Canonical is working on a smartphone version of Ubuntu that will ship in early 2014.
- Jolla, a Finland startup, will launch its own Sailfish-based smartphone later this year.
The One to Watch
Of that list, The VAR Guy is most intrigued by Canonical. The reason: Ubuntu has strong mind share and reasonable market share in the PC desktop market. Many university students, corporate programmers and hackers (the good kind) use Ubuntu for their day-to-day computing needs. Plus, Ubuntu seems to be catching momentum in the server market — particularly when it comes to cloud computing.
Kyle MacDonald, VP of cloud at Canonical, told The VAR Guy that cloud computing is now Canonical’s fastest growing business. But Canonical Chairman Mark Shuttleworth told our resident blogger that the mobile and cloud waves are equally important to Canonical.
Familiar Story: One Code Base
Canonical’s strategy is simple but compelling: Give software developers a single code base and a common set of APIs (application programming interfaces) upon which to build their apps and applications — whether their apps are mobile, desktop, server or cloud.
As Canonical Product Manager Richard Collins told The Wall Street Journal: “We want to offer a viable, non-fragmented alternative to Android where both mobile operators and OEMs have a greater deal of flexibility for both service and unser interface customization.”
In other words, Canonical is hoping to profit from Android fragmentation. In some cases, software developers and device makers are having a difficult time making sure their hardware and software works with all the different Android flavors in the market. Similarly, you can imagine VARs and IT consultants struggling to offer support (mobile application management, mobile device management) for all those Android flavors.
In stark contrast, Canonical is vowing to make sure Ubuntu remains a single code base.
PC Makers and Smartphones?
That’s a compelling strategy. But Ubuntu is going to need a few lucky breaks to gain market share on smartphones and tablets. Among the potential lucky breaks: PC makers are very familiar with Ubuntu. Michael Dell has personally run the operating system from time to time, and Dell has supported Ubuntu on various mobile, desktop and server configurations. The story is somewhat similar at HP and Lenovo; both companies offer varying degrees of Ubuntu support.
Generally speaking, Dell has been retreating from the consumer market toward corporate data centers. But if Michael Dell wants to make another run at the smartphone market you can bet Ubuntu will be on his shortlist of options. The same goes for HP, where that company is already introducing Google Chromebooks as an alternative to Windows 8 devices. Ditto for Lenovo, which also keeps its options open in the software market.
The VAR Guy isn’t predicting victory for Ubuntu on smartphones. But Canonical’s strategy is worth watching.
I keep trying to tell you
I keep trying to tell you idiots, Mark Shuttleworth is not the “Chairman” or CEO of Canonical. You guys ever heard of Google or Wikipedia?
Aside from anything else,
Aside from anything else, courtesy should be practiced by all.
Xyko: We certainly apologize
Xyko: We certainly apologize for the error noted further above, but appreciate your note on courtesy as well.
-jp
Hi Jason,
I guess I qualify
Hi Jason,
I guess I qualify as the site’s top idiot since I edited the piece. We’ll keep your constructive criticism in mind as we plan more coverage of Canonical “Founder” Mark Shuttleworth. Sorry about the error.
-jp
Hi there,
Ubuntu proposition
Hi there,
Ubuntu proposition is truly very attractive …
Maybe I am wrong, but I think a conceptual error is flying around … regarding fragmentation and the Ubuntu ‘single code base’.
I guess what Ubuntu means with a ‘single code base’ is that they’re using a single code base for different HW platforms (desktop and mobile) which is a true compelling issue. On the other hand, that very ‘single code base’ is going to evolve on time as they already do on Ubuntu desktop (two releases per year).
If we understand fragmentation as different releases of the same OS coexisting in time, … I think it’s going to keep happening with Ubuntu mobile. Fragmentation could be mitigated if users have the option of freely upgrade to last Ubuntu mobile release … but there will always be HW restrictions, so at some point in time a user will not be able to keep upgrading without upgrading its device first. And there could also be operator restrictions … so a ‘single code base’ offer many interesting things … BUT … in my opinion does not guarantee a non fragmented Ubuntu mobile ecosystem.
Regards.
Anonymous: Thank you for
Anonymous: Thank you for offering some interesting views on single code base. Yes, there could be Ubuntu variants for smart phones. After all, couldn’t a third-party company try to compete with Canonical and create a fork of Ubuntu?
That said I don’t want to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD). Shuttleworth seems focused on making sure Ubuntu is a single operating system that can run on smartphones, tablets, PCs, servers and cloud. …
-jp
(not the same anonymous as
(not the same anonymous as the OP)
Joe, I think you’re referring to a different kind of fragmentation. The original poster is saying that Canonical will face the same fragmentation issues as Android so long as the mobile market is constrained by service providers and the hardware manufacturers. In other words as time progresses, some users will be on Ubuntu Mobile 1.0 (or 14.04, whatever), while others are on Ubuntu Mobile 2.0 or 2.1.1 or 3.0. As long as providers and hardware manufacturers limit the ability of users to upgrade to the most recent version of the OS, the OS is going to be fractured across the market. This is the only real reason why Android 2.3 still has the largest share of the Android market share, while the newer 4.x series are lower. Users are not allowed to freely upgrade their OS. Ubuntu will have to overcome that limitation if they want to have “1 OS.”
Android OS Market Share:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/android-jelly-bean-marketshare-overtakes-ice-cream-sandwich-gingerbread-still-going-strong-361920
I’m with the first anonymous.
I’m with the first anonymous. Android’s problem isn’t actually from Android; it’s that the hardware manufacturers and mobile carriers aren’t updating the phones. When the phone is first released, the hardware manufacturers are modifying the Android interface with their own customizations (e.g. HTC Sense) before shipping the phones. When Google releases a new Android, it can’t be pushed to phones until 1) the manufacturer updates their modifications and 2) the carrier tests and confirms “acceptable” error rates, and 3) the carrier pushes it out. If any one of those doesn’t happen (particularly because of an “old” phone, old being 9+ months or some rather small number), then our phones don’t updated. The market is then left with rather new phones with older OS versions. It isn’t until someone buys a new phone that they see the new OS, which shouldn’t have to be. Even with the Galaxy Nexus (a “pure” Android phone with no additions), it took Verizon several months to push out the newest OS.
Unless Canonical has some way to get around that, they are still going to have a fragmented market.
i have to say it sounds
i have to say it sounds amazing and a great idea, ive looked at videos of ubuntu touch and being a proud ownder of a dell xps ubuntu edition and other various computers i cant wait to get touch on my nexus 4 and 7, amazing stuff
Anonymous: When you deploy
Anonymous: When you deploy Ubuntu touch on Nexus please be sure to jump back into this conversation and share your experiences. Curious to hear what you think of the offering.
-jp
I wonder will the
I wonder will the phone/computer be powerfull enough. We use Ubuntu computers for graphic intensive 3D CAD. Surely you will need a graphic card and a large HDD, or will the dock be able to take these equipment.