ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Schnuff <Schnuff_Forum@xxxxxx>]

Hey there,

I wanted to share my concerns about the future (developement) of Ubuntu Touch (the Ubuntu-Phone-OS).

1. (OS-) Updates/Upgrades:
If this topic is covered well I see a good chance to get UbuntuTouch spread greatly.
Companies (customers) have a high interest in getting (Smart-)Phones with a high period of use.
How "the others" are handling this [times are approximately]:
 - Android: 0days - 1 years, 4 months
The Hardware-producer is responsible for updates. Google's oldest Smartphone still updated (Galaxy Nexus) was released: Dec 2011. All other Smartphone-Vendors have no interest to support their devices, so only a few are getting updated (after a long waiting period).
Even the carrier (O2, ATM, Vodafone, Telecom, ...) have a say in updates. Some updates are available only by some carriers.
 - iOS: 3 years, 9 months
Only a few hardware-options are available. Updates are developed and deployed by Apple. Oldest still updated device (IPhone 3GS) was released: June 2009
 - Windows Phone 8: <to new>
Seems like Microsoft is publishing the OS-updates? So Smartphones will get updates for a longer period?
Hardware-producers only have the option to publish "software that improve performance" (drivers?!)
 - BlackBerry OS: 1 year
See "iOS". The newest version (Blackberry OS 10) is only available on BlackBerry Z10, released: Feb 2012

Conclusion:
If you have to buy a Smartphone at the moment and want a high (software-) lifespan:
 - Buy a iPhone.
 - Buy a "Windows Phone 8"-Phone and hope Microsoft will update your device long enough. [I didn't find an official statement on this]

2. "improvements" by carriers (o2, ATM, Vodafone, Telecom, ...) or Hardware-producers:
It's sometimes really annoying if you bought a Smartphone and have so much "improvements" installed by default that you can't use it.
For example: My Android device (Galaxy S Plus) had a Samsung-surface, Apps I didn't need (but had to update though security concerns).
 - UbuntTouch: "[...] can be tailored to your brand, integrating your custom services, content and apps." see: http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/phone/operators-and-oems
In !my! own words: "get our OS, abuse it and tell your customers it was Ubuntu/Canonicals fault".
 - Android: Every Hardware-producer/carrier has it's own surface, if you buy Samsung-Android you mustn't have a clue how to use a Sony-Android. Some apps are preinstalled, you can't remove them.
 - iOS: One surface for all Hardware
 - Windows Phone 8: see iOS
 - BlackBerry OS: see iOS

3. Security
 - Android: At the time you download an app, you see what categories of api's the software is going to use. In some cases you can deny access of software to some api's in runtime (address book)
 - iOS: <i have no iOS device> see Android?!
 - Windows Phone 8: see iOS
 - BlackBerry OS: see iOS, additionally BlackBerry has user-accounts so one user can install apps which aren't accessible (and therefore can't access) an other user.

4. Portability
How will writing apps be handled? If I'm writing a C++ - Based program how will you (Canonical) be able to deploy it to different processors?
 - UbuntuTouch: qml, html5 are processor independent, what about C++?
 - Android: Usage of Java [So it's processor independent], the few C++ librarys have to be ported to new processors by their developers
 - iOS: only one Processor
 - Windows Phone 8: C# [So it's processor independent], I don't know how the C++ part is handled.
 - BlackBerry OS: Java [So it's processor independent]

5. Legal / Law
Especially in USA it is hard for newcomers to get into the market because the big companies are suppressing them with patents, ...
Those patents can include: Software, Hardware and Design [Design isn't a patent but it is usable like one in curt]
 - Samsung vs. Apple
 - Samsung vs. Microsoft
 - Motorola vs. Microsoft
 - ...

Thats it for now


Kind regards,
Simon