According to reports, Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu Linux distribution, today announced the launch of the second Ubuntu phone in partnership with Spanish manufacturer BQ. Although, it can’t rival any recent (or even older) Android flagship phones in terms of basic specs, the new BQ Aquaris E5 HD is at least a step up from BQ’s first Ubuntu phone.
With a below par 4.5-inch 540×960 display, 1GB of RAM and 1.3 MediaTek A7 processor, the first Ubuntu phone wasn’t exactly a market favourite. The new device still uses the same MediaTek quad-core processor and only 1GB of RAM, but the rest of the specs have been stepped up a bit.
The 720×1280 pixel display with 380 cd/m2 maximum brightness should provide a noticeable increase in quality, though, even if it’s still not even a full HD display. The 13 megapixel rear camera (plus a 5 megapixel front camera) is also an improvement from the 8 megapixel one in the earlier device. The phone also features a dual flash and can handle 1080p recordings. The E5 supports up to two SIMs.
Right now the device is only available in Europe and will retail for $199.90.
