Canonical has announced that development is continuing on a version of Ubuntu for smartphones, with the company hoping to release the operating system later this year.
The smartphone version of Ubuntu will use the same Linux kernel as Android, allowing hybrid smartphone/tablet devices (such as the Asus PadFone) to easily switch between Ubuntu (when used as a tablet) and Android (when used as a smartphone).
The common kernel will also allow devices to share text messages and contacts between Android and Ubuntu modes.
PCWorld notes, however, that Canonical will only make Ubuntu for smartphones available to device manufacturers, meaning that end users will not be able to download it as a replacement operating system after jailbreaking phones running other platforms.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
