Meizu MX4 with Ubuntu – we came, we saw and … disappointed – PCLab.pl

The Ubuntu position spaced at MWC could see how smartphones version of the Linux distribution running on your phone Meizu MX4. Although the system itself looks sensible, then we have a problem, or just select the device to showcase its features was a good idea.

The smartphone version of Ubuntu was a little uphill During its route to market, but is slowly recovering on a simple (and flat;)). In February, went on sale the first phone with this operating system (bq Aquarius E4.5) and shown at MWC next – Meizu MX4. It’s easy to guess that this combination has attracted a lot of “geeks” of various types (including us). In the end, we are talking about a very fashionable phone among smartfonowych “hipster” and the software it in the middle is almost the same as its desktop counterpart. A few minutes spent with the couple showed that although it sounds and looks interesting, the use of this every day can be very tedious and a whole needs to be further refined.

Smartfonowy Ubuntu interface is based on the use gestures performed from the edge of the screen: short swiping your finger from the left edge of the popup menu invokes the application, long given application minimizes drag, drag your finger from the right edge of the menu calls to switch between programs, and some tools support even from the bottom of the frame gesture – eject menu of settings and features. Gestures operating concept is not new, and if it is well done, it can be very convenient (for example, BlackBerry smartphones). In Ubuntu it works like this:

We were positively surprised by the speed and fluidity of the system, and the idea of ​​the screens, which are levied on the most important data of the most important applications is interesting. But after this video you should already understand where it came profession mentioned in the title of this news. One-handed operation of the system installed on this phone is very, very uncomfortable – just missed the length of the thumb. And sometimes, even if they managed to reach the frame, the software did not always what we wanted, by too narrow a frame and the fact that in different parts of the interface are moved at the list and icons.

Now better understand why the aforementioned bq E4.5 Aquarius is only 4.5-inch screen and as wide frame. Anyway, among other things, that’s why the BlackBerry Z10 (whose interface is also based on gestures related to frames) looks as it looks. Of course we do not want in this way to say it is a weak system, but the experience gained dampened our enthusiasm and showed that this system will be better wrote down on tablets and smartphones made specifically for it (with a smaller screen and wide frames or rounded edges of the glass) than to the appliances, which hit just because … he could.