Ubuntu has so far failed to make an impression in the mobile space. A single device, the BQ Aquaris E is currently available. The (overly) Ubuntu Edge crowdfunding campaign failed to raise the funds needed to build what could have been an impressive smartphone. More smartphones, including models from Meizu, are coming but it is unlikely that Ubuntu will be more than a niche player for a long time. That has not stopped Jonas Kvale, a graphic design artist, from coming up with a concept smartwatch powered by a version of Ubuntu called Ubuntu Wear. He calls his concept the Ubuntu Watch R.
The watch itself sports a simple design. Finished in a silver metal colour, it incorporates a full-circle display of indeterminate size and a crown at the traditional 3 o’clock position. As for the Ubuntu interface, it uses round icons although one image shows rounded squares as well.
The few images leave much to the imagination. The display would presumably be touch-enabled, allowing you to swipe through icons and to dismiss notifications. The crown could act as a Home button.
No specifications are provided with the concept but it would likely connect to an Ubuntu-powered smartphone (and perhaps other operating systems) via Bluetooth to display a range of notifications as well as provide activity tracking information back to an app much as most smartwatches do today.
Let’s hope that Kvale digs a bit further into the Ubuntu Watch R concept and give us more insight into what features it would offer.
Sources : DeviantArt // Concept Phones