 Visitor Reviews |
UBports
|
Reader supplied reviews for UBports
Average rating
7.8 from 9 review(s)
Version: 20.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-06-13
Votes: 3
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Mileage will vary widely based on the device you use. The correct order of operations, unless you're willing to port the OS onto your phone, is to visit the devices.ubuntu-touch.io and cross reference which devices work well and which are locally, affordably available for you.
For my purposes, it works shockingly well. Shockingly considering it's a community maintained non-spyware smartphone OS that does everything I need it to. I just didn't know how good a phone running could be. On my Oneplus 5T, by no means the top of the list of most functional Ubuntu Touch phones, it works as I need it to, and is super nice to use. It's the phone I use every day, and it does what I need it to do.
Apps run sandboxed by default, with user allowing sharing of data between apps as desired (camera to messaging, for example, to send photos). Apps can't run in the background unless you give them permission.
The OS is convergent to run in desktop mode if hooked up to monitor, keyboard and mouse. You either need a phone with video output over USB or a Miracast adapter for this to work.
The gestures on screen are different than other OSes, but very quickly one gets accustomed. I like them a lot.
Telephone works perfectly, but only if you live somewhere with good 2G/3G cellular network. VoLTE and 5G are works in progress (though purportedly coming soon)!
SMS messaging works perfectly.
MMS works for photos and videos, with some tinkering on APN setup, except for group messages, which do not work properly on any devices. Sometimes my MMS goes wonky, but a quick Terminal command fixes it.
No RCS support at this point in time.
Camera, selfie camera and video all work well, without all the fancy processing of iOS/Android. Significantly better image quality than Lineage on this device.
Fingerprint reader works well.
GPS works only after a long initial location procedure. There is presently no assisted GPS, so after any reboot/power on, it takes several minutes, ideally outside or near a window, for the GPS to find itself. Afterward, live navigation at highway speeds works fine.
Browsers are presently all based on Qt WebEngine, which won't be upgraded soon. This is causing difficulty with certain websites (only one that I use). Broadly I can use the web just fine as normal. Banking, buying things, it all works fine for me. There's recent work on a WebKit based browser which is early but very promising.
Battery often gets you less far than with other OS. On one hand, apps not running in background can help. But something about the way that the device must stay awake to listen for messages limits battery. Flight mode cuts down battery usage significantly. I get about two days out of mine, having recently replaced a battery. Good enough for me.
App ecosystem is small, but has all that I need. A passable Matrix client (Cinny), a passable Telegram client (Teleports), decent email app (Dekko), Nextcloud/Owncloud support. Good map apps including live GPS directions with PureMaps and UNav, offline mapping with OSM Scout Server. open-store.io, to browse the apps.
UT Tweak Tool allows you to change scaling on device, control which apps do/don't get suspended when in background, and many other useful things.
Waydroid as an android emulator sounds better and better. Some use this to get other browsers, other messaging apps, banking apps, etc. I don't need it.
Snaps support is newly underway but immature.
The community is friendly, and needs more users and developers! Try it out!
|
Version: 20.04
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-05-22
Votes: 13
|
Tested UBP on a FairPhone 4. Installation simple and smooth.
The interface is simple and very effective.
However, the ecosystem behind is not mature : many apps install successfully but don't work OOB.
Worse for me : the display. No HiDPI management : everything is so tiny it's barely legible (I'm wearing glasses).
It's a preview of things to come (and a fantastic one) but still immature.
I reverted to Lineage. But be warned!! UBP did something on the /persistent readonly folder and the fingerprint sensor was not working anymore.
Needed to boot a root flash and 'restorecon -FR /mnt/vendor/persist" to get it back.
Testers should be forewarned of such incongruities..
The 6 is for usability as of today. Will give it another try sometimes later : it's well beyond the proof of concept and looks sooo promising!
|
Version: 16.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-01-25
Votes: 122
|
I would not give this 10 out of 10 as it is still not quite the polished article. However that does not stop Ubuntu Touch being exceedingly good. For a mobile device operating system that is in effect funded by a charitable foundation and developed by a volunteer community, it has its issues, but these are really outweighed by it's quirky difference to the mainstream and the number of devices it has been ported to.
It is a great challenge to port as a lot of device hardware is proprietary, so each device has to be ported to individually. Then couple that with the way some manufacturers put blocks in place for "security" reasons and of course the older hardware issues, usually declining battery life. There are now over 70 devices in the port, so if you have an old phone lying around, which I did, there is a good chance you could revive it and make it useful again.
Android an iOS are kind of the polished items, but are let down by bloatware (why?) and the constant sneaky use of your data (why?). Ubuntu Touch does not have this and you can essentially make it your own, be as open or private as you wish. There are going to be issues as there is with all software, but persevering and working through, there has generally been a solution.
Overall, this is really good to revive older hardware that has been orphaned by the manufacturers and give it an interesting new lease of life.
|
Version: 16.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-29
Votes: 107
|
The single biggest downside of Ubports is, that there are Android and iOS to compare to. They run more smoothly, have more apps and run on newer devices. But the strength of Ubports is their downside. It wants not to make money on your data. So keeping that the rating is not about comparing Ubports to iOS or Android I will give it 10 out of 10.
I run Ubports since five years as a daily driver. First on a BQ, then on a Nexus 5 and after retiring my Pinephone I run it now on a SamsungGalaxy S3.
Most of the problems I had was with the hardware, not with the software. Since Ubports took other, the OS improved immensely. Ubports enables me to do with the phone, what I want: texting, talking and surfing. If your needs are larger, it is better to check, whether there are apps to fulfill those and whether they are working. For me Ubports suffices fully.
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Version: 16.04
Rating: 3
Date: 2021-07-31
Votes: 28
|
Sorry for the low rating. Keep in mind that I am using a Pine64 PinePhone, so unfortunately, there is probably not a lot of priority on supporting it. Probably on other hardware it would be a great experience.
I used the default browser for searches, and and was able to watch YouTube videos. Works well.
I sent a text message to an iPhone, and they received the message. They replied to the message and I received their message.
I called from the Pinephone to a landline, but could not hear anything on the Pinephone. The landline could hear me fine.
I called from a landline to the Pinephone, but the 'answer' button would not answer the call.
After no use for a couple minutes and the phone goes to sleep, I cannot wake it up. Must hold the power button down and do a full power off/on to get alive, and even this is difficult to do.
Summary:
Text messenger is okay.
Phone is not okay.
Browser for even YouTube is okay.
Very difficult to revive after going to sleep.
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Version: 16.04
Rating: 8
Date: 2021-07-17
Votes: 57
|
I moved to UT from Android about 2 years when I got a Fairphone 2 and used the very user-friendly UBports installer. The OS does exactly what I want - no bloat, the community is very welcoming and helpful, plenty of apps available. UT may not fit everyone's needs (regarding needing specific apps), and the torch not working but overall, I'm still very happy with it.
~ TD
|
Version: 16.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-06-11
Votes: 55
|
I've been using Ubuntu Touch (that's the name of the OS) for a year now, on a OnePlus One. It's really quite good. It does pretty much all that I need it to do and I'm happily using it as a daily driver. Considering how small the UBports team is, they are doing an amazing job.
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Version: 16.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-05-29
Votes: 55
|
I used ubuntu touch in my bq tablet until I had to replace it. But I never realized how much wonder I had in my hands. Then, due to breakage of the phone with SailfishOs I decided to buy a Fairphone and install ubuntu touch on it....it's a wonder! I've been using it for 6 months now as my main and only phone. I think it does its best on the smartphone compared to the tablet. I found all the apps I needed between those already pre-installed and those available on the Openstore. For the other ones I couldn't find I used an essential app for this smarphone: Webber. It allows you to create a local web app with just a few clicks. So where I couldn't find my mail client, the public transport app of my city, etc. I created everything with webber. Where it was necessary to use android apps (but you don't feel the need after you've created your own web apps) I recommend choosing a smarphone that also supports the anbox program.
Positive:
- the Open Store is clear. Each app has all the references to know exactly what you are installing and you have the possibility to donate a fee to the developer.
- The gesture control is very convenient.
Negatives:
On my fairphone2 the battery life is very poor (12 hours or so) and needs recharging. I suplit with a spare battery.
|
Version: 16.04
Rating: 7
Date: 2021-05-21
Votes: 6
|
My rating is 7/10 cause Libertine does not work on my Nexus 7 (wifi).
Notification are hit or miss.
Lack of modern web browsers and mail clients.
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Latest Reviews
Project: UBports
Version: 20.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-06-13
Votes: 3
|
Mileage will vary widely based on the device you use. The correct order of operations, unless you're willing to port the OS onto your phone, is to visit the devices.ubuntu-touch.io and cross reference which devices work well and which are locally, affordably available for you.
For my purposes, it works shockingly well. Shockingly considering it's a community maintained non-spyware smartphone OS that does everything I need it to. I just didn't know how good a phone running could be. On my Oneplus 5T, by no means the top of the list of most functional Ubuntu Touch phones, it works as I need it to, and is super nice to use. It's the phone I use every day, and it does what I need it to do.
Apps run sandboxed by default, with user allowing sharing of data between apps as desired (camera to messaging, for example, to send photos). Apps can't run in the background unless you give them permission.
The OS is convergent to run in desktop mode if hooked up to monitor, keyboard and mouse. You either need a phone with video output over USB or a Miracast adapter for this to work.
The gestures on screen are different than other OSes, but very quickly one gets accustomed. I like them a lot.
Telephone works perfectly, but only if you live somewhere with good 2G/3G cellular network. VoLTE and 5G are works in progress (though purportedly coming soon)!
SMS messaging works perfectly.
MMS works for photos and videos, with some tinkering on APN setup, except for group messages, which do not work properly on any devices. Sometimes my MMS goes wonky, but a quick Terminal command fixes it.
No RCS support at this point in time.
Camera, selfie camera and video all work well, without all the fancy processing of iOS/Android. Significantly better image quality than Lineage on this device.
Fingerprint reader works well.
GPS works only after a long initial location procedure. There is presently no assisted GPS, so after any reboot/power on, it takes several minutes, ideally outside or near a window, for the GPS to find itself. Afterward, live navigation at highway speeds works fine.
Browsers are presently all based on Qt WebEngine, which won't be upgraded soon. This is causing difficulty with certain websites (only one that I use). Broadly I can use the web just fine as normal. Banking, buying things, it all works fine for me. There's recent work on a WebKit based browser which is early but very promising.
Battery often gets you less far than with other OS. On one hand, apps not running in background can help. But something about the way that the device must stay awake to listen for messages limits battery. Flight mode cuts down battery usage significantly. I get about two days out of mine, having recently replaced a battery. Good enough for me.
App ecosystem is small, but has all that I need. A passable Matrix client (Cinny), a passable Telegram client (Teleports), decent email app (Dekko), Nextcloud/Owncloud support. Good map apps including live GPS directions with PureMaps and UNav, offline mapping with OSM Scout Server. open-store.io, to browse the apps.
UT Tweak Tool allows you to change scaling on device, control which apps do/don't get suspended when in background, and many other useful things.
Waydroid as an android emulator sounds better and better. Some use this to get other browsers, other messaging apps, banking apps, etc. I don't need it.
Snaps support is newly underway but immature.
The community is friendly, and needs more users and developers! Try it out!
|
Project: UBports
Version: 20.04
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-05-22
Votes: 13
|
Tested UBP on a FairPhone 4. Installation simple and smooth.
The interface is simple and very effective.
However, the ecosystem behind is not mature : many apps install successfully but don't work OOB.
Worse for me : the display. No HiDPI management : everything is so tiny it's barely legible (I'm wearing glasses).
It's a preview of things to come (and a fantastic one) but still immature.
I reverted to Lineage. But be warned!! UBP did something on the /persistent readonly folder and the fingerprint sensor was not working anymore.
Needed to boot a root flash and 'restorecon -FR /mnt/vendor/persist" to get it back.
Testers should be forewarned of such incongruities..
The 6 is for usability as of today. Will give it another try sometimes later : it's well beyond the proof of concept and looks sooo promising!
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-01-25
Votes: 122
|
I would not give this 10 out of 10 as it is still not quite the polished article. However that does not stop Ubuntu Touch being exceedingly good. For a mobile device operating system that is in effect funded by a charitable foundation and developed by a volunteer community, it has its issues, but these are really outweighed by it's quirky difference to the mainstream and the number of devices it has been ported to.
It is a great challenge to port as a lot of device hardware is proprietary, so each device has to be ported to individually. Then couple that with the way some manufacturers put blocks in place for "security" reasons and of course the older hardware issues, usually declining battery life. There are now over 70 devices in the port, so if you have an old phone lying around, which I did, there is a good chance you could revive it and make it useful again.
Android an iOS are kind of the polished items, but are let down by bloatware (why?) and the constant sneaky use of your data (why?). Ubuntu Touch does not have this and you can essentially make it your own, be as open or private as you wish. There are going to be issues as there is with all software, but persevering and working through, there has generally been a solution.
Overall, this is really good to revive older hardware that has been orphaned by the manufacturers and give it an interesting new lease of life.
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-29
Votes: 107
|
The single biggest downside of Ubports is, that there are Android and iOS to compare to. They run more smoothly, have more apps and run on newer devices. But the strength of Ubports is their downside. It wants not to make money on your data. So keeping that the rating is not about comparing Ubports to iOS or Android I will give it 10 out of 10.
I run Ubports since five years as a daily driver. First on a BQ, then on a Nexus 5 and after retiring my Pinephone I run it now on a SamsungGalaxy S3.
Most of the problems I had was with the hardware, not with the software. Since Ubports took other, the OS improved immensely. Ubports enables me to do with the phone, what I want: texting, talking and surfing. If your needs are larger, it is better to check, whether there are apps to fulfill those and whether they are working. For me Ubports suffices fully.
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 3
Date: 2021-07-31
Votes: 28
|
Sorry for the low rating. Keep in mind that I am using a Pine64 PinePhone, so unfortunately, there is probably not a lot of priority on supporting it. Probably on other hardware it would be a great experience.
I used the default browser for searches, and and was able to watch YouTube videos. Works well.
I sent a text message to an iPhone, and they received the message. They replied to the message and I received their message.
I called from the Pinephone to a landline, but could not hear anything on the Pinephone. The landline could hear me fine.
I called from a landline to the Pinephone, but the 'answer' button would not answer the call.
After no use for a couple minutes and the phone goes to sleep, I cannot wake it up. Must hold the power button down and do a full power off/on to get alive, and even this is difficult to do.
Summary:
Text messenger is okay.
Phone is not okay.
Browser for even YouTube is okay.
Very difficult to revive after going to sleep.
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 8
Date: 2021-07-17
Votes: 57
|
I moved to UT from Android about 2 years when I got a Fairphone 2 and used the very user-friendly UBports installer. The OS does exactly what I want - no bloat, the community is very welcoming and helpful, plenty of apps available. UT may not fit everyone's needs (regarding needing specific apps), and the torch not working but overall, I'm still very happy with it.
~ TD
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-06-11
Votes: 55
|
I've been using Ubuntu Touch (that's the name of the OS) for a year now, on a OnePlus One. It's really quite good. It does pretty much all that I need it to do and I'm happily using it as a daily driver. Considering how small the UBports team is, they are doing an amazing job.
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-05-29
Votes: 55
|
I used ubuntu touch in my bq tablet until I had to replace it. But I never realized how much wonder I had in my hands. Then, due to breakage of the phone with SailfishOs I decided to buy a Fairphone and install ubuntu touch on it....it's a wonder! I've been using it for 6 months now as my main and only phone. I think it does its best on the smartphone compared to the tablet. I found all the apps I needed between those already pre-installed and those available on the Openstore. For the other ones I couldn't find I used an essential app for this smarphone: Webber. It allows you to create a local web app with just a few clicks. So where I couldn't find my mail client, the public transport app of my city, etc. I created everything with webber. Where it was necessary to use android apps (but you don't feel the need after you've created your own web apps) I recommend choosing a smarphone that also supports the anbox program.
Positive:
- the Open Store is clear. Each app has all the references to know exactly what you are installing and you have the possibility to donate a fee to the developer.
- The gesture control is very convenient.
Negatives:
On my fairphone2 the battery life is very poor (12 hours or so) and needs recharging. I suplit with a spare battery.
|
Project: UBports
Version: 16.04
Rating: 7
Date: 2021-05-21
Votes: 6
|
My rating is 7/10 cause Libertine does not work on my Nexus 7 (wifi).
Notification are hit or miss.
Lack of modern web browsers and mail clients.
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