Ubuntu Eyes Mobile Market

Ubuntu Linux may soon design an OS for smartphones and tablets to compete with iOS and Android offerings, a definite uphill battle, but one Ubuntu stands a chance of surviving.

The open-source Linux community is forging ahead into the mobile market, according to Canonical leader Mark Shuttleworth, who spoke at the Ubuntu Developer Summit.

Canonical, parent company to the Ubuntu version of Linux, may try its hand at developing for smartphones, tablets, TVs and even onboard navigation systems by 2014, Shuttleworth announced. This timeframe coincides with the planned release of Ubuntu 14.04.

Shuttleworth cited an “underlying hunger” as a reason for Ubuntu’s push, saying consumers are still divided over emerging mobile technologies.