All Sections

BQ Aquaris M10 tablet launches with Ubuntu OS

Ubuntu and BQ have joined forces to create the BQ Aquaris M10 tablet, which runs Ubuntu OS – a highly adaptable alternative to Windows and Android, which can morph from touch-based UI to full desktop experience when connected to a big screen. Here’s the full Aquaris M10 specs and a little more about Ubuntu.

BQ Aquaris M10: Specs and features

BQ’s Aquaris M10 is a 10.1-inch tablet powered by the quad-core MediaTek MT8163A processor, backed up by 2GB of RAM. There’s a 7280mAh battery to keep you going all day (hopefully), plus 16GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD).

Read next: BQ Aquaris X5 review

At 470g, the Aquaris M10 is one of the lightest 10-inch tablets around, with a reasonably slender 8.2mm frame. The 8-megapixel rear camera can shoot 1080p video if so desired and there’s a front-facing lens for video chats too. You even get a micro HDMI port for hooking up to a monitor or TV, something we rarely see on a tablet but which is necessary to activate Ubuntu’s Convergence feature, which converts the tablet into a desktop computer. More on this below.

BQ Aquaris M10: Ubuntu mobile experience

The Aquaris M10 user experience should immediately be familiar to Ubuntu fans. You can quickly and easily flick through a selection of hand-picked Scopes, which are essentially desktops providing specific shortcuts and info, while the app launcher can be dragged from the left edge to open up new programs. There’s full support for side-by-side multi-tasking too, as with the latest iOS.

Ubuntu is designed to adapt to whatever device it is working on (phone, tablet, etc) to provide the best possible experience. It can also smartly change depending on which accessories are attached, via a feature known as ‘Convergence’. So if you pair up the Aquaris M10 with a monitor and keyboard, Ubuntu will morph from a touch-oriented UI to a proper desktop environment, as if you were working on a computer – very similar to Microsoft’s Continuum feature, found on Windows 10.

As the ‘device of the future’ will inevitably be a single, super-flexible and highly portable machine that replaces our phone, tablet, laptop and desktop PC, Ubuntu seems to be a step in the right direction. And you get the full range of Ubuntu desktop apps with Convergence, to accompany the selection of Ubuntu mobile apps.

BQ Aquaris M10: UK price and release date

The Aquaris M10 launches in March and will be available to buy on the BQ website. UK pricing and an exact UK release date are yet to be revealed.

What do you think of the Aquaris M10? Would you consider converting to Ubuntu? Let us know in the comments below.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *